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August 25, 1998 Equine Placement Network, Inc. equineprotectionnetwork.com |
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Cortlandville, NY- New York State Police Troopers Marc E. Hickey and Kenneth A. Laman, assisted by Trooper Richard Cecce, arrested Arlow Kiehl, Watertown, NY on Monday, August 24, 1998 on I-81 North at 11:45 PM in the Town of Cortlandville. Mr Kiehl was charged with 16 counts of transporting horses illegally in violation of New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, Section 359-a.
The 16 horses on Mr Kiehl's double deck trailer were being shipped from the horse auction in New Holland, PA to a Canadian slaughterhouse for human consumption overseas. Some of the horses on the trailer had visible injuries. Cortlandville is approximately 50 miles North of the Pennsylvania and New York border. According to a news story published June 25, 1998 by the Williamsport Sun Gazette," Kiehl uses a double deck trailer and said he will continue to do so, despite the fact that he has been arrested several times recently in New York State, hauling horses from the New Holland(PA) and Middleburg (PA) auctions."Mr Kiehl pled guilty in Preble Town Court on June 23, 1998 to 26 counts of illegally transporting horses in violation of New York Agriculture and Markets Law, Section 359 a and was fined $2000.00. Mr. Kiehl also pled guilty to 17 counts of the illegal transport of horses on June 9, 1998 in Barker, N.Y. Town Court and paid a $500 fine.
Due to Mr Kiehl's previous convictions of New York State's Agriculture and Markets Law, Section 359-a, the charges are misdemeanors. Mr Kiehl faces up to a year in jail and fines totalling $8000.00, $500 for each horse transported illegally.
In recent months New York State Police have made close to 200 arrests of 3 habitual offenders after stepping up their enforcement of New York State's horse transport law, the strongest law in the country passed in 1981. The law makes it illegal to transport horses in a double deck trailer and requires other safety features in trailers transporting 6 or more horses.
On July 22, 1998 New York Governor Pataki signed into law Senate Bill 6332 introduced in March 1998 by Senator Kuhl, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill raises the fines for violating New York State's Agriculture and Markets law, Section 359-a, the illegal transport of horses. The fines were raised from $100 to $250 for a first violation and from $500 to $1000 for a second conviction. The fines are PER horse, PER violation. The new fines take effect on November 1, 1998.
As Pennsylvania lawmakers decide whether to pass HB 2127, the Horse Transport Bill, and the USDA writes guidelines for the Commercial Transport of Horses to Slaughter Act, New York State continues to reap the increased revenue from the cruel and inhumane transport of slaughterbound horses from Pennsylvania auctions through New York to Canadian slaughterhouses for human consumption overseas.