There’s a new project called the Havasue Horse Project that is shedding some much needed light on the animal abuse associated with tourism in the Grand Canyon. Channel 12 News of Phoenix Arizona discusses the reality of the situation below.
Though animal abuse has been frequent for over 20 years in Arizona, most tourists are unaware of it. Many tourists unknowingly travel to Havaspui and pre-book travel arrangements, unknowingly designating their belongings to be carried by pack horses.
Katie Migliavacca and her sister from San Francisco were looking forward to their hike to Havasu Falls last April. However, shortly after their walk into the canyon, she says they witnessed horses with large open wounds on their backs from carrying heavy objects up and down the trail. She said the animal abuse they witnessed ruined what could have been a trip of a lifetime.
“We’re not animal rights activists, and I’m not overly sensitive to knowing horses are work animals, but what we saw was horrible,” she said. “We saw horses on short leads and tied to posts on the trail, with no shade or water and they couldn’t lay down because the lead was too tight. One horse had its body lying on the trail, but his head was still up off the ground.”
– Katie Migliavacca
Read the Full Story from Channel12 News Here.