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The Saphira Case: IHP-FNOVI meeting

20/02/2015

(20 February 2015)

Yesterday the IHP President participated in a meeting in Rome of the National Committee on ethics, science, and the veterinary profession, at the invitation of the Italian Order of Veterinary Surgeons. He was asked to present and discuss the case of Saphira, the horse sent to slaughter after testing positive for equine infectious anaemia (see our press release of 10 October 2014).

It was explained that the IHP had requested urgent clarification of the matter and had lodged a complaint against the modus operandi of the Brescia ASL vets who, notwithstanding the legislation, which favours not killing EIA positive horses, did not allow even one day’s time for the owner to explore alternative solutions. Worse still, he was given only the option of having the horse put down. Under this pressure, and the pressure from other clients at the livery yard, the owner authorised the killing of the horse, believing that she would be euthanized (which IHP would anyway have considered illegal and would have immediately reported as such). Due to our following of the case and our access to the procedures he later discovered to his horror that Saphira had been sent to the public abattoir in Rovato, on the very same day the restriction order had been placed on her by the health authorities.

IHP was therefore able to discuss all aspects of the case with the vets of the veterinary association, and in more general terms point out the very serious legislative confusion surrounding a matter which can mean life or death to perfectly healthy animals; animals who are instead labelled as ‘plague carriers’ due only to ignorance of the subject on the part of owners, and often of vets themselves.

Sonny Richichi, President of IHP, commented: “We thank FNOVI and President Dott. Penocchio for their openness to meeting with us, and their careful attention to what we had to say. We were able to present our comments on statistical evidence and current knowledge about Equine Infectious Anaemia, as well as on the madness of what happened to Saphira. We now hope that the veterinary world will take a stand on two fronts: one with the Ministry of Health, to request an objective evaluation of the current situation and how necessary a national programme of inspection really is, given the very minimal evidence regarding the dangerousness of EIA after a full 8 years of surveillance.
And secondly to see that the European Union clarifies that horses resulting positive to the test should not be killed unless they are actually deemed to be suffering as a result of having the disease.
We do not know if any action will be taken against the Brescia ASL as a result of our complaint. We hope at the very least that what happened might serve to avoid similar cases in the future. As usual, we invite owners and the general public to inform us of any similar abuses.”


Related articles:
Saphira, killed by ignorance and without scruple, October 2014
Equine Infectious Anaemia, proceedings of the conference held on 1 October 2012, Rome
IHP video - The Equine Infectious Anemia



Saphira few days before her death