There is a survey being through by the Penn State University. If you have horses, ride horses or have anything to do with horses you should go and take the few minutes to fill out the survey to express your concerns about NAIS.
Unfortunately the author of the survey, Dr. Ann Swinker, has locked the results so they are hidden from public view. Openness and transparency always appreciated. Drop her an email politely asking her to open the results of the survey and to publish the raw data.
Hat tip to Darol.
I answered most questions but used the space option to put my reasons why I and over 90% oppose NAIS!
Comment Esbee — January 16, 2010 @ 8:07 am
Hmmmm. I’m normally on Ann Swinker’s email list, but I wasn’t notified about this survey which is a rerun of the previous one they did. I tried the password I used last time and it worked. It is PSUHORSE.
The survey currently has 50% opposed to NAIS, 23% in favor and 28% neutral or unsure. I’ll pass this link around, and we’ll tell them the same thing we told them last time that they ignored in the Cost Benefit Analysis.
Comment Barbara — January 16, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
I got the results 51% agains, 22% for and the rest undecided or unsure, but that doens’t matter much since ALL horse owners who got a coggins test in the past year have AUTOMATICALLY been enrolled in NAIS even without their permission or maybe even without their knowledge. The USDA has gone a head with the ruling that required all animals getting particular blood tests to be enrolled and their owners get a PIN even if they didn’t want one. There was a recent article in “The Western Shooting Horse” magazine titled a Global solution to health certs that discusses NAIS as positive and needed. And one paragraph goes like this.
“if you have had a Coggins test done in the past year you are already required to have a PIN. If you have not applied for one, the USDA will assign one to your address.”
Mandatory NAIS is here and lurking in the back ground. How many people have been enrolled against their will in the past year? How many people even know about it?
Comment anna — January 17, 2010 @ 8:56 pm
I pulled some Coggins last year and to my knowledge, no PIN was issued. The paperwork I received hadn’t changed either. I even checked with the PA NAIS coordinator before I pulled them.
I will check again this year.
Wouldn’t I have been sent a number if I had been enrolled?
After all, what good is a PIN if the landowner doesn’t know it?
Comment Barbara — January 18, 2010 @ 7:09 am
text
Above is the link to the Shooting Horse article, of which you must pay to read but there is a place to leave comments, though it says they will be moderated. I left one anyway.
Comment Esbee — January 18, 2010 @ 8:20 am
When I clicked on the link today, it said the survey was closed. Something smells funny about this.
Comment Barbara — January 19, 2010 @ 12:54 pm
I also went to the sight to answer the survey and it was closed. I guess they weren’t getting the answers they wanted.
Comment CAROL — January 23, 2010 @ 8:52 am