The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity. -George Bernard Shaw

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Call Your Representative!

(letter from HSUS)
Let's Make 2009 the Year of the Horse
Call your U.S. Representative Today


The 111th Congress just began last week, and the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503, has already been introduced. With thousands of horses a month being shipped over the border to Mexico and Canada where they are shot and stabbed to death for their meat, we can’t waste any time. Like past legislation (the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act), the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503) will prohibit the sale and transport of horses for slaughter for human consumption, including horses being shipped over the border for slaughter.

We're off to an amazing start with this bill -- there were 61 co-sponsors already signed on to the bill the moment it was introduced! We need your help to ensure that your U.S. Representative, Chellie Pingree, is added to this list of co-sponsors.

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your representative and ask for support for the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

When you call, you will speak to a staff member who can pass your message along to your legislator. Please be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent. You can say:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. As a constituent, I'm calling to urge Representative Pingree to co-sponsor H.R. 503, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, a bill that was just reintroduced to prevent horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption. Thank you."

We're tracking the impact of your calls, so please let us know you called your Representative. Finally, please tell your friends and family to make the call, too.

Thank you for continuing to fight to protect horses from slaughter.


Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

March 4 and 5...Americans Against Horse Slaughter Week

Biggest ever push by anti horse slaughter lobbyists

Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS), supporters of a federal ban on the slaughter of American horses for human consumption overseas, has announced that over 80 attendees will be joining celebrities and lawmakers in the largest anti-slaughter lobbying effort to date. Actor Paul Sorvino, an eloquent and outspoken advocate on horse welfare will be among those in attendance...

The "Americans Against Horse Slaughter Week" will take place in Washington, D.C. tomorrow and Wednesday (March 4-5). Attendees will meet with their representatives and key congressional leaders to push for the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR.503 / S.311). Those not able to attend will be calling their congressional members.

The AHSPA presently has 193 cosponsors in the House and 38 cosponsors in the Senate. Of particular significance, the top candidates for president, Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama, are all cosponsors of the legislation.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

COURT DECLARES HORSE SLAUGHTER TO BE ILLEGAL

COURT DECLARES HORSE SLAUGHTER TO BE ILLEGAL

Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2007) - In a 51-page opinion issued just hours ago, United States District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly held that the slaughter of horses in America violates federal law. In her opinion, issued in response to a lawsuit filed in February 2006 by the Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL) and other humane organizations and individuals, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to conduct an environmental impact review of its decision to allow the continuation of horse slaughter.

“Tonight, after years of legislation and litigation, America’s three horse slaughterhouses can no longer kill horses for human consumption,” states Chris Heyde, deputy legislative director for the Society for Animal Protective Legislation. “We call on Illinois-based Cavel International to work with the humane and rescue communities to find permanent safe homes for the hundreds of horses who were slated for slaughter, to give them a second chance at life.”

The rule that was vacated by the court, was promulgated by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to create a fee-for-service inspection process for horses slaughtered for human consumption. The rule circumvented a Congressionally approved amendment to the FY 2006 Agricultural Appropriations Act that cut federal funding for the required inspections. Because of continuing resolutions approved by Congress to fund the government, today's ruling is effective immediately.

There are three horse slaughterhouses in America, one in Illinois and two in Texas. Though the Texas plants were recently forced to stop slaughtering horses for human consumption when an appellate court upheld a Texas law making it illegal to sell, possess and transport horsemeat for sale for human consumption, the Illinois plant has been killing approximately 1,000 horses per week.

“The American public has overwhelmingly opposed the slaughter of America’s horses for human consumption and now the courts have declared horse slaughter to be illegal,” adds Heyde. “While horses will no longer be butchered in the U.S. they can be hauled under appalling conditions to a similarly brutal death in plants across the U.S. border. Congress must pass federal legislation to extend the protections to all horses and to send a clear message to those few who profit from this barbaric trade."

Currently pending in Congress are H.R. 503 and its Senate companion measure, S. 311, which would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and prohibit the transport of horses outside of the United States for slaughter.

The Society for Animal Protective Legislation, the Animal Welfare Institute's legislative arm, is the unsurpassed leader in obtaining laws to benefit animals in need, including the protection of domestic and wild horses. More information is available at www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.


For More Information Contact:
Chris Heyde (703) 836-4300

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

ILLINOIS HORSE SLAUGHTER BAN HEADED FOR HOUSE VOTE

ILLINOIS HORSE SLAUGHTER BAN HEADED FOR HOUSE VOTE PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY!

March 27, 2007

Dear Humanitarian,
As you know, HB 1711 has been cleared for consideration on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives after passing the House Executive Committee last Wednesday, March 21, by an 8-4 vote.

Immediate action is needed in support of this bill, which will ban both the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the trade of horsemeat in Illinois.

WHAT CAN YOU DO:
Now that the bill is out of the Committee, it is very important to gain the support of as many State Representatives as possible. Please call and fax as
many of the legislators as you can, urging them to vote YES on HB 1711 when it is brought up for a vote on the House floor. A phone and fax directory of the Members of the Illinois House of Representatives is listed below, including both their Springfield and district phone and fax numbers. From March 31 until April 17, please call and fax their district offices, since legislators will return to their home districts for the Easter recess.

Thank you for all of your help!

Christopher J. Heyde

Deputy Legislative Director
Society for Animal Protective Legislation
(A Division of the Animal Welfare Institute)
PO Box 3719 ~ Washington, DC 20027
T: (703) 836-4300 ~ F: (703) 997-1134
_www.saplonline.org_ (http://www.saplonline.org/)
_www.compassionindex.org_ (http://www.compassionindex.org/)

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Horse Slaughter News

Letter: And another thing
Wallowa County Chieftain (subscription) - Enterprise,OR,USA
Good people are appalled by horse slaughter, and good people will continue to fight until it is forever abolished in this country.

Back to Nature If it's broken, fix it; if it's injured, mend it
Tampa Bay Newspapers - Seminole,FL,USA
More than 90000 horses were sent to US slaughter plants in 2005, and another 20000 were shipped to Canada and Mexico: Support the American Horse Slaughter ...

A legislative look ahead
American Veterinary Medical Association - Schaumburg,IL,USA
One such initiative is the high-profile American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Championed by the HSUS, the bill would ban the slaughter of horses whose ...

Letter: Not all beef producers support horse slaughter
Wallowa County Chieftain (subscription) - Enterprise,OR,USA
Closing horse slaughter facilities would have no impact on my beef production or sales. I myself eat beef. I don't eat horsemeat. ...

Horse Slaughter Bill Introduced in Kentucky
TheHorse.com - Lexington,KY,USA
Although there are no horse slaughter plants in Kentucky, a largely symbolic bill has been introduced by Sen. Tom Buford to outlaw the practice in the state ...

Horse Slaughter News

Unwanted Horse Web Site Launched
TheHorse.com - Lexington,KY,USA
While banning horse slaughter is essential, he noted, this gruesome practice is only a symptom of the problem. The new Web site argues that a horse must be ...

Bill banning wild horse slaughter introduced
Thoroughbred Times - Lexington,KY,USA
“The industry claims banning horse slaughter will lead to a proliferation of abandoned and neglected horses and that horses being sent to slaughter are old ...

Appaloosa Horse Club Board Votes to Oppose Horse Slaughter ...
Equestrianmag.com - Miami,FL,USA
5th, 2006 meeting to oppose passage of Senate Bill1915 (HR 503), the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. According to President Dennis Dean, ...

Monday, October 30, 2006

Horse Slaughter Bill Needs a Big Push

If you are unable to view this SAPL eAlert, please click here: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ixfsnybab.0.0.7lzn5wn6.0&ts=S0213&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saplonline.org%2FAlerts%2F102506.htm



Horse Slaughter Bill Needs a Big Push, Now!

Following passage in the House of Representatives, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is pending in the Senate. If approved, the measure would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose. Grassroots efforts from concerned constituents like you have made all the difference in this fight - please continue to contact your Senators!

We hope the bill will be voted on by the Senate when Congress reconvenes following the election, but there will be limited time available and only issues seen as essential are expected to be addressed. We need to be sure Congress recognizes that this legislation is critical, as approximately 2,000 horses are being hauled to slaughter and brutally killed with every week this bill awaits action in the Senate.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please contact both of your Senators NOW, urging their co-sponsorship of S. 1915, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 503, AND requesting a vote on the legislation when they return in November after the elections. Last year, the Senate voted for a temporary ban on horse slaughter by a vote of 69 to 28. To see how your Senators voted on that measure, click here: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/109/senate/1/votes/237/. If either of Senator voted for this ban, be sure to remind them of (and thank them for) this sensible position.

To find your Senators, click here: http://www.compassionindex.org/search.htm or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to their offices. For more information on horse slaughter and how you can help make a difference for America's horses, please click here: http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.

Letters to Senators should be addressed to:
The Honorable (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Be sure to tell your legislators you would like to know their positions on this critical issues - and forward us their responses to assist our lobbying efforts.

Please share our "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too. As always, thank you for your help!

Sincerely,
Cathy Liss
Legislative Director

Monday, October 23, 2006

HSUS Asking You to Call to End Horse Slaughter

(from the latest HSUS alert)

Time is quickly running out! The U.S. Senate needs to take action on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Congress reconvenes mid-November, but they will adjourn for the rest of the year only days later. If we do not shut the doors on the three remaining slaughterhouses now, we will have to begin this process again -- from square one -- when a new Congress convenes in January.

Our next National Call-In Day for Horses is this Wednesday, October 25, and we must flood Senate offices with phone calls, urging them to cosponsor S. 1915 as soon as they return from recess. Mark your calendars now.

Here's what you can do to help:

  1. Make the call Oct. 25. Call your two U.S. Senators or call the Congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. If you're not sure what to say, try this: "I am a constituent and I am calling to ask that the Senator immediately protect our horses from slaughter and cosponsor S. 1915, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. I am very concerned about American horses and I don't want them slaughtered."
  2. Let us know you called. Follow up your phone calls by letting us know you called to support the end of horse slaughter in the United States. Click here to let us know you called.


Please take both steps! We must light up the phones in the Capitol because there already is very vigorous lobbying by the slaughter industry and its allies. We must counter them at every turn.

Thanks to actions from committed animal advocates like you, our last call-in day was a huge success. The House of Representatives' heard your voices and overwhelmingly passing the measure on Sept. 7 by a 263-146 margin, and if the Senate immediately follows suit, our horses will permanently be protected from the clutches of the slaughterhouse butchers.

Please encourage your friends and family to make the call, too. Your calls will not only make a difference, they will help make history. Help us end horse slaughter in the United States forever.


Sincerely,



Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

Monday, September 25, 2006

Horse Slaughter Prevention Bill May Not See Action Until Next Year

Horse Slaughter Bill on Hold
by: Amanda Duckworth
September 2006 Article # 7719


A bill in the U.S. Senate that aims to end horse slaughter for human consumption will most likely be put on hold until next year.

"With an abbreviated schedule in this session before we adjourn for elections and the recess, it doesn't look like we are going to have the time to get to it," said Jack Finn, communications director for Nevada Sen. John Ensign. "You never know, but it probably will not be until next year."

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was passed by the House Sept. 7 by a vote of 263-146. Identical legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Ensign, who is a veterinarian, and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu.

If the bill becomes a law, it would shut the three horse slaughter plants in the country. The plants in Forth Worth and Kaufman, Texas, and DeKalb, Ill., slaughtered more than 90,000 horses last year.

Because of a clerical error, the wrong version of the bill was delivered to the Senate. The error was discovered the week of Sept. 10, and the House requested the bill be returned so the correct version could be sent.

The bill has been a volatile issue due to the horse's place in American culture. One of the main concerns of those who oppose the bill is what will happen to horses previously headed for slaughter.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Wrong Version of Horse Slaughter Prevention Bill Sent to Senate

Clerical Error Sends Wrong Slaughter Bill To Senate
by Amanda Duckworth
Date Posted: 9/18/2006 2:22:13 PM
Last Updated: 9/18/2006 2:48:37 PM


Because of a clerical error, the wrong version of a bill to end horse slaughter was delivered to the U.S. Senate. The error was discovered the week of Sept. 10, and the House of Representatives requested the bill be returned so the correct version can be sent.

Lawmakers expect that the issue will be resolved quickly, according to Brent Dolen, press secretary for Kentucky Rep. Ed Whitfield. Whitfield and New York Rep. John Sweeney were lead sponsors of the bill while it was in the House.

The original version of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was passed by the House Sept. 7. However, a House clerk apparently delivered an amended version of the bill that would have allowed existing slaughter plants to remain open.

Last year more than 90,000 horses were slaughtered in the United States. If the bill becomes law, the three existing plants, which are in Fort Worth and Kaufman, Texas, and DeKalb, Ill., will be shut down.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Moves to Senate for Vote

House of Representatives Passes Bill to End Horse Slaughter
Congress Responds to its Humane Grassroots Constituency


(from SAPL)
Dear Humanitarian:

Last week, the House of Representatives voted 263 to 146 in favor of H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose.

The measure, which will now move on to the Senate, was adopted despite opponents strident last-minute efforts including numerous poison pill amendments and intense lobbying by the horse slaughter industry, led by former Representative Charlie Stenholm (D-TX).

In the debate leading up to the vote, bill sponsors Representative John Sweeney (R-NY), Representative John Spratt (D-SC), Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV) effectively argued the legislations necessity. Showing graphic images of the horrific cruelty endured by horses being transported to slaughterhouses, they exposed the inhumane conditions inflicted on over 92,000 of Americas horses last year alone.

This huge victory was made possible by support from dedicated individuals who made sure Members of Congress knew where they stood and had the knowledge to reject the false claims being presented by the few who profit from the suffering of Americas horses. It couldnt have happened without your help!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please begin contacting your Senators NOW, urging their co-sponsorship of S. 1915, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 503, and requesting a vote on the legislation in the current session of Congress. Last year, the Senate voted for a temporary ban on horse slaughter by a vote of 69 to 28. To see how your Senators voted on that measure, click here. If either of them voted for this ban, be sure to remind them of this sensible position.

If your Representative voted in favor of H.R. 503, please contact him or her to say thank you for supporting protection of Americas horses. To see the results of the House vote, click here.

To find your Senators, click here or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to your Senators offices. For more information on horse slaughter and how you can help make a difference for America's horses, please click here.

Letters should be addressed to:
Office of Senator (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Office of Representative (Name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Be sure to tell your Senators you would like to know their positions on this critical issue and forward their responses with us to assist our lobbying efforts.

Please share our Dear Humanitarian eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too. As always, thank you for your help!

Sincerely,
Cathy Liss
Legislative Director
www.saplonline.org
www.compassionindex.org




Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative news on what you can do to help us protect all animals. http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm

Thursday, September 07, 2006

House Passes American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 503)

Press Release Source: T. Boone Pickens

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Passes U.S. House of Representatives

Thursday September 7, 3:18 pm ET
T. Boone Pickens Applauds U.S. Reps for Protecting Horses, Urges Senate to do the Same

DALLAS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by T. Boone Pickens:
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503), a bipartisan bill to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, has just passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a final vote of 263 to 146. It now moves on to the Senate, where Senator and veterinarian John Ensign (R-NV) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have reintroduced an identical measure (S. 1915).

"I applaud every U.S. Representative who voted in favor of H.R. 503. Thank you for standing up for America, for our ideals, and for our horses," said T. Boone Pickens, legendary oilman and philanthropist, who along with his wife, Madeleine, is an outspoken opponent of horse slaughter. "I urge the Senate to pass the Senate version of this bill quickly, and with no amendments."

Life-long animal lovers, T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens have joined forces with key horse organizations, including The National Horse Protection Coalition, in a campaign to support The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Together, they have run a series of full-page ads in newspapers across the country, asking the public to contact their lawmaker and urge them to vote "Yes" on H.R. 503. The Pickens plan on continuing the campaign through the Senate vote.

"We are well on our way towards ending this despicable practice," said Pickens. "But the fight is not over. We will continue our efforts through the Senate vote, until every American horse is safe from the threat of being served as 'Sunday's Special' in a French restaurant."

A recent national poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows that nearly 70% of Americans strongly oppose killing horses for people to eat. Republican and Democrat, young and old, east coast to west coast, poll findings show that Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has the support of 202 co- sponsors and is championed by more than 500 organizations, including such industry groups as the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Churchill Downs.

[READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

National Call-in Day for Horses Sept. 6

PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL CALL IN DAY FOR HORSES

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

HORSE SLAUGHTER--House Votes on HR 503 Sept. 7

Press Release
Source: The National Horse Protection Coalition

Nationwide Poll Reveals 7 Out of 10 Americans Oppose Horse Slaughter
Wednesday August 30, 6:00 am ET

T. Boone Pickens Joins Horse Supporters to Launch National Ad Series

DALLAS, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by The
National Horse Protection Coalition:


As Congress prepares for the September 7 vote on The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503), a bipartisan bill that would end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, a national poll revealed that 69% of American voters are opposed to killing horses for people to eat.

"It is very clear that Americans don't think that horses should be killed for people to eat," said Glen Bolger, a national pollster and founding partner of Public Opinion Strategies, the firm that conducted the poll. "The opposition to horse slaughter crosses all lines -- it doesn't matter what race you are, where you live, or whether you vote Republican or Democrat -- Americans are opposed to horse slaughter by an overwhelming margin," Bolger continued.

Key findings from the poll:
  • 71% of Americans believe that horses are part of America's culture and deserve better treatment.
  • 65% of Americans believe that in many states it is illegal to sell horse meat to eat therefore we should not be killing horses in America for the benefit of restaurants in France and Japan.
  • 64% believe that horses are not raised for food. Horses are companion animals just like dogs and cats and killing a horse to eat is no different than killing a cat or a dog to eat.
  • 49% of voters spanning diverse geographic, political party affiliations, gender and races are less likely to vote for their Member of Congress if they oppose a ban on horse slaughter.

    "It's time for Congress to stand up for America, and for our ideals, and stop allowing our horses to be killed and served on dinner tables in France, Belgium and Japan. If those countries want to eat horses, then they can do their own dirty work," said T. Boone Pickens, legendary oilman and philanthropist, who along with his wife, Madeleine, is an outspoken opponent of horse slaughter.

    Life-long animal lovers, T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens, are joining forces with key horse organizations, including The National Horse Protection Coalition, to launch a campaign in support of H.R. 503. Starting today, they will run a series of full-page ads in USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, San Antonio Express-News and San Diego Union Tribune asking the public to contact their lawmaker to urge support for The American Horse Prevention Act and end the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

    T. Boone Pickens and representatives from The National Horse Protection Coalition will join Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), XM Radio host Eddie Kilroy and Sky Dutcher, a 12 year-old girl whose horse, Cimorron, was stolen and slaughtered in 2004, at a September 5 rally in Washington D.C. in support of The American Horse Prevention Act.

    Background

    Although the slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal in many states, foreign-owned companies who process horsemeat here are using federal loopholes to continue killing horses, sending 39.5 million pounds of horsemeat to France, Belgium and Japan in 2005.

    Every day three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas, Beltex Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and Cavel International in DeKalb, Illinois, ship out thousands of pounds of fresh horsemeat abroad. Bragging, "from the stable to table in four days," these foreign-owned plants slaughtered nearly 100,000 American horses last year alone.

    The process begins when owners across the country take their horses to a legitimate sale, never suspecting that within days their horse could end up on a plate in a high-end restaurant overseas. Three years ago, 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand ended up in a slaughterhouse in Japan. And because of the quick kill and export, these slaughter plants have become a convenient dumping ground for stolen horses. In fact, horse theft in California dropped 34 percent after that state instituted a ban on horse slaughter in 1998.

    Horse slaughterhouses receive USDA oversight that costs taxpayers millions of dollars -- all for horsemeat that is sold and consumed as a delicacy in high-dollar markets and restaurants in France, Italy and Japan. Moreover, these slaughterhouses use accounting loopholes to pay little or no taxes -- shipping 100% of the horsemeat and the profits abroad.

    The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, a bill to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States and the export of live horses for the same purpose, was reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Congressional Horse Caucus Co-Chair John Sweeney (R-NY), Representative John Spratt (D-SC), Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV). Senator and veterinarian John Ensign (R-NV) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have reintroduced an identical measure in the Senate.

    The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has the support of 202 co-sponsors and is widely supported in the U.S. House of Representatives and championed by more than 500 organizations, including such industry groups as the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Churchill Downs.

    H.R. 503 is scheduled to go to a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 7.


    ________________________________

    Source: The National Horse Protection Coalition

  • Sunday, August 27, 2006

    ACTION ALERT-Rally for Horses Scheduled for Sept. 5, Washington, DC

    (from the Society for Animal Protective Legislation)

    PLEASE JOIN US AT THE RALLY FOR HORSES
    US House of Representatives to Vote on H.R. 503


    August 22, 2006

    Dear Humanitarian:

    If you are available, please join the Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL) at the Washington, D.C. Rally for Horses in support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA).

    When: Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006 at 10:00 a.m.
    Where: Cannon platform, at the corner of Independence Ave. and New Jersey Ave., S.E. (see arrow on attached map)

    YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

    The US House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 503, the AHSPA, on Sept. 7. This vote will represent the culmination of five years of campaigning by concerned constituents on behalf of the horses. Since SAPL and the Doris Day Animal League began their national campaign to end horse slaughter for human consumption in late 2001, more than a quarter of a million horses have been brutally killed in the three remaining US slaughterhouses and sold overseas to be served to the patrons of upscale restaurants. As we continue our fight to end this tragedy through passage of the AHSPA, we must remember an estimated 2,000 horses are slaughtered each week as the bill awaits adoption by Congress.

    We can still make a difference. The American people are being heard through the calls, emails and faxes that have flooded Congress, and legislators are listening. However, we must redouble our efforts and keep pressure on Congress to act strongly and decisively now. Please continue to contact your Representative (you can be connected to his or her office by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121), and encourage your friends, family and coworkers to do so as well. While support has been overwhelming, we can do even better for the horses. SAPL will not stop its campaign on behalf of America's horses until the bill has passed and the brutal horse slaughter industry has been abolished.

    If you have any questions, please contact us at 703-836-4300 or horses@saplonline.org, or visit SAPL online at www.saplonline.org/horses.htm. You might also wish to purchase a shirt, hat or bag at www.cafepress.com/sapl to promote our fight and to wear to the rally. As always, thank you for your help.

    Sincerely,

    Cathy Liss
    Legislative Director

    P.S. Please visit our new website, www.compassionindex.org, to locate your legislators and see how they stand on animal welfare legislation.


    Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative news on what you can do to help us protect all animals. http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm

    Yet Another Poll Voicing Disdain Over Horse Slaughter

    Results of the Agritalk ("The Voice of Rural America) poll:

    Do you think Congress should pass a bill banning the slaughter and
    processing of horses for consumption?


    Yes
    81.8%

    No
    16.9%

    Not Sure
    1.3%

    [Editor's Note: The poll on this site reflects close to the same ratio; as does every poll this writer has ever been able to dig up. So, let's demand proper representation in our government on the issue.]

    Thursday, August 24, 2006

    Willie Nelson Voices Disgust at Horse Slaughter

    Willie Nelson and US say “no way” to horse slaughter

    "WASHINGTON- Texan Willie Nelson is speaking out in defense of a symbol of the American West, the remaining stock of roaming wild horses. Country singer Nelson is the latest to join an effort to ban the slaughter of horses in the U.S. for consumption of their meat abroad. The U.S. House is scheduled to vote Sept. 7 on a bill aimed at ending horse slaughter.


    'If you've ever been around horses a lot, especially wild horses, you know they are part of the American heritage. I don't think its right that we kill them and eat them,' Nelson said in a telephone interview Tuesday to the Washington Post.

    'It's like eating cats or dogs,' said Jerry Finch, president of Habitat for Horses, which rescues abused horses. 'We just don't do it in this country.'

    But they do in Europe and Japan, he said. Finch estimates 400 horses in the United States are slaughtered every day, specifically to provide horse meat for consumption abroad.

    Polls shows about 80 percent of Americans are horrified at the idea of eating horsemeat, and are against the slaughtering of horses for food..."

    Horses Deserve More Than Slaughter

    Horses that need help
    By WAYNE PACELLE
    Special to the Star-Telegram

    "...Of course, if you accept the slaughter industry's line of argument, we would have no laws against any form of cruelty. The dogfighter or cockfighter could just as readily invoke this principle in defense of his own depravities. The argument further unravels when you realize that there are already good federal laws -- including the Horse Protection Act -- that forbid the harming of horses for profit. In fact, historically, it was rank cruelty to horses that first inspired our state laws against cruelty.

    The foreign slaughterhouses attempt to argue that they slaughter our horses 'for their own good,' claiming that we'd be overrun with horses but for the slaughter plants. But every reputable humane organization rejects this nonsense. Even if a horse is not faring well, it's much better for these animals to be humanely euthanized where they live, rather than to ship the animal as many as 1,000 miles to a slaughterhouse.

    Horse slaughter is not a question of property rights but a matter of personal responsibility and public standards in the care of animals.

    As Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit, has written, 'Here are these exquisite, immensely powerful creatures who willingly give us their labor in return for our stewardship. ...We owe them more than we can ever repay. To send these trusting creatures to slaughter is beneath their dignity and ours.'"

    Wednesday, August 09, 2006

    Seller Beware...the Adoption Process Can End in Slaughter

    ADOPTION PRINCIPLES IN PLACING A HORSE...Harnesslink - New Zealand


    Think domestic horse slaughter is going away any time soon?

    Here’s a troubling update:

    Intelligent legislators like Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-Kentucky), John Sweeney (R-New York) and John Spratt (D-South Carolina) have strongly and consistently decried the horrendous practice of killing horses for the purpose of turning them into delicacies for European steak connoisseurs.

    Last year, at their insistence, Congress overwhelmingly agreed to cut the funding for “ante-mortem” (before death) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections at the three existing foreign owned slaughterhouses in Texas and Illinois.

    President Bush signed the measure into law. The law is the law: No inspections, no ability to export meat for human consumption. Sounds like a wonderful end to the story, right? Well, you won’t believe what happened next.

    In November, the slaughterhouses actually petitioned the USDA to allow them to pay for the inspectors with their own money. What did the USDA do in light of this clear attempt to circumvent a congressional mandate? In February, the agency not only amended its regulations to permit the voluntary “Fee-for-Service Program” for ante-mortem inspectors requested by these equine butcher shops, but also stated that federal funds would continue to be used for “post-mortem” (after death) inspections, the clear intent of Congress notwithstanding. Bad enough? Just wait, for as Alice related in her descent into Wonderland, things get “curiouser and curiouser.”

    The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in February 2003. What did Congress do with this proposal?

    Nothing, because the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) opposes the bill and kept it bottled up for two years. In fairness, Committee chairpersons prevent the advancement of all sorts of legislation, all the time. For lawmakers, inertia is an accepted virtue. What makes Goodlatte’s prevention of floor action on the Prevention Act so curious is this: At one time, the bill was co-sponsored by no fewer than 225 congressmen, and it takes only 218 votes for passage. At that time, passage of the bill would have been a slam-dunk, provided the bill was ever allowed out of the locker room.

    The bill was amended in 2005. Instead of banning slaughter outright, the proposed legislation now prohibits transport of, and trafficking in, horses for the purpose of introduction in the human food chain. The modified measure was re-introduced as House Resolution 503. Finally, subcommittee hearings on the bill were conducted in late July of this year, with the full House scheduled to vote on the proposal after the summer recess. While Goodlatte’s Agriculture Committee reported the bill out of committee “unfavorably”, another committee discharged the bill without vote or recommendation. A perusal of some of the testimony before an Energy and Commerce subcommittee confirms that passage of H.R. 503 is far from a sure thing.

    Both the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) continue to oppose the bill.

    Dr. Doug Corey, vice president of the AAEP offered this surreal statement, “I would prefer to have these horses processed in the United States where there are regulations.”

    Presumably, the horses will appreciate being slaughtered under the watchful eye of Uncle Sam. Another unbelievable comment came from Richard Koehler, an official at one of the processing plants. Koehler stated that his company takes great care to ensure that horses remain “calm” during their killing, explaining that, "If a horse is under strain, it will lead to inferior horse meat."

    Luckily, the proponents of the bill benefited from the persuasive testimony of noted equine surgeon Patricia Hogan. Dr. Hogan who, along with husband Eddie Lohmeyer breed and campaign Standardbreds, offered her first person account of the horrors of equine slaughter and her professional opinion that horses in the processing line, unlike chickens or cows, possess the awareness that others are being slaughtered before their eyes, and that they are next.

    The bottom line is that any major policy change in Washington occurs only after years of struggle, if the policy changes at all. The equine slaughter issue is no different. Horses are being slaughtered today; they will be slaughtered tomorrow. We shouldn’t hold our breath. Of course, if nobody sends their horses to slaughter, none get slaughtered. Sound simple enough? Assuredly, it’s not, and that’s where our collective awareness must kick in and save our horses from a sickening death.

    Consider this scenario - Your old beloved broodmare has served you well. You don’t want to pay a board bill or keep her until she paces off this mortal coil, so you decide to either sell her for a nominal sum, or give her up to an “adoption” service. You would never even think of sending her to a meat processing plant. Here’s the question: How do you know she won’t eventually end up on the dinner menu at a five star Parisian restaurant? The answer is that you don’t, unless you take some proactive measures before transfer. Consider the following:

    Investigate:

    Just who is this kind person or entity that is willing to take an old horse off your hand and give it a good life? A slick business card or flowery website does not provide enough information to satiate all concerns. A widely reported story in 2004 involved a top owner on the New York Thoroughbred circuit buying back a claimed horse for $5,000 simply to place it in the hands of an adoption agency. The thoughtful owner identified a “riding academy” in Massachusetts, and placed the horse there with the assurance that the beloved retiree would provide trail rides to children. A week later, a rescue agency alerted the owner that the old claimer was destined for a Texas slaughterhouse, having failed to sell at an auction. The lesson learned is that the wolves often come in sheep’s clothing. Have you visited the facility that is willing to “adopt” your horse? Have you checked out all its references? How long have the other horses been there? Do they look well cared for? Your horse can’t send a postcard back home if things aren’t working out. You must stay on top of things.

    Re-Placement:

    If the group you entrusted with your animal can’t care for it any longer, what right do you possess to ask for it back? If you are sending the horse to a “placement” agency, what type of follow-up does the group perform once they find your old friend a new home? Do they conduct routine site checks at the adoptive homes? Does their adoption agreement mandate return of the horse if it is not being well cared for? Though you place your horse with a “reputable” group or person, it does little good if you, or they, do not monitor or cannot control the chain of custody once your horse leaves their hands.

    Consider this scenario:

    You give your aged trotter to trusted friends that own a horse farm in a neighboring state. Their teenage daughter rides the horse daily and loves him. You visit once or twice, are satisfied with what you see, and are content that you’ve done the right thing. The next September, the daughter enters a university 500 miles from home. By November, your friends realize that the horse serves no further purpose other than to eat and grow enormous. Thinking that you don’t want to take the animal back, your friends sell him for a small sum to a local Amish farmer. After a few weeks, the farmer realizes that the horse simply isn’t pulling its weight on the farm. He enters it in an auction sale frequented by killers. By the time your friends’ year-end holiday card arrives explaining the situation, the horse has already experienced the kill-pen. Though both you and your friends abhor equine slaughter, the horse is now horsemeat. That’s how easy slaughter can happen, despite the best intentions of considerate owners. The vigilance required to protect the well being of a previously owned horse does not end with your presumptively responsible transfer of the still very viable animal. While many healthy horses do get killed, an old, lame, “problem” horse is obviously more likely to have a one-way ticket on a cattle trailer than one that still maintains a degree of functionality. Once you give him up, your horse is certain to not get any younger. Whether he eventually dies of natural causes or from vivisection while possibly still conscious in a slaughterhouse depends upon whether any human cares for the horse’s welfare in its reclining years. If you care, your “out of sight” horse should never be “out of mind.”

    Papers:

    While rescue and adoption are issues of concern for all breeds of horses, a special consideration arises with placement of Standardbred racehorses. Assume your veterinarian indicates that your sophomore pacer’s pulled suspensory ligament will eventually result in a torn ligament if you continued to subject the filly to a race-training regimen. The decision to pull the shoes and retire the girl was both altruistic and expensive on your part. Eventually, you sell the filly to someone who purportedly will re-train her for a less strenuous second career. You get a check; he gets the halter and executed registration papers. Soon, you realize that you sold the filly to an unscrupulous individual. No, he didn’t enter the horse in a kill sale; he entered her in a $5,000 claimer at the local harness track! Maybe this is not a fate worse than death, but it’s darn near close to death if she’s even slightly injured in the race. Remember, there are unspeakable places for injured fillies.

    If you can sell a papered horse without papers, you avoid these types of problems. If you are going to sell a horse along with U.S.T.A. papers, there should be a strict and enforceable understanding regarding your desire that the horse never see a harness again or reproduces a registerable foal. If someone offers one price for your horse with papers, and another without, you have obviously just identified the wrong person to buy your horse.

    Realism:

    Rescue and placement groups are not “dumping grounds.” If you want to put your horse up for adoption, a reputable group will solicit a contribution towards maintenance of a horse while it is in “foster care,” pending adoption. Any owner knows full well the enormous expense associated with maintaining a horse. Showing up with a lead shank and empty pockets is simply not responsible. You are asking a group with no steady source of funding to assure your horse’s health and safety for perhaps the next twenty years. Moreover, you are shifting your financial responsibility to them. Fortunately, most established adoption groups have qualified pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as nonprofit organizations, thus qualifying donations of cash, items and sometimes horses for tax deductibility, within stringent guidelines. When contemplating placement, and certainly before anything is signed, a tax professional should be consulted.

    For some, a kind and gentle euthanasia might be considered. Nobody is adopting a 26-year-old broodmare, and for exactly that reason, “donating” such an animal to a rescue group simply burdens the agency for years to come, as they must now allocate resources to care for a horse that you, and no one else for that matter, wants to maintain. There is no hypocrisy here. While one might argue that slaughter for steak burgers and euthanasia both result in death, the differences are in the purpose and mode employed. If you absolutely do not have the financial resources for care for an old or chronically sick or lame horse for the rest of their natural lives, consider all options. If you can find an equine adoption group to accept such a horse, also consider the financial burden you are shifting to a charity that no doubt struggles for every dollar, and make appropriate arrangements.

    Agreement:

    As with all issues involving rights and responsibilities, a written agreement is important, whether the placement is with a private individual or a group. Among the items to be addressed are:

    a) Prohibiting the horse’s participation in racing.

    b) Whether the horse may be used for breeding.

    c) Whether the horse may be used for any business or commercial purpose (i.e., “trail riding only”).

    d) If a placement agency, whether the group conducts regular spot checks of adoptive homes during the life of the horse.

    e) Permitting the prior owner access to inspect the horse during reasonable horses.

    f) That the adoptive owner agrees to keep the horse’s inoculations current, and otherwise provide reasonable vet care for the horse.

    g) Establishing the right to unilaterally demand a horse’s return if it appears to be ill or poorly taken care of by the adoptive owners.

    h) Establishing the right to be notified if the horse is to be sold or otherwise transferred, and granting the placement agency or prior owner a “right of first refusal” (meaning the first right to meet the conditions of transfer and buy back the horse).

    i) Establishing the right to be informed if the horse requires euthanization. If circumstances required immediate euthanization, then the right to be notified immediately after the procedure takes place.

    Selling a horse or giving it up for adoption because you can no longer maintain it is not an irresponsible act. Blindly handing over your horse to somebody you don’t know or haven’t checked, without any form of writing articulating post-transfer conditions, is irresponsible, and potentially deadly. The killers are everywhere, and Congress may not do much to stop them. Know what? I don’t need an Act of Congress to protect my horse from slaughter. Neither do you.

    Chris E. Wittstruck, an attorney and Standardbred owner, is the founder and coordinator of the Racehorse Ownership Institute at Hofstra University, New York and a charter member of the Albany Law School Racing and Gaming Law Network.

    Courtesy Of Chris E. Wittstruck, Esq. and the United States Trotting Association

    Thursday, August 03, 2006

    Bill to End Horse Slaughter in Trouble; Top Equine Surgeon Speaks Out Against Slaughter Before Congress

    Bill to end US horse slaughter in trouble
    Horsetalk - Canterbury,New Zealand
    ... a horse for processing for human consumption. Supporters and detractors appear to hold entrenched positions. Supporters of the bill argue that slaughter for ...


    Equine surgeon urges US to stop slaughtering horses
    Millstone Examiner - Millstone,NJ,USA
    UPPER FREEHOLD - A local veterinarian took her concern for horses before members of Congress last week.

    On July 25, local veterinarian Dr. Patricia Hogan joined people like T. Boone Pickens, a legendary Texas oil man, in testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act known as HR 503.

    The American Horse Slaughter Act would end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human consumption.

    Although estimates vary, most experts believe that between 80,000 and 100,000 American horses are slaughtered each year at three plants in the United States, two of which are located in Texas and the other in DeKalb, Ill. Horse meat is considered a delicacy in some European countries, as well as in Japan.

    Hogan, one of the country's few female equine orthopedic surgeons, is an Upper Freehold resident who practices at the New Jersey Equine Clinic in the Clarksburg section of Millstone. She has treated some of the top racehorses in the country, including Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.

    In her speech to the subcommittee, Hogan said, "I urge this subcommittee to swiftly send the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act to the House floor and call upon the House of Representatives to vote to end horse slaughter, once and for all."

    Hogan told the subcommittee that she is surprised no one ever openly discusses the "absolutely deplorable way these animals are treated on their way to the slaughterhouse.

    "Once these horses enter the path to the slaughterhouse, their treatment is not humane in any way," she said. "I dismiss the triviality of the studies detailing the number of whinnies per hour or the number of horses that arrive with or without a broken leg as statistical evidence of humane treatment."

    Hogan told the subcommittee that sometimes veterinarians, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) hide behind the term "humane." She said the word is often used as the catchall phrase to make us feel that things are done correctly and within the letter of the law.

    "However," Hogan said, "the whole act of being taken from an environment that is familiar, then thrown into a hostile herd environment, shipped very long distances without food or water, and then placed in an assembly line where they can see, smell, hear and sense the terror of what is happening in front of them is not humane."

    Hogan said there are levels of intelligence dictating the rank of species in this world and at some point someone must draw the line.

    "Horses are very intelligent and can perceive fear in a different manner than other forms of livestock such as a chicken or even a cow," she said. "The concept of humane treatment entails different basic requirements for different species."

    To illustrate her comments, Hogan told the subcommittee that the American culture does not accept consumption of dogs or cats, while other cultures in this world do.

    "That being said, Americans do not eat horse meat and in poll after poll, the American people say that the practice of horse slaughter is unacceptable and should be stopped," Hogan said. "Yet we allow our American horses to be slaughtered for foreign consumption. Where is the difference here?"

    Hogan told the subcommittee that horses are not, nor have they ever been, raised as food animals in this country.

    "Horses have traditionally been work animals throughout our history," she said. "But as society changes and evolves, so has the role of the horse changed in our culture."

    Most horses, according to Hogan, are now more commonly companion or sport animals.

    Hogan told the subcommittee of a time she visited the slaughterhouse as a surgery resident while in Texas.

    "I found it to be a disgrace," she said. "I was not there on an announced visit as those who defend horse slaughter were. I was absolutely revolted at the way the horses were treated and the behavior of the people that were employed there."

    She explained that she had also visited a beef and a chicken slaughter plant.

    "The treatment of and reaction by the horses was very much in contrast to that of the other livestock I had observed," she said.

    Hogan defined the differences between euthanasia and slaughter for the subcommittee.

    "Horse slaughter is not euthanasia by anyone's definition," she said.

    According to Hogan, euthanasia is a peaceful process that most commonly involves an overdose of an intravenous anesthetic drug administered by a veterinarian.

    "The horses are not afraid, and there is no fear of anticipation," she said. "In most cases, the animal is sedated and then euthanized in a familiar environment."

    According to Hogan, horse slaughter uses a method called the captive bolt, which involves aiming a bolt gun at the forehead of a partially restrained horse in what is commonly termed the "kill pen."

    "This pen is at the end of an assembly line of horses that are fed through the plant," she said. "If the bolt is applied properly, the horse is rendered unconscious upon impact and drops to the ground so that the carcass can then be bled out prior to death."

    Hogan said there is a great deal of room for human and technical error with the captive-bolt method. She also said the recommendation for "adequate restraint" is loosely defined and open for interpretation.

    Hogan offered to show the subcommittee videos of euthanasia and slaughter.

    "We are all concerned about the fate of unwanted horses if and when horse slaughter is eliminated, but allowing the practice to continue is not the right answer to the problem," she said. "Surely we can do better."

    Besides passing the act, Hogan told the subcommittee that cruelty awareness and responsible horse ownership education has to also expand across the country. She also said the horse industry needs to clean up its overbreeding, cruelty, neglect and proper long-term care.

    "People must be educated and made responsible horse owners," she said.

    In conclusion, Hogan said, "We have the opportunity to rid ourselves of a form of cruelty by passing the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, something that should have been done years ago.

    "We need to make sure that as we try to clean up this complicated problem," she added, "we continue to do whatever we can to continue to care for horses."

    Hogan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia and has completed several years of specialty training in Kentucky and Texas in order to refine her veterinary focus to the surgical disciplines of the horse. She is a board-certified surgeon and has been practicing exclusively in the field of equine surgery for the past 10 years.

    Hogan has also received international recognition for her work in the treatment of equine sports injuries, arthroscopy and internal fixation of fractures. Her clientele is somewhat exclusive, according to Hogan, who works on some of the best thoroughbred and standardbred racehorses in the country. Often, the market value of some of her patients runs into the many millions of dollars.

    Wednesday, August 02, 2006

    Letters to the Editor Pinpoint Goodlatte's Mission

    Goodlatte and the horse-slaughter bill
    -from the Washington Times

    "In the editorial 'Stop horsing around' (July 25), Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican is shown for what he is: a man who will stop at nothing to derail the efforts to ban horse slaughter in this country. The feelings of his own constituents, the very people he was elected to represent, don't matter to Mr. Goodlatte.

    Mr. Goodlatte made this clear at a town hall meeting in June 2004 when he was confronted by angry horse owners who were rightfully upset with his position on H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA). When a horse owner asked him, 'What do we have to do to get you to stop blocking this bill?' Mr. Goodlatte defiantly replied, 'You must convince me, and you have not done so.' Shocked, another person stood and asked, 'What kind of a democracy do we have if one man can block the will of the whole country?' Mr. Goodlatte's response was: 'This isn't a democracy; it is a republic.'

    It would seem Mr. Goodlatte's definition of the word republic differs from John Adams' view, given more than 200 years ago: 'A republic is a government whose sovereignty is vested in more than one person.'

    Fortunately the sponsors of the AHSPA rewrote the bill so it would fall under a different committee, essentially taking control of the issue away from Mr. Goodlatte and the Agriculture Committee, which he chairs.

    However, he just won't let this issue go. On Thursday, the Agriculture Committee had a one-sided review of this bill, allowing no testimony in support of H.R. 503. Among those who spoke against the bill was former Agriculture Committee Ranking minority member Charles Stenholm, who spouted his usual unfounded rhetoric about 'unwanted horses.' I listened to their discussion of this bill, and I have to say, the side supporting horse slaughter sounded like a bunch of petulant children who aren't getting their way.

    I'll make it clear: I applaud Republican leadership for allowing this issue out to the full House of Representatives for an up-or-down vote. I also applaud the sponsors of H.R. 503 and their 203 bipartisan cosponsors.

    However, people like Mr. Goodlatte and his blatant disregard for due process are an embarrassment to the Republican party and should be a concern for Republicans, especially in an election year. Perhaps they should consider censoring Mr. Goodlatte before he does more damage.

    DUANE BURRIGHT
    Malibu, Calif.

    Arguments against Horse Slaughter as A Means to Control Excess Horses

    Where Would All the Horses Go? from The Blood-Horse June 28, 2003

    "The pro-slaughter forces seek to minimize the problem by stating that less than 1% of horses wind up being "processed" (their word). However, by making this (true) assertion, they show that their concern about 'where would all the horses go?' is essentially bogus. The percentage of increase in the overall horse population would be extremely small. There were approximately 350,000 horses slaughtered in the United States in 1990. This was down to about 40,000 in 2002. Did this drastic reduction in the number of horses slaughtered result in dramatic increases in neglect and cruelty to horses? Certainly not; no one ever claimed that. As a matter of fact, between 1992 and 1993 the reduction in the number slaughtered was 79,000 (responding to market forces), twice the number which would be saved if slaughtered ended completely tomorrow! The idea that a system that ceased to slaughter 79,000 horses in one year would face disastrous condition is somewhat under 40,000 ceased to be slaughtered now is ludicrous.

    "Another question asked is 'what would be done with all these dead horses? It is estimated that the horse population of the United States is about 6,900,000 and that somewhat less than .07% of these horses wind up in slaughterhouses annually. A simple answer to the question of what is to be done with them when they die is that this is a totally insignificant increase, and that they should be disposed of in the same way as the ones not presently sent to slaughter, the overwhelming majority of the horse population...

    "The claim of the pro-slaughter forces is that their concerns are humanitarian and unrelated to financial concerns. There are those who would disagree with them; for example, Pernell Hopkins, a police officer specializing in equine investigation, who for two years ahs monitored Pennsylvania horse sales that sell to slaughter. Officer Hopkins states in a letter published in the June 2002 edition of The Horse that slaughter encourages neglect, and that 'Money is the only objective of selling horses to slaughter. Those of us in the trenches have seen enough.'

    "The logical proposition goes this way. We have a potential perpetrator (one who might abuse a horse) and a potential victim (the horse). The answer offered by the pro-slaughter forces is to kill the potential victim so that the potential perpetrator can't perpetrate! Comments here are unnecessary..."

    [READ ENTIRE ARTICLE...]

    Tuesday, August 01, 2006

    "Poison Pill" Amendments Inserted into Anti-horse Slaughter Bill

    Bill banning horse slaughter saddled with problems
    Kentucky.com - Lexington,KY,USA
    WASHINGTON - The House Agriculture Committee attached "poison pill" amendments yesterday to a bill designed to outlaw horse slaughter, potentially damaging the ...

    Don't count DeLay out of House campaign yet
    Dallas Morning News (subscription) - TX,USA
    ... Two House hearings put a spotlight last week on the US horsemeat industry, centered at slaughterhouses in Kaufman and Fort Worth. ...

    Legendary Oilman Testifies Before Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter
    PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
    ... Although the slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal in Pickens' home state of Texas, foreign-owned companies who process horsemeat here are using ...

    Six amendments added to horse slaughter bill
    Thoroughbred Times - Lexington,KY,USA
    ... Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns assume responsibility for all unwanted horses to starting a pilot program that would ban horse slaughter in Kentucky and ...

    MOUNTAIN VIEWS: HORSE-EATING FOREIGNERS FINDING FRIENDS IN UNITED ...
    Niagarafallsreporter.com - Niagara Falls,NY,USA
    ... The House version of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act progressed nicely through the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, but then was ...

    South Dakota Cattlemen's Association: eUpdate for July 28, 2006
    Dakota Voice - Rapid City,SD,USA
    ... Agriculture. The topic of the hearing was Representative John Sweeney's (R-NY) HR 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. On ...


    Powerful Oilman, T. Boone Pickens Applauded For Joining Crusade to ...
    NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - USA
    ... to convince Congress to enact the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. ... of this shocking treatment of American race horses ... she founded Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue. ...

    Wednesday, July 26, 2006

    The Unwanted Horse Theory Unveiled

    Many supporters of horse slaughter have often relied on the "unwanted horse theory"--that if horse slaughter was banned a surplus of horses would result. Read the study that refutes the myth HERE.

    Thanks to the NHPC for the link.

    Ebayers Work to Stop Horse Slaughter

    eBay Sellers Help Rescue Slaughter-Bound Thoroughbreds
    (excerpt)
    A Breyer Ruffian model created by Faye Cohen is being auctioned on eBay to raise money for Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue, Inc., in Glenville, Pa., and ultimately advance the adoption of rescued Thoroughbreds.

    The Breyer Ruffian model is just one of the unsolicited items offered for sale on eBay by private individuals who support the organization's cause. Angel Acres Horse Rescue (www.saveahorsenow.org) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit rescue dedicated to saving slaughter-bound horses. Angel Acres also assists in cases of neglect and abuse.

    "We are thrilled that people feel so strongly about our cause that, without being asked, they raise money for us by placing items on eBay," says Jo Deibel, president of Angel Acres.

    Some of the eBay supporters are supporting Angel Acres via MissionFish (www.missionfish.org). MissionFish helps individuals support causes through trading on eBay. Since 2000, the agency has lent its support to thousands of organizations and donors, and it has raised millions of dollars through online auctions.

    Proceeds from the Breyer Ruffian sale and other eBay auction proceeds will be used to encourage the adoption of retired Thoroughbreds from Angel Acres by responsible owners. The auctions appear at www.missionfish.org/NPMMF/nphomepage.jsp?NP_ID=4722.

    Ruffian, a brilliant dark bay Thoroughbred filly, won race after race until her fateful match against Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure when she broke down.

    Friday, July 21, 2006

    Hearing on Horse Slaughter to be Held July 25-- CALLS NEEDED URGENTLY!

    (from SAPL)

    Hearing on Horse Slaughter to be Held July 25-- CALLS NEEDED URGENTLY!

    July 20, 2006

    Dear Humanitarian,

    H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), is on the docket to be reviewed by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 25, 2006.

    The AHSPA, as you know, will permanently put an end to the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose. Just last year, over 90,000 horses were slaughtered in the three foreign-owned horse slaughter facilities located in Texas and Illinois.

    Crowded into trailers and exposed to the elements, horses are hauled for up to 28 hours without a break. When they reach the slaughterhouse, callous workers poke and beat the animals as they are shoved into the kill box. Despite the federal mandate that horses be rendered unconscious before having their throats slit, repeated blows with captive bolt pistols are often necessary to stun them, and their death is protracted and excruciating. Members of Congress must end this practice by adopting the AHSPA in its original form.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO:

    Please contact ALL subcommittee members and urge them to strongly support the AHSPA as written. Make a special effort to respectfully request all members of the subcommittee who are cosponsors (indicated by * in the contact list below) ATTEND the committee hearing and SUPPORT both the AHSPA and Representative Whitfield, who is participating in the hearing. Call or fax TODAY until the hearing takes place on Tuesday. Please share our Dear Humanitarian eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to call or fax their Members of Congress, too.

    For more information about horse slaughter and H.R. 503, please click here: http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm. Your support is needed and much appreciated.

    Sincerely,
    Cathy Liss
    Legislative Director


    Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative news on what you can do to help us protect all animals. http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE TRADE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION CONTACT INFO DIRECTORY

    Chair and Ranking Min. Member.......Phone............Fax

    Chair: Cliff Stearns (R-FL)......202-225-5744....202-225-3973
    Rnk: Janice Schakowsky (D-IL)*...202-225-2111....202-226-6890

    Members:

    Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)*............202-225-2906....202-225-6942
    Charles F. Bass (R-NH)...........202-225-5206....202-225-2946
    Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)..........202-225-2811....202-225-3004
    Mary Bono (R-CA)*................202-225-5330....202-225-2961
    Sherrod Brown (D-OH)*............202-225-3401....202-225-2266
    Barbara Cubin (R-WY).............202-225-2311....202-225-3057
    Jim Davis (D-FL)*................202-225-3376....202-225-5652
    Nathan Deal (R-GA)...............202-225-5211....202-225-8272
    Diana DeGette (D-CO)*............202-225-4431....202-225-5657
    Michael Ferguson (R-NJ)*.........202-225-5361....202-225-9460
    Charles Gonzalez (D-TX)*.........202-225-3236....202-225-1915
    Gene Green (D-TX)*...............202-225-1688....202-225-9903
    Edward Markey (D-MA)*............202-225-2836....202-226-0092
    Tim Murphy (R-PA)................202-225-2301....202-225-1844
    Sue Myrik (R-NC)*................202-225-1976....202-225-3389
    C. L. Butch Otter (R-ID).........202-225-6611....202-225-3029
    Joseph Pitts (R-PA)*.............202-225-2411....202-225-2013
    George Radanovich (R-CA).........202-225-4540....202-225-3402
    Mike Rogers (R-MI)...............202-225-4872....202-225-5820
    Mike Ross (D-AR).................202-225-3772....202-225-1314
    Bobby Rush (D-IL)*...............202-225-4372....202-226-0333
    Tedd Strickland (D-OH)*..........202-225-5705....202-225-5907
    Lee Terry (R-NE).................202-225-4155....202-226-5452
    Edolphus Towns (D-NY)*...........202-225-5936....202-225-1018
    Fred Upton (R-MI)................202-225-3761....202-225-4986

    * Denotes HR 503 Co-sponsors

    Thursday, July 13, 2006

    Horse Meat in Demand in Mexico Since Mad Cow Scare

    Horse meat big in Juárez
    By Louie Gilot/For the Sun-News


    (EXCERPT)

    JUÁREZ, Mexico — At the rastro, the municipal slaughterhouse in Juárez, thousands of animals are slaughtered for human consumption each month with the swift stab of a knife to the back of the neck. About a quarter of them are American horses.

    But tracking just how many of the local mounts end up on tables down south is difficult, said a livestock inspector for the Las Cruces area...

    Shaun McCauley, an inspector with the New Mexico Livestock Department who is based in Las Cruces, said it's hard to track where the horses sold in southern New Mexico end up.

    "A lot of the horses that are sold at auction, we really have no idea of where they go," he said...

    The Juárez slaughterhouse used to kill only about 20 horses a month, but after Mexico closed its border to U.S. imports of cattle, citing the fear of mad cow disease, local meat distributors struggled to make up for the loss, Luis Manuel Terrazas, the slaughterhouse's director, said.

    These days, his 60 workers put to death about 1,400 horses a month, just under 30 percent of all the animals killed. About 70 percent of the horses come from U.S. ranches...

    There is no consumption of horse meat in the United States — not even for pet food — but more than 90,000 U.S. horses were slaughtered for exportation to Europe and Japan last year in three
    foreign-owned slaughterhouses: Beltex Corp. in Fort Worth, Texas, owned by a Belgian company; Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas, owned by a French company; and Cavel International in DeKalb, Ill., owned by a Belgian company.

    American activists are trying to outlaw the slaughter of horses, calling it cruel. The practice has decreased from 342,877 horses slaughtered in 1989 to 91,757 last year, but it has crept up in the past four years, according to Department of Agriculture statistics. Many U.S. horses are also exported to Mexico and Canada for slaughter, but exact statistics were not available.

    Two bills currently stalled in committee would prohibit the slaughter of horses in the United States and the transportation of horses for slaughter elsewhere — HR 503 in the House and S 1915 in the Senate...

    The slaughterhouse does not use a so-called captive bolt gun, the standard device in the U.S. slaughter of horses that renders the animal unconscious by shooting a metal rod into the horse's brain. The Mexican worker uses a method reminiscent of the final blow in a bullfight. The animal dies in what appears to be five to 10 seconds...[READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

    Sun-News reporter Jason Gibbs contributed to this report.


    Louie Gilot writes for the El Paso Times, a member of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, and can be reached at lgilot@elpasotimes.com

    Sunday, July 09, 2006

    Rescuing from Slaughter...

    Wingin' It
    JILL WING, The Saratogian

    "...The horses, like children who have been abused and neglected to the point of near psychosis, are slowly coming around to Susan. We walked the well-worn dirt roads between the paddocks and when one horse spotted Susan coming up the road, a silent trumpet sounded, alerting the horses that company was coming, and treats were in hand. Some horses hobble to the fence, others less damaged trot to greet Susan with her outstretched hand.

    Tom and Jerry, father and son Belgian drafts and former Amish workhorses, were emaciated and sick when Susan found them at a meat auction. They are both crippled, but they are living out their lives in high cotton, each having gained a few hundred pounds since their rescue.

    The stories of the rescues are remarkable, even jaw-dropping to think that people could be so cruel to the animals they depend on for a living or for recreation. Susan said she gets two or three calls every day from people asking her to take horses off their hands, or from others reporting abuses. Sadly, she is only one person, and can't respond to most of them. It tears at her heart..." [READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

    Friday, July 07, 2006

    Vote on Horse Slaughter Could Occur As Early As July 10

    Slaughter Legislation Could Be Put To Vote
    by: Amanda Duckworth
    July 2006 Article # 7181

    (excerpt)
    The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act could be put to a vote when Congress returns July 10 from its Fourth of July recess. Before the break, Capitol Hill was the scene of intense lobbying from those on both sides of the issue.

    ..."We have had a lot of people trying to raise awareness to hopefully shake things loose. We've had a lot of veterinarians and Thoroughbred owners and breeders in town. Even (Arthur and Staci Hancock of Stone Farm near Paris, Ky.), were here doing some meetings."

    The bill is believed to have the support of about 200 members of the House; to pass that chamber, a bill requires a simple majority of the 435 members.

    "We should be at at least 200 or a little over that," Heyde said. "I think it will be much better in the Senate, where we haven't had as much opposition, and we've only really had one person that opposes it in the House."

    U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky is a strong proponent of the legislation. On June 26, Brent Dolen, his press secretary, sought support from the Jockeys' Guild.

    Thursday, July 06, 2006

    East Texas Woman Wants Horse Slaughter to Stop

    East Texas Woman Pushes For Anti Horse Slaughtering Bill To Pass Congress

    Horses being slaughtered for their meat, the issue will be facing congress as early as next week. House Resolution 503 would protect horses and prohibit the shipping, transportation and slaughtering of horses for human consumption. Currently, there are 3 plants in the United States that slaughter horses, including one in the Kaufman community. The meat is transported to Europe, where it's considered a delicacy.

    One East Texas woman who says the practice is inhumane. Some East Texas are fighting to put a stop to American horse slaughteringhouses.

    ...According to the group Habitat For Horses, 93,000 horses are slaughtered every year.

    "They basically stun them and they are still alive, that's all I really want to say to that nature but it extremely inhumane," says Motlagh.

    ...She hopes her efforts will give more horses like "Dancer" a second chance at life.

    Karolyn Davis, reporting. kdavis@kltv.com

    [READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

    Thursday, June 29, 2006

    Vote Delayed on HR 503

    Anti-Slaughter Bill May Have to Wait Until After Break
    by Amanda Duckworth

    It appears unlikely the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act will be put to a vote before Congress breaks for the Fourth of July holiday.

    "There had been some thought for some quick movement, but it looks like there are some scheduling and timing issues," Chris Heyde, deputy legislative director for the Society for Animal Protective Legislation, said June 28. While the vote may not come until after the holiday, a lot of lobbying is going on in Washington, D.C.

    "We have had a lot of people today trying to raise some big awareness to hopefully shake things loose," Heyde said. "We've had a lot of veterinarians and Thoroughbred owners and breeders in town. Even the Hancocks are here today, Arthur and Staci (of Stone Farm near Paris, Ky.), doing some meetings as well."

    The bill is believed to have the support of about 200 members of the House; to pass that chamber, a bill requires a simple majority of the 435 members... [READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

    Thanks to Barbaro, sports writers and others paying more attention to horse slaughter

    Barbaro, book opening our eyes
    By Furman Bisher | Tuesday, June 27, 2006
    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    (EXCERPT)
    It probably never occurred to you that if Barbaro had been running in a $25,000 claiming race when he went down on Preakness Day, he would have been euthanized on the track...

    This has weighed on my mind since a copy of “After the Finish Line” reached my desk awhile ago, months ago to be shamefully honest. Bill Heller, a writer for Thoroughbred Times...

    Exceller won on dirt and grass, he won on two continents. In the same race, the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, he beat both Seattle Slew and Affirmed in 1978. Retired to stud, he bred several stakes winners, but was eventually sold to a man in Sweden. It is cruelly ironic that in the same year he was voted into the Hall of Fame at Saratoga, 1997, he was killed in a slaughterhouse in Sweden.

    Once it became public knowledge, Exceller’s fate set off a wave of revulsion in this country, but it wasn’t enough to save the life of Ferdinand five years later. You remember Ferdinand. Won the Kentucky Derby in 1986, but when he didn’t produce in the barn, he was exported to Japan, and when he didn’t produce there, was slaughtered. A Kentucky Derby winner becomes dog meat!

    It was nearly a year before the news broke in the United States, and a storm of outrage followed. But what kind of a dent did it make in this country? Not enough to halt the rate of slaughter, said to be about 50,000 a year. That includes all varieties, thoroughbreds, quarter horses, standardbreds, ponies, dray horses, just horses. But horse lovers of all sorts have been moved to action by the slaughter of classic champions.

    ...Michael Blowen’s organization is known as Old Friends, located on a farm near Midway, and has found help coming from all directions. One of his first “clients” was a filly by Exceller, sardonically named Narrow Escape. She had failed to get a bid at a major auction, and the auctioneer donated her to Old Friends.

    ...These are just some of the cases Heller tells us about, most all referring to racing thoroughbreds. Not all the horses spared the slaughterhouse have the exciting background of one named Rich in Dallas. Rich in Dallas had portrayed Seabiscuit in the movie, but had soon slipped from view. Blowen found him running in $2,500 claiming races at Los Alamitos, the last step before the slaughterhouse, bought him and moved him to Midway, where he is enjoying pasture retirement.

    While there are cases of famous horses whose slaughter creates indignation, there are companies in Texas and Pennsylvania, cited in Heller’s book, that run horses through like cars at a car wash. “After the Finish Line” deals mainly with the racing thoroughbred and Heller’s repulsion at the slaughter. I can only scratch the surface here, but let me repeat what Bill Nack wrote after hearing of Ferdinand’s death: “Kentucky Derby winners are not meant to be part of a food chain.”

    I can add to that, that no horse is. [READ ENTIRE POST]



    Miller elected Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation president
    ThoroughbredTimes.com
    "Terence was a dedicated and innovative president," TRF Executive Director Diana Pikulski said. "In recent years, the TRF has made tremendous progress in its efforts to care for retirees and educate the public and the racing industry about the horrors of horse slaughter, and that would not have been possible without Terence."

    Wednesday, June 28, 2006

    Would Americans Tolerate Pet Dogs & Cats Being Eaten in Asia?

    Would Americans Tolerate Pet Dogs & Cats Being Eaten in Asia?
    via newsreleasewire.com

    "...Americans would be outraged if an animal shelter as a fund-raiser sold all their cats and dogs to a meat processing plant to be eaten in Asian countries.

    Far fetched? When it comes to cats and dogs, yes. But every year more than 80,000 horses are shipped to meat processing plants to be eaten in Europe and Asian countries. So why would Americans tolerate the eating of horseflesh but not stand for eating cats and dogs?

    That same question was raised recently by Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated writer, in these comments made on National Public Radio (NPR): 'It’s not our business to tell other people what to eat, but that doesn't mean we have to supply meals for foreigners. In some parts of the world, they eat dogs and cats. Would we permit slaughterhouses for our Fidos and Tabbys so that their meat could be exported to faraway dinner tables? That's what we're doing with our horses.'

    Currently a Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is pending in the Senate (S1915) and House (H.R. 503) to stop the slaughtering of horses in the U.S. and to be sold and eaten in France, Belgium, and Asia. In France and Germany horsemeat is now in high demand because of the Mad Cow Disease scare..." [READ ENTIRE ARTICLE]

    Thursday, June 22, 2006

    House of Representatives to Vote on a Permanent End to Horse Slaughter!

    [from SAPL...]

    House of Representatives to Vote on a Permanent End to Horse Slaughter!
    The American public must be heard like never before!


    June 22, 2006


    Dear Humanitarian:

    Since the Society for Animal Protective Legislations national campaign against horse slaughter began in 2001, our ultimate goal has been passage of a permanent horse slaughter ban. We have just learned House of Representatives Leadership has assured the sponsors of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act that a vote on the measure will take place on the House floor before June 30.

    Sponsored in the House by Congressional Horse Caucus Co-chair John Sweeney (R-NY), Representative John Spratt, Jr. (D-SC) and Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), the Act will end the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose. Just last year, over 90,000 horses were slaughtered in the three foreign-owned horse slaughter facilities located in Texas and Illinois.

    We have always believed that, if given a fair chance and an open vote, Congress would support this complete ban. Four separate times, it has demonstrated interest in stopping horse slaughter for wild and domestic horses by voting in favor of amendments. The upcoming vote is crucial, and it represents a culmination of five years of hard work by supporters from across the United States. It is vital for everyone you know to call their Representative immediately and urge a YES vote for the Act.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO:

    Please call or fax your Representative TODAY, asking him or her to vote in favor of H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Keep checking your email every day for the latest news, and continue to contact your Representative until the vote has transpired.

    When talking with your Representative's office please include some of the additional facts about horse slaughter listed below.

    To locate your Representatives contact information and to learn more about horse slaughter and the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act please visit www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.

    Please share our Dear Humanitarian eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to call or fax their Members of Congress, too. Thank you very much for your help!

    Sincerely,
    Cathy Liss
    Legislative Director

    Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative news on what you can do to help us protect all animals. http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm




    FACTS AND FAQ's ABOUT HORSE SLAUGHTER
    Last year three foreign-owned slaughter plants cruelly slaughtered more than 90,000 horses for human consumption in Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more of America's horses were exported from the U.S. and slaughtered in other countries.
    Slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and during slaughter.

    Passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) will reduce animal suffering ­ hence its wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world, as well as the humane community.

    Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for human consumption (polls from Kentucky, Virginia, Texas and Utah respectively show that 82, 74, 72 and 69 percent of those questioned oppose the practice). In California, a 1998 ballot initiative (Prop. 6) banning horse slaughter for human consumption passed with 60 percent of the vote.

    Sick and old horses to slaughter

    Question: Is it true that slaughter is only a last resort for infirm, dangerous or no longer serviceable horses?

    Answer: 92.3 percent of horses arriving at slaughter plants in this country are in "good" condition, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Guidelines for Handling and Transporting Equines to Slaughter.

    Neglect and abuse

    Question: Will horse abuse and neglect cases rise significantly following a ban on slaughter?

    Answer: There has been no documented rise in abuse and neglect cases in California since the state banned horse slaughter for human consumption in 1998. There was no documented rise in Illinois following closure of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002 and its reopening in 2004.

    Cost of caring for unwanted horses

    Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horse rescue and retirement groups have the resources to take care of unwanted horses? Should the government have to pay for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners?

    Answer: Not every horse currently going to slaughter will need to be absorbed into the rescue community many will be sold to a new owner, others will be kept longer and a licensed veterinarian will humanely euthanize some. Opponents of this legislation admit passage of the bill will not necessarily lead to an increase in the number of horses sent to rescue facilities, precisely because humane euthanasia is so widely used. It is not the government's responsibility to provide for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners, as these animals are private property. Hundreds of horse rescue organizations operate around the country, and additional facilities are being established (a list is available).

    A safe and humane solution for sick, old and unwanted horses

    Question: If slaughter is not an option, what will we do with sick, old and unwanted horses?

    Answer: Approximately 900,000 horses die annually in this country (10 percent of an estimated population of 9 million) and the vast majority are not slaughtered, but euthanized and rendered or buried without any negative environmental impact instead. Humane euthanasia and carcass disposal is highly affordable and widely available. The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal's carcass is approximately $225, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $200.

    Export of horses for slaughter abroad

    Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter in the United States, will there be an increase in the export of horses for foreign slaughter? Will horses suffer from longer transport for slaughter in countries where there may be weaker welfare laws?

    Answer: Horse slaughter has declined dramatically in the United States over the past decade, but there has been no correlating increase in the number of American horses exported for slaughter abroad. Further, the AHSPA prohibits the export of horses for slaughter abroad, and contains clear enforcement and penalty provisions to prevent this from happening. Risk of federal prosecution and the high costs associated with illegally transporting horses long distances for slaughter abroad are strong deterrents.

    Standards of care at sanctuaries and rescue organizations

    Question: Is it true no standards exist for horse rescue facilities that take unwanted horses?

    Answer: The Doris Day Animal League and the Animal Welfare Institute published "Basic Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility" in 2004. Additionally, the Association of Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuaries Association provide accreditation programs, a code of ethics and guidelines for the operation of sanctuaries and rescue organizations. Horse rescue groups must also provide for the welfare of horses in their custody in compliance with state and local animal welfare laws.

    Use of horsemeat in pet food

    Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horsemeat no longer be available for pet food?

    Answer: There is no horsemeat in pet food. This practice stopped decades ago and has some connection to the enactment of protections for America's wild horses in 1971. The US public and Congress were outraged to learn federal agencies were rounding up and allowing the exploitation and slaughter of these national treasures for items such as pet food. Some by-products of the horse slaughter industry are used in various consumer items, but they are derived from the rendering (a different process than slaughter and not affected by the AHSPA) of dead horses and other animals.