Eventhough this section of the site is not intended exclusively for discussion of horses, I am relaying information that is crucial to all who love and care for animals -- IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ and then make a judgment about how you feel and think regarding this issue. It is HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND URGENT that our representatives in Congress KNOW your position on this issue if you care about horses -- if enough people write letters to their representatives this bill will be passed and horses will stop being slaughtered -- you will be saving thousands upon thousands of horses from a horrific end to their lives so PLEASE READ! PLEASE -- I ASK YOU TO FULLY READ THIS DOCUMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELIEVE IT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU.
READING THIS DOCUMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY WILL EQUIP YOU WITH ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR DECISION REGARDING THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE
IN ADDITION, NO MATTER HOW YOU JUDGE THIS INFORMATION AFTER READING IT, PLEASE PASS IT ON TO YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS – IT ONLY TAKES A CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE OR THE PRESSING OF A BUTTON TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF HORSES FROM A HORRIFIC AND SAVAGE FATE.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING TWO BILLS IN CONGRESS:
(1) American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311),
(2) Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 (H.R. 6598)
Similar to the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311), which has been stalled in Congress, a new bill introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman, John Conyers (D-MI) with Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), would put a stop to this brutal practice. The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 (H.R. 6598) would end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and prevent their export for slaughter in other countries.
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For seven years now, you have helped us fight hard to protect America’s horses from the cruel and preventable practice of horse slaughter. Sadly, the few individuals profiting from this industry have spent vast sums of money to mislead some in the horse industry and US Congress. They have turned a serious animal cruelty issue into a political game. Despite all of this, support continues to grow for a ban because no false stories or fabricated tales of "unwanted horses" can derail the simple truth – horse slaughter is cruel.
As of today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) have taken up the reins of this cause and committed themselves to ending horse slaughter by sponsoring H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act". This bill directly addresses the cruelty of horse slaughter – a consequence of the industry that even opponents of ending horse slaughter admit exists. This legislation is not new, as the original bill introduced in 2002 to end horse slaughter included enforcement language from Title 18 of the US Criminal Code for those found guilty of breaking the law. Chairman Conyers has simply removed the unnecessary language from the earlier versions to specifically target those causing the cruelty to horses.
Every five minutes, an American horse is brutally slaughtered for human consumption in plants in Mexico and Canada. Ironically, industry lobbyists admit to Congress that the foreign horse slaughter plants are cruel, yet the companies the lobbyists represent also own and operate these very plants across the border! Despite unsubstantiated claims of "unwanted" and "abandoned" horses, these foreign-owned plants and their killer-buyers continue to buy horses from all over America at an alarming rate to meet the demand for the animals’ flesh in fancy European and Asian restaurants.
Horse slaughter is a brutal process from beginning to end. Killer-buyers have no regard for the horses’ welfare; they just need to find – they will not only buy, but go so far as to steal, as many of the animals as possible in order to fill a quota. Because the horses’ final destination is slaughter, no concern is paid to their treatment when they are collected, during transport, or in the slaughterhouse. Once horses reach the slaughterhouses, the horror that they face is mind boggling. When you visit any or all of the websites mentioned in this document, you can get an accurate account and picture of what our horses are going through. A former equine investigator for the Pennsylvania state police summed this industry up perfectly when she said, "… horses were deprived of food and water because they were going to slaughter anyway. My conclusion is that the slaughter option encourages neglect…Money is the only objective of selling horses to slaughter. Those of us in the trenches have seen enough."
Constituents concerned about the welfare of America’s horses must use this opportunity to speak up to their Members of Congress. The slaughterhouses, their lobbyists and the few pro-horse slaughter groups will be on Capitol Hill screaming loudly because they know support for ending horse slaughter is already strong. They know that if this issue is given a fair hearing and a fair vote, horse slaughter will end immediately.
Even though this fight has gone on for years, we must never forget that until Congress acts and passes a federal ban, horses are being hauled across the United States before being sent to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered under even worse conditions. The slaughterhouses and their supporters hope to wear down horse advocates by stalling the political process. We must send a message that we will not stop until ALL horses are protected from slaughter.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please call, write or email your Representative today, urging him or her to support H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act". Chairman Conyers and Congressman Burton intend to do everything in their power to move this measure through Congress as soon as possible. Be sure to mention the facts above and those found here.
Many Members of Congress have already supported a similar measure, so this is not a new proposal; click here to see if your legislator cosponsored the original bill. If your Representative is on the Judiciary Committee, please urge him or her to attend any upcoming hearing and speak out on this important legislation as well.
To find your Representative and learn his or her stance on horse slaughter, please visit www.compassionindex.org. You can contact your legislators directly through the Compassion Index as well.
Also, you can visit many websites regarding horses – those below are a few examples of organizations that are reputable and active – they have prepared letters for you and with a click of the button, you can sign off on them on-line – they will tell you who your representatives are in Congress and on every state and city level, as well.
ASPCA www.aspca.org
PETA www.PETA.org
NHPL www.horse-protection.org
Humane Society www.hsus.org
AWI www.awionline.org
Please note: HR 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" is NOT the same as H.R. 503/S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), but it will do the same thing – end horse slaughter. Many members already support the AHSPA, so garnering support should be straightforward.
Rescues/Organizations: The list of organizations and rescues supporting a ban on horse slaughter is tremendous, and we want to make sure your voice is heard on Capitol Hill, too. If you represent a rescue or organization, please take a minute to draft a letter of support for H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act" for us to share with the bill's sponsors and other Members of Congress. Address the letter to The Honorable Chairman Conyers and put it on organizational letterhead. Give personal experiences, include photos and share your work with us. Opponents of horse slaughter are not working every day with horses -- you are. Please email your letters and some pictures to chris@awionline.org or fax them without a cover to (888) 260-2271. We will ensure that Congress hears your support!
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BETRAYING OUR EQUINE ALLY
Horse sanctuaries and rescue organizations provide care for horses, who have suffered from abuse or neglect. Many are able to be adopted to loving homes for the remainder of their lives with veterinary treatment and care.
Horses have served humans throughout history, carrying us on their backs, tilling our fields, drawing wagons and carriages, and enriching our lives as friends and companions. In the United States, horses have never been raised for human consumption, yet for decades, our horses have been bought and slaughtered by a predatory, foreign-owned industry for sale to high-end diners in Europe and Asia. In 2007, the slaughter of horses on US soil came to an end when a court ruling upheld a Texas law banning horse slaughter, and similar legislation was passed in Illinois.
However, failure by the US Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act into law means that American horses are still being slaughtered for human consumption abroad. Tens of thousands are shipped to Mexico and Canada annually, where they are killed under barbaric conditions so their meat can continue to satisfy the palates of overseas diners in Europe and Asia. Take note, that the market for slaughter horses is set by the international demand for their meat – not by the number of supposedly unwanted horses, as some, who are pro-horse-slaughter, may claim.
Additionally, without the federal law, there remains the threat that horse slaughter plants may set up shop in states that have no laws against the practice. In the beginning of 2008, unsuccessful attempts were made to open a horse slaughterhouse in South Dakota and overturn the Illinois ban. It is likely that pro-horse slaughter organizations will try again elsewhere in the United States, including Texas and Illinois.
Ironically, while the most vocal opponents of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act decry the closure of the domestic plants and subsequent increase in the export of horses for slaughter, some actively partner with the very slaughterhouses that are shipping our horses to Mexico.
While a handful of horses are purposely sold into slaughter by irresponsible owners, most arrive at the slaughterhouse via livestock auction, where unsuspecting owners sell the animals to slaughterhouse middlemen known as "killer buyers." Despite the fact that the US plants are no longer in operation, killer buyers continue to purchase and haul as many horses as possible from livestock auctions around the country to the slaughterhouses that have now relocated to Mexico and Canada.
Wild horses are also slaughtered, since a 2004 backdoor Congressional rider engineered by then-Senator Conrad Burns (R–MT) gutted the protections afforded by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. Now, the Bureau of Land Management, the agency responsible for protecting wild horses, must sell "excess" horses (those 10 years of age or older, or not adopted after three tries) at auction. As a result, wild horses are being removed from their range at an alarming rate and sold for slaughter. Sadly, the American Quarter Horse Association has hired former Senator Conrad Burns to lobby against the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and other equine welfare measures.
Although awareness has grown exponentially in recent years, the horse meat trade is still relatively hidden from most Americans, and the industry wants to keep it that way. Warren Smith, operations manager of a Canadian horse slaughterhouse, was quoted as saying to the Edmonton Journal, "Talking about horses is kind of a scary thing, especially in the West, where people think it’s more of a pet than protein. When anybody starts writing about horses, everybody gets up in arms. Every time we say anything about horse in the paper, there’s always an uproar, so I don’t want to talk about it."
Until the US Congress passes the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act into law, show horses, racehorses, foals born as "byproducts" of the Premarin© (a female hormone replacement drug) industry, wild horses, burros and family horses will all continue to fall prey to this detestable foreign-driven industry.
A BRUTAL DEATH
The suffering begins long before our horses even reach the slaughterhouse. Conditions of transport are appalling, with horses regularly hauled to our domestic borders on journeys lasting more than 24 hours. Deprived of food, water or rest, the horses are forced onto double-decked cattle trailers with ceilings so low that they injure their heads. Not only are these double-deckers inhumane, but they are also dangerous and have been involved in a number of tragic accidents.
The notorious "Wadsworth Crash" occurred in 2007 when a double-decker carrying 59 Belgian draft horses "blew through a stop light" and overturned in Illinois. For five hours, police officers, firefighters, local horse owners and other members of the community fought to free the horses from the mangled truck. By the time all the horses had been removed, nine had died, and another six later died because of the injuries they sustained.
In fact, federal regulations governing the transport of horses to slaughter are so deficient that they allow the movement of blind horses, horses with broken legs and heavily pregnant mares.
Upon arrival at the slaughterhouse, the suffering continues unabated. Horses can be left for long periods in tightly packed trailers, subjected to further extremes of heat and cold. In hot weather, their thirst is acute. Downed animals are unable to rise, and horses are offloaded using excessive force.
When the horses are herded through the plant to slaughter, callous workers use fiberglass rods to poke and beat their faces, necks, backs and legs as the animals are shoved through the facility and into the "kill box". Subjected to overcrowding, deafening sounds and the smell of blood, the horses become more and more desperate, exhibiting fear typical of "flight" behavior—pacing in prance-like movements with their ears pinned back against their heads and eyes wide open.
Conditions over the border are even worse than those at the previously operational US plants. A 2007 investigation by The San Antonio News-Express revealed that the use of the puntilla knife on horses prior to slaughter is common practice in Mexican slaughter plants, such as a facility currently owned by Beltex, formerly operating in Texas.
Footage obtained by the paper shows horses being stabbed repeatedly in the neck with these knives prior to slaughter. Such a barbaric practice simply paralyzes the animal. The horse is still fully conscious at the start of the slaughter process, during which he or she is hung by a hind leg, his or her throat slit and body butchered. Death, the final betrayal of these noble animals, is protracted and excruciating.
DEBUNKING THE "UNWANTED HORSE" MYTH
In recent years, pro-horse slaughter organizations and individuals have consistently fought adoption of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, claiming that there is a huge "unwanted horse" population in the United States. Proponents of this unsubstantiated claim, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Quarter Horse Association (all members of the Horse Welfare Coalition, a group founded and led by the slaughterhouses and represented by former US Representative Charlie Stenholm of Texas) have lobbied Congress to block passage of the federal ban. Their premise is that slaughter improves horse welfare—offering a "humane" way to dispose of these animals, a "necessary evil" without which horses would be subjected to neglect, abandonment and abuse. Again, the market for slaughter horses is set by the international demand for their meat in other countries, not by the number of supposedly unwanted horses.
In truth, no hard data exists to back up claims about a burgeoning population of "unwanted horses." What is clear is that killer buyers working for the slaughterhouses are outbidding other buyers at auction because they have the financial incentive to do so. Once again, the market for slaughter horses is set by the international demand for their meat in other countries, not by the number of supposedly unwanted horses.
Thankfully, a truly humane veterinary organization has emerged to counter the bogus claims of these veterinary and industry organizations.
Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW) was founded by a group of leading veterinarians to help educate the public about horse slaughter from a veterinary position.
During a trip to meet with legislators in Washington, D.C., VEW co-founder Dr. Nicholas Dodman said, "Horse owners currently have two options when their horse has reached the end of his or her trail: They can pay to do the right thing (re-home or euthanasia) or be paid to do the wrong thing (send to slaughter). A few thoughtless folks choose to do the latter, and it should not be an option."
ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED HORSES
Hundreds—perhaps thousands—of our horses are stolen each year. Horse thieves make quick money by unloading illegally obtained horses to killer buyers and slaughterhouses. Slaughterhouses typically kill and process them so quickly that it is almost impossible to trace and recover stolen animals in time to save their lives. Who would imagine their stolen animal was hauled across the border to be slaughtered for meat?
Judy Taylor of Kentucky sought help in caring for her two beloved Appaloosa horses, Poco and PJ, due to her own serious health problems. At the recommendation of a friend, she contacted Lisa and Jeff Burgess. The couple agreed to take care of the animals with the understanding that, if they were unable to continue doing so, the horses would be returned to Judy. Despite this agreement, within seven days of receiving the horses, the Burgesses sold them to a known killer buyer. Soon after, Judy discovered what had happened and frantically searched for the horses acquired with fraudulent intentions.
Eventually, she learned the horrifying truth—her horses had been slaughtered for their meat. Successful charges were brought against the Burgesses. The Kentucky Court of Appeals noted, "The Burgesses’ conduct clearly rises to the level of being outrageous and intolerable in that it offends generally accepted standards of decency and morality, certainly a situation in which the recitation of the facts to an average member of the community would arouse his resentment against the actor, and lead him to exclaim, ‘Outrageous!’"
In another tragic case, a horse owner in northwest Oklahoma contacted the Animal Welfare Institute to report that her two pregnant mares were purchased by someone who in turn sold them for slaughter. "Nobody that works at the auction barn let me know who was buying," she said. "I found out when I went to the office to ask how to notify the buyers so I could send them the breeding certificates." When the staff hinted that no certificates would be needed, the owner suspected something might be wrong. By the time she located the buyers, the mares had already been sent to Mexico and slaughtered.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Do not sell your horse at an auction where killer buyers may operate. Consider donating your horse to a rescue organization or retirement farm; donating, selling or leasing your horse to a therapeutic riding program; or selling the horse privately to an individual with proper references and a legally binding agreement that the horse will never be sold to slaughter. Humane euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian is preferable to cruel transport and slaughter.
Stolen horses may frequently end up at the slaughterhouse. Please report any stolen horses to local and state authorities. Likewise, if you witness an abused or abandoned horse, please report the details to your local animal control authority for further investigation. Not only does such abuse and neglect require immediate attention for the obvious welfare reasons, but these horses are also at risk of being sold into slaughter by uncaring owners.
Help raise awareness on the issue of horse slaughter by writing letters to the editors of your local newspapers and any equine publications you read. Talk about the horrors of horse slaughter and the solution to this cruelty: passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and passage of Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 (H.R. 6598).
You can also help our campaign by distributing AWI's "Betraying Our Equine Ally" brochure to others; extra copies are available from AWI upon request. Finally, contact your elected officials in the US Congress to let them know that you strongly support passage of the Act. |