The Humane Society of the United States’ national ad campaign begins in Kentucky,
urges support of H.R. 1518/S. 1406, the PAST Act
A new television advertising campaign urges viewers to call their federal lawmakers
and ask them to pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 1518/S. 1406.
The ads began airing in Kentucky on Sunday, urging viewers to call Sens.
Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and ask them to support the PAST Act.
The ad campaign will expand to other media markets around the country in the coming weeks.
The TV ad can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l41ILcM9s1c
The commercial is the latest effort by The Humane Society of the United States to urge Congress
to pass the bill that would end soring, the cruel practice of inflicting pain to horses’ legs
and feet to force them to perform an exaggerated high-stepping gait—known as the “Big Lick”—at horse shows. The Senate bill has been introduced by
their Republican colleague Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and it has 51 cosponsors.
The House bill has 268 cosponsors.
The bill will fortify an existing federal law, the Horse Protection Act, which was passed in 1970
to eliminate the abuse of Tennessee walking horses and other similar breeds,
but is so weak that cheating and violations have been rampant for decades.
The PAST Act would end the failed industry self-policing system; ban the show-ring use of chains, stacks, and excessively heavy shoes (devices that are part and parcel of the soring process);
and increase penalties for violators.
Pam Rogers, Kentucky state director for The HSUS, said: “Kentucky is the heart of horse country in the U.S.,
and Senators McConnell and Paul should support this critical legislation to protect horses from the cruelty of soring.
No other breeds are subjected to this kind of intentional form of torture, and it is a disgrace that it exists anywhere.
Only an upgrade of the federal law will put an end to the horrible horse abuse that still plagues the ‘Big Lick’ show world.”
