Stop Horse Slaughter Auctions and Its Supporters
- by: Ruth McD
- recipient: U.S. Senators, U.S. Legislators, President Of The United States
The horse slaughter industry and its supporters are working very hard to mislead the public and members of Congress. Thankfully, the facts are very easy on this cruel and preditory industry. To learn more about the issue, check our AWI's Facts and FAQs About Horse Slaughter.BETRAYING OUR EQUINE ALLY 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 legislation banning horse slaughter 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 countries such as Italy, France, Belgium and Japan.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 with some being sold for slaughter.Until the US Congress passes legislation banning horse slaughter 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.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?For a list of horse organizations, rescues and industry leaders opposed to horse slaughter and in support of efforts to ban the practice, click here.
In 2005, the U.S. Congress prevented tax dollars from being spent to inspect horse slaughter plants. As these inspections would be required to keep such plants in operation, and because of state bans on operating such facilities, the three remaining plants—two in Texas and one in Illinois—were closed. Unfortunately, slaughter continues elsewhere on an alarming scale. Tens of thousands of American horses continue to be exported to foreign slaughter plants where they are brutally killed.Despite claims that plant closure in the U.S. has resulted in higher numbers of unwanted horses, the same number of American horses are still being slaughtered each year. Only now, they are being sent to Canada and Mexico—which is why passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is crucial. We must close the loophole that allows export of horses for slaughter.Allowing horse slaughter to continue not only harms horses, but also harms the economy on a number of levels. Many employees of U.S. slaughter plants were immigrants working in one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. The employment opportunities related to the horse slaughter industry were vastly overshadowed by the direct harm to workers, the enormous burden inflicted on local communities through declining housing values, and the negative image they created for our country. In 2005, the City Council of Kaufman, Texas voted to close the horse slaughter plant in their city because of the negative economic impacts. Then-mayor Paula Bacon stated, “My city was little more than a doormat for a foreign-owned business that drained our resources, thwarted economic development and stigmatized our community.”Thankfully, the American public has stepped up to help horses in need. A nationwide network of horse rescue groups exists and works every day to make a difference. Many of them continuously strive to rescue and provide homes for unwanted and homeless horses—despite often being outbid by “killer buyers” at auctions. So long as an incentive remains to export horse meat to foreign markets, the ability of horse rescue groups and sanctuaries to address problems and help horses in need will be impeded. Horse overpopulation and abandonment are caused by irresponsible owners and breeders, not the by the cessation of slaughter in the United States.Over the last few years, legislation to temporarily stop horse slaughter passed via several bipartisan votes, with commanding majorities in both the House and Senate. It is now time for the 112th Congress to put an end to this cruel industry once and for all! Please join your colleagues in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
Sign PetitionSign PetitionSee more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.