Congress: Stop the Slaughter of America's Horses
- by: Alicia Graef
- recipient: U.S. Congress, House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Energy and Commerce
According to equine advocates, last year more than 140,000 horses from the U.S. were slaughtered for human consumption abroad, but lawmakers are taking action to shut this predatory industry down with legislation that will protect both them and us.
The recently reintroduced Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1942, will permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and stop their export abroad for that purpose.
Not only will this protect horses from inhumane treatment and slaughter, but it will protect us by keeping inherently problematic slaughterhouses out of our communities and toxic horse meat away from consumers.
Please sign this petition urging your representative to support and co-sponsor this vital piece of legislation to protect both horses and us. Despite what the industry's supporters say, slaughter is not the solution.
As someone who cares about the welfare of animals and food safety, I am writing to urge you to support and co-sponsor the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1942. This important piece of legislation will ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and stop their export abroad for that purpose.
Not only are the transport and slaughter procedures used for horses considered inhumane by citizens, industry professionals, animal protection groups and a number of professional organizations, including Veterinarians for Equine Welfare, but allocating funds for USDA inspections of horse meat and perpetuating this cruelty at the expense of the taxpayer is reprehensible.
Additionally, horses are not raised for human consumption in the U.S. and regularly receive a host of drugs that are prohibited for use in food animals, hundreds of which are considered toxic for humans by the Food and Drug Administration and there is currently no way to track them.
I sincerely hope you will support and co-sponsor this vital piece of legislation that will keep both horses and consumers safe. Despite what proponents say, slaughter is not the solution.
