Change human consumption to consumption in NJ law prohibiting transport/slaughter

  • by: Diane McEvoy
  • recipient: New Jersey Senator Lesniak and Assemblyman Dancer; copy to Governor Christie

In September of 2012, Governor Christie signed a bill that you, Assemblyman Dancer and you, Senator Lesniak introduced. As result, New Jersey became one of the few states with an anti-transport/anti-slaughter law on the books. Lovers of horses in New Jersey and in states across the country commended the Governor for standing up and ensuring that no harm would come to New Jersey’s horses, through transport or slaughter.

Unfortunately, the law does not protect the horses at Bravo Meat Packing, one of the few horse slaughter plants in the U.S. that kills horses so that their meat may be used to feed “big cats.” Even the fact that there is now no funding of horse slaughter plant inspections does not help the horses at Bravo because the USDA does not inspect Bravo.

While I appreciate that the language of the NJ law mirrors that of the yet to be passed Safe Act, I would hope that given the special circumstance that exists in NJ – the presence of Bravo Meat Packing – that you would make every effort to rectify the oversight. All horses in NJ are not safe from slaughter. Bravo kills 2-5 horses a week in Carney/Carney Point, NJ. While that number may represent a decline since the days that Monty Merola, now deceased, and his father Joe Merola oversaw the activities at Bravo, the death of one horse would be too many and is unacceptable to the thousands of anti-slaughter advocates across this country. 

According to an article posted by the Examiner in September 2012, “In May, Assemblyman Dancer stated that “New Jersey does not eat horse meat and our horses will not be taken from stable to a table.”

The horses at Bravo are not eaten by humans, nor do they go from stable to table. They are tortured, starved to achieve the leanness of meat preferred by Great Adventure’s big cats and slaughtered. There is no humane slaughter, not for the horses protected by NJ law nor for those who are sadly unprotected. 

I call upon both of you to introduce a revised bill or amendment that would display the same sort of compassion and protection for the Bravo horses as is now law for horses transported and slaughtered for “human consumption” 

Until the horses at Bravo Meat are afforded the same protection under NJ law, the law itself will remain riddled with holes and stands as a testimony to the ability of Great Adventure and Bravo Meat to conduct business without sanction, meting out heinous abuse and the horrific slaughter of horses in the state of New Jersey. And why, sirs, would that be?

Dear Senator Lesniak and Assemblyman Dancer:


Attached you will find a petition that addressed the bill, now Law, that you introduced concerning the transport and slaughter of horses for human consumption in New Jersey. I believe that the petition is quite clear. While we applaud the fact that New Jersey is one of the few states with such a law on the books, the NJ Law does nothing to protect the horses at Bravo Meat Packing, where according to Animals’ Angels, 2-5 horses are slaughtered each week so that their “meat” can be sold to Great Adventure for the big cats.


What difference is there in the suffering of a horse destined for “human” consumption and one that is to be slaughtered for consumption by a zoo animal? Slaughter is horrific, as is transport. All horses in NJ are not safe. And, therefore, we request that the law be amended (or whatever the proper legal term may be) to reflect a change from “human consumption” to “consumption.” Doing so would put New Jersey’s Dirty Little Secret out of business and the State of New Jersey could announce with pride that ALL horses in the State are now protected.

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