December 6, 2006

Horse Bill Needs Your Help!

Only Days Left for Congress to Act

 

Dear Humanitarian:

We are writing you today about a critical measure that may come before Congress very soon.  Please take a moment to contact your legislators about this issue immediately and encourage others to do the same.

Horse Slaughter Bill Needs a Big Push, Now!

Following passage in the House of Representatives, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is pending in the Senate.  If approved, the measure would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose.  Grassroots efforts from concerned constituents like you have made all the difference in this fight – please continue to contact your Senators!

We hope the bill will be voted on by the Senate any day now, but there will be limited time available and only issues seen as essential are expected to be addressed.  We need to be sure Congress recognizes that this legislation is critical, as approximately 2,000 horses are being hauled to slaughter and brutally killed with every week this bill awaits action in the Senate.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please contact both of your Senators NOW, urging their co-sponsorship of S. 1915, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 503, and requesting a vote on the legislation when they return in November after the elections.  Last year, the Senate voted for a temporary ban on horse slaughter by a vote of 69 to 28.  To see how your Senators voted on that measure, click here.  If either of Senator voted for this ban, be sure to remind them of (and thank them for) this sensible position.

To find your Senators, click here or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to their offices.  For more information on horse slaughter and how you can help make a difference for America’s horses, please click here.

Letters to Senators should be addressed to:

The Honorable (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Be sure to tell your legislators you would like to know their positions on this critical issues – and forward us their responses to assist our lobbying efforts.

Please share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too.  As always, thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
Legislative Director
www.saplonline.org
www.compassionindex.org

Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative news on what you can do to help us protect all animals. http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm
 
FACTS AND FAQ's ABOUT HORSE SLAUGHTER
  • Last year three foreign-owned slaughter plants cruelly slaughtered more than 90,000 horses for human consumption in Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more of America's horses were exported from the U.S. and slaughtered in other countries.
  • Slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and during slaughter.
  • Passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) will reduce animal suffering ­ hence its wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world, as well as the humane community.
  • Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for human consumption (polls from Kentucky, Virginia, Texas and Utah respectively show that 82, 74, 72 and 69 percent of those questioned oppose the practice). In California, a 1998 ballot initiative (Prop. 6) banning horse slaughter for human consumption passed with 60 percent of the vote.
  • Animal cruelty is NOT a property rights issue.  It is illegal to abuse and neglect any animal, and horse slaughter is one of many tragic forms of animal cruelty.
Sick and old horses to slaughter

Question: Is it true that slaughter is only a last resort for infirm, dangerous or no longer serviceable horses?

Answer: 92.3 percent of horses arriving at slaughter plants in this country are in "good" condition, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Guidelines for Handling and Transporting Equines to Slaughter.

Neglect and abuse

Question: Will horse abuse and neglect cases rise significantly following a ban on slaughter

Answer: There has been no documented rise in abuse and neglect cases in California since the state banned horse slaughter for human consumption in 1998. There was no documented rise in Illinois during closure of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002 until its reopening in 2004.

Cost of caring for unwanted horses

Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horse rescue and retirement groups have the resources to take care of unwanted horses? Should the government have to pay for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners?

Answer: Not every horse currently going to slaughter will need to be absorbed into the rescue community – many will be sold to a new owner, others will be kept longer and a licensed veterinarian will humanely euthanize some. Opponents of this legislation admit passage of the bill will not necessarily lead to an increase in the number of horses sent to rescue facilities, precisely because humane euthanasia is so widely used. It is not the government's responsibility to provide for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners, as these animals are private property. Hundreds of horse rescue organizations operate around the country, and additional facilities are being established (a list is available).  When a companion animal can no longer be cared for, it is the owners' responsibility to provide a humane solution--whether the animal is a dog, a cat or a horse.

A safe and humane solution for sick, old and unwanted horses

Question: If slaughter is not an option, what will we do with sick, old and unwanted horses

Answer: Approximately 900,000 horses die annually in this country (10 percent of an estimated population of 9 million) and the vast majority are not slaughtered, but euthanized and rendered or buried without any negative environmental impact. Humane euthanasia and carcass disposal is highly affordable and widely available. The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal's carcass is approximately $225, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $200.

Export of horses for slaughter abroad

Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter in the United States, will there be an increase in the export of horses for foreign slaughter? Will horses suffer from longer transport for slaughter in countries where there may be weaker welfare laws?

Answer: Horse slaughter has declined dramatically in the United States over the past decade, but there has been no correlating increase in the number of American horses exported for slaughter abroad. Further, the AHSPA prohibits the export of horses for slaughter abroad, and contains clear enforcement and penalty provisions to prevent this from happening. Risk of federal prosecution and the high costs associated with illegally transporting horses long distances for slaughter abroad are strong deterrents.

Standards of care at sanctuaries and rescue organizations

Question: Is it true no standards exist for horse rescue facilities that take unwanted horses?

Answer: The Doris Day Animal League and the Animal Welfare Institute published "Basic Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility" in 2004. Additionally, the Association of Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuaries Association provide accreditation programs, a code of ethics and guidelines for the operation of sanctuaries and rescue organizations. Horse rescue groups must also provide for the welfare of horses in their custody in compliance with state and local animal welfare laws.

Use of horsemeat in pet food

Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horsemeat no longer be available for pet food?

Answer: There is no horsemeat in pet food. This practice stopped decades ago following enactment of protections for America's wild horses in 1971. The US public and Congress were outraged to learn federal agencies were rounding up and allowing the exploitation and slaughter of these national treasures for items such as pet food. Some by-products of the horse slaughter industry are used in various consumer items, but they are derived from the rendering (a different process than slaughter and not affected by the AHSPA) of dead horses and other animals.

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