According to the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), a non-profit charitable organization that supports equine welfare, the House Judiciary Committee will vote on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598) on Wednesday, September 10th. The bill, which was introduced in July by Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN), will criminalize the slaughter of American horses if passed.
Whether you contact House Judiciary members by phone or email, provide your name and mailing address, and if you are a constituent, request a response on this specific issue.
According to AWI, every five minutes an American horse is slaughtered for human consumption abroad. Despite the closure of the U.S.’s three remaining horse slaughter plants in 2007, tens of thousands of American horses continue to be slaughtered in Canada and Mexico in the absence of a strong law prohibiting the trade. Passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act would make it illegal to ship American horses to these countries for slaughter.
For more information, including contact information for House Judiciary members, visit /redirect.php?location=http%3a%2f%2fwww.awionline.org%2f.
I am not for usable horses being slaughtered. However, I do feel that the slaughter market provides a valuable balance in the vitality of a healthy horse market. Animals that are crippled or permanently lame that cannot be made comfortable by expensive medications deserve to be euthansized. To me, it is considered abuse and neglect to allow these horses to remain in the constant state of pain and discomfort. Neglect and abuse have only risen since the closing of the slaughter houses and the fall of the economy. Until people can better afford to financially care for themselves, the rise of abuse and neglect towards horses, and other animals at that, will only continue. I’m tired of people only looking at the issue from one stand point! Because we, as Amerian’s do not agree with the consumption of horse, does not mean me have the right to deprive others of it. Look at the outcome of the removal of the slaughter market has had on the horse community in a WHOLE…it’s essentially destorying it. The issue of the slaughter markets is not one to take lightly; however, it is one that needs to be treated with the utmost importance to understand its value to keeping the market evenly balanced.
I hope horse slaughter becomes outlawed.
I am an American Horse lover and have been fighting agains Horse Slaughter for a long time. I hope it ends soon
I really hope this gets passes and will definatly help if I can. Horse slauter is cruel! If you can’t take care of a horse then you sell or give him to someone that could take care of him, not send him to be slautered. If the horse is already dying or needs to be put down then you humanely put them to sleep. If you don’t have enough money to do so then I’m sure your vet or a friend will help you out so that you don’t have to send him to the Horse Slauter. It’s cruel and inhumane and should be put to a stop!
I want to see Horse SLaughter continued in the US so that we can get rid of the junk and ruined horses that people are creating by trying to train them themselves and by breeding unecessarily. As a trainer, I am having to deal with way too many ruined horses that are ruined and dangerous because of stupid inexperienced horse people.
I don’t think it should be criminalized.
Horse slaughter is unimaginable cruelty from the auction ,the transportation to Mexico and Canada, until they draw their last terror filled breath.
America’s horses must be protected.Then we must all work together to provide homes…shelter,food,water,vet,and when the time comes “a good death”. Lets get HR 6598 passed immediately !!
Ending slaughter for human consumption is the only way to stop the nonfeeling criminals who care for nothing but the dollar. They are not worried about over-population of unwanted horses. If this barbaric practice is legalized, I am afraid there will be more unethical breeders and killers causing this un-American process to escalate. Do we really want to see pastures of beautiful horses raised for slaughter? Next….it may be St. Bernard dogs raised for meat industry….as they are in China!
The slaughter of any animail is not a sight to behold. What then is going to happen to the injured and starving horses that we have. I can only manage what horses I own.
In my area you can’t give away a horse and there is limited hay. So what is going to happen to these horse that is unwanted?
Their are alot of unanswered questions.
Horse slaughter is an abomination. I sincerely hope that they finally pass a bill that makes it a criminal offense and that it has some teeth to it. It’s past due for the horse slaughter industry to come to an end. People need to own responsibly and breeders need to adjust their breeding practices to the market instead of mass producing and throwing away the leftovers. This isn’t Kmart and horses are not the “blue light special”. The economy is down and being a responsible owner should be the priority before even considering owning a horse, a dog, a cat or any other animal. One needs to make a commitment to the animal.. they are living, breathing, feeling creatures, not inatimate objects like a car, boat or motorcycle. It’s about time that America stood up and voted for compassion rather than to continue to allow big business to run over us like they have been for so many years.
If we do not have slaughter houses what do people do with there horses? Start letting them run down the roads like deer? There will be so many horses that people can no longer take care of now what happens? Starving them in people back yards isnt inhumane??? The price of gas and the price of hay most people can no longer feed there horses. I vote to keep the plants open.
I work in the horse feed industry.People are losing their jobs and cannot feed their animals,due to the rising cost of hay and feed,there are thin horses every where. There aren’t hardly any auction’s or rescue organizations to take these excess animals..I currently own 16 and can’t feed another mouth.. Please should all these animals have to starve.. Many people can’t even afford to have them put down and disposed of properly. If you ban slaughter,you’d better implement funding to feed or dispose of.. Look at the wild horse industry and the horses running all over Kentucky.. Wake up people… Ps. no bodies going to actually raise a horse for the purpose of slaughter,theres no profit in it. DAAA
This is to the lady that has the 15 head of horses. Do you have $2000 in the bank? Because that is what it costs (thru my vet) to put down humanely 15 horses. How about I will send you the money & I will pick them up since you certainly cant’ afford them & feel that slaughter is the only answer. The actual answer is really (directed toward the people that responded to kill the horses inhumanely) is that it really is ALL about the buck. I agree w/the commentators that said “you have no business owning a horse that you cannot even afford a vet bill for it”. I may add that you ARE NOT helping horses by killing them. The people are responsible, however the horses are paying the price. How about fixing the PEOPLE!?
Just as with everything in life there are always two sides. Many horse owners are very compassionate about the horses they own and worry about what they will now do once their horses are retired (old) or hurt or disabled! How many of you who object have actually owned and raised your own horses for work and pleasure? It is not easy. IT’s easy to judge those that have to make this decision. Think about the stray animals in the US today – feral cats, dogs, horses – who pays their food or health bill? Do you really have the money for these animals or are we going to get taxed for this too! Please think and look for alternatives for both sides.
they should have the slaugter house
Slaughter is a necessary part of any livestock industry. We all love our own horses, but not all horses are serviceable as pets. People need to be realistic about this issue. Is it better to see starving and injured animals, or for animals to be put down and their carcasses be used for some part of the food chain? I would never eat horse flesh myself, but there are those that do, does it matter if it is a human or a dog that eats horse flesh? Once the animal is dead, it does not matter what is done with the remnants!
the way they slaughter the horse is unnessecary. They don’t deserve to suffer for something they can’t help.
i think that equine slaughter can be benfited from within our country. Come on dont you thingk we are being hipitricital slaughtering other livestock but not horses?
I think this will be extremly cool and fun not to mention good for other horses
I’m glad to think that the bill is finally being given some consideration. I feel that horse slaughter IS an abomination mainly because these animals have NOT been bred for slaughter but rather for enjoyment for their owners. If I hear another word about the difference between horses and other “food” animals, I’ll wonder what planet these people came from not to know the difference between horses and “other animals”. There is no hypocracy in being against horse slaughter and there is no comparison between horses and other livestock that is bred for slaughter. Remember what Barack Obama said about a country being judged by the way we treat our animals. There are too many sick rumors floating around put out there by the pro horse slaughter groups. The truth should be told (ask my 11 rescue horses). There are many people just like me who works through wonderful groups that will and do take in horses that are no longer wanted. Slow down or stop breeding if you think that there is an overabundance of horses and shame on the AQHA for promoting overbreeding of that breed…they make up about 90% of the horses slaughtered. Think about it.
OH, and by the way, it only costs about $225 to have your horse humanely euthanized and sent to a rendering facility where it will also benefit the food chain if you can’t bury it on your own property. They make fertilizer out of the carcasses and the horse never has to suffer the abuse and horror of the slaughter house. People, really, showing compassion and making an end of life decision should not include slaughter. $75 can call the vet and end the horse’s life calmly and humanely (I’ve had to make that decision recently with an old horse that had NO quality of life). The horse didn’t suffer and she died surrounded by people who loved her and a vet who supported my decision. Thank God for humane veterinarians. Too bad that all owners don’t give their horses the same consideration when it’s time.
Thank you for the article. My name is melissa Jackson and my husband and i have a horse rescue in Tx. I was mortified to find out the “slaughter” bill was passed. It came in on the heals of another “agriculture” bill, and if you don’t read everything you don’t know its there. We have dedicated our lives to saving and rehabing these animals. While I am a realist in the respect that if an animal is ill or suffering, then by all means let them go peacefully. However, there are sales in tx and ok, that specifally buy horses for well under market and transport them to mexico and canada for slaughter. I have also found video footage of a horse being “killed” by being shot in the head, the bullet did not kill the animal the first time, it stood back up and was then killed. i was told by the individual who has this footage that the new slaughter rules make this type of killing acceptable. the excuse is “its cost effective”. i am glad to have read your article, and more people should read and investigate what kinds of bills their reps are signing in washington. thank you