Equine Slaughter Legislation Reintroduced

Several lawmakers are pushing to get the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) passed this year, so the legislation has been reintroduced to the 110th Congress. And this time around, the mainstream media is paying attention.

During the last session of Congress (109th), the slaughter legislation passed through the House of Representatives, but the Senate failed to act before the session closed. Without passing both sides of Congress, the legislation could not become law. While this was big news inside the horse industry, the general media barely took notice. Now, things have gotten even worse for slaughter-bound horses and the mainstream media is all over the story, as the legislation is reintroduced to the current Congress.

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Last fall, Cavel International based in DeKalb, Ill., the last remaining equine slaughter facility in America, was forced to closed after an Illinois state law was passed outlawing equine slaughter. Two other U.S. plants–both in Texas–closed earlier in the year for the same reason. Good news for animal welfare organizations, but the closures have resulted in a cruel end for horses bound to Mexican slaughter plants.

While the U.S. slaughter plants were forced to adhere to USDA regulations, which meant killing horses with a captive bolt to the brain, several news reports have surfaced documenting horrific endings for horses shipped to Mexican slaughter plants. According to the reports, horses in the Mexican facilities are stabbed with knives until they fall to ground. The wounded horses are then hoisted upside down via chains, their necks are slit and they die by bleeding to death.

“The problem now is that people are moving more of the horses to Mexico, where the slaughter process is even worse than it was in the U.S.,” Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky), told the Associated Press. Whitfield is a co-sponsor of the H.R. 503. Canadian slaughter facilities are also taking a surplus of U.S. horses, but horses there are killed by a bullet to the brain.

While it’s uncertain whether the recent media interest will spur the current Congress to act on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act this time around, one thing is certain: The news coverage has prompted angry outcries from people on both sides of the slaughter issue who don’t want to see U.S. horses in Mexican facilities.

17 years ago

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View Comments

c says:
January 24, 2008 at 7:36 am
NO! dont ban slaughter, CHANGE IT! we NEED slaughter to keep numbers safe, we dont need any more unwanted horses, the horrors of animal cruelty could probably surpass the horrors of slaughter ebcuase it dosent take as long for the poor thing to die! but to watch a horse die slowly and painfully before your eyes, is heart wrentching! I think slaughter should be renamed to something not so gruesome, and then amde legal in only a few countries, CLOSELY monitored with methods proven quick, painless, and humane. THEN, the transprotation of theese horses should be CLOSELY monitoered, with STRICT safety procuations. if we ban slaughter world wide, then we WILL have many more abuse cases world wide. all those celberties preacing "end slaughter save lives" are only in it for publicity, they dont really wanna save the horses becuase if they did they would better educate them selves on this topic and choose the side that THEY think is right, not what their agent tells them the people wanna hear. if YOU really care, and you are anti slaughter then you wont only fight slaughter, you'll go the extra mile to ensure their safety. i AM pro slaughter BECUASE I LOVE THEM.
William says:
January 24, 2008 at 9:54 am
I think that is terrible. If they aren't going to pass the legislation about transporting horses to Mexico for slaughter, then they should reopen the American slaughter houses so that at least the horses have a humane end.
Abby says:
January 24, 2008 at 10:31 am
I really hope this is going to turn out good!
Abby says:
January 24, 2008 at 10:33 am
Okay I agree with cat...We need to make slaughter more HUMANE!WE DON'T NEED TO STOP IT!!!!!So,I'm hoping that somebody will have ears and listen to us!
Evelyn says:
January 24, 2008 at 11:42 am
i am anti slaughter. i might not own a horse, but i have friends who do and they agree with me that it's verry cruel as to how they treat slaughter bound horses on the road and at the plants. i am verry glad they closed the three slaughter plants.
Al says:
January 24, 2008 at 1:00 pm
i belive that we should not end slaghter in the US. We have just seen what happens when we stop slaugter in the US; horses get transported to other places to get treated very cruely. I say that there should be a ban on sending horses to other countries bound for slaughter so that unwanted horses have a more humane ending.
jean robertson says:
January 24, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Canada has just opened kill facility number 7 for horses. American horses are being shipped unsorted in double decker trucks, up to 60 horses per truck with no food and water over thousands of miles. Killing horses has to be big money as plants are licensed and operating quickly.They expect to slaughter 100,000 horses this year.///
cc says:
January 24, 2008 at 10:34 pm
great article.
lee says:
May 24, 2011 at 5:38 am
i dont even know what to say. How can people be so cruel. Why cant people who own horses do it the humane way. I have to rescued tb from the new holland auction and they are treated like kings and no i dont have money but i would feed them before i would feed myself. i dont believe in horse slaughter or any kind of animal slaughter and no i dont eat meat and also i hate that word i wish they would change that also. why dont people stop breeding so many horses there are enough out there to adopt and rescue and that goes for horse racing to. people act more like animals then the animals do. the human race is disgusting they know right from wrong animals dont they just make me sick sorry i cant help feeling the way i do.