Bill to Ban Horse Slaughter Introduced in US Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BILL TO BAN HORSE SLAUGHTER INTRODUCED
IN UNITED STATES SENATE

In her statement on the Senate floor, bill sponsor Senator Mary Landrieu said, "America's horses are being beaten and dragged across the border into Mexico and Canada so that they can be inhumanely slaughtered for food. I will continue to fight in Congress to end this brutal practice and ensure that American horses will no longer be savagely slaughtered for human consumption."

While horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil the absence of a federal statute means that horses are shipped out of the country for slaughter. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious.

"The time to put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in America is long overdue," said Senator John Ensign said. "Horses have an important role in the history of our country, particularly the West, and they deserve our protection. As a senator and a veterinarian, I am committed to doing what I can for these magnificent animals.

"The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to acknowledge horse slaughter as a form of animal cruelty. The legislation includes stiff civil and criminal penalties and gives law enforcement officials the authority to apprehend and charge violators.

We have great confidence that the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will move quickly. The bill, which has had strong support from a majority of Congress and the American public, is long overdue. For years I have pleaded with the pro-horse slaughter camp to stop misleading the public but they are more concerned with wringing a few bucks from a suffering animal than doing what is right. Thankfully we have the majority of Congress advocating for change and this is the year that will happen, said Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Legislative and Government Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. AWI commends Senator Landrieu, Senator Ensign and their colleagues for introducing this very important measure.

An identical version, HR 503, was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN). There are currently 112 bipartisan cosponsors of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act in the House of Representatives.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• HORSE
• SLAUGHTER

[octoberfire13]

@kti05hnu58 - THIS BILL HAS BEEN STALLED, and Missouri is working on opening a slaughter plant for horses this week. It is beyond sickening how a few greedy & rotten politicians care more about money than our horses or what the people want.

[sandy92460]

I don't care what anybody says if you ever saw a horse dragged or beaten to get them into the killer chute you could never say it was a humane alternative! It is a cheap out for irresponsible owners, breeders, and horse traders. You don't want your animal anymore euthanize it if you can't or won't get them another home, quit breeding too many animals whose confirmation/disposition doesn't stand up, don't send your animal to auction where prices are too cheap and killer buyers are able to buy.

[melovehores]

@ihaterobbie123 putting a sick or injured horse out of its misery is fine and then selling the meat so long as it is humane but most horses are unwanted, young and still got a life to live, killing them is wrong.

[melovehores]

@MorganLver exactly, humans and horses 4 eva! humans and cows on the other hand... awkard...

[melovehores]

@zeeemanchick horses aparently have to pay for what us humans did to them how is that right?!?!!? i say slaughter the slaughterers and people who sold those horses that ended up dead. 96% are healthy horses or young horses with the rest of there life ahead of them,

you only get one life,

give them a chance to live.

[ihaterobbie123]

@sandy92460 So basically, slaughters OK if you do it yourself?

Riddle me this. Once you've killed your animal (euthanasia) what's morally wrong about selling the meat (slaughter)?

Oh and what form of euthanasia is acceptable in your eyes? Please don't say shooting because it's you bleeding-heart fluffy bunny liberals who are trying to ban guns also. A deadly inoculant? Poisoning?

There is no valid argument to ban captive bolt gun slaughter. NOT ONE. Screw public opinion.

[brian93ist]

@octoberfire13 the republicans want it

[MorganLver]

@brian93ist ~ Are you aware that the slaughter plants - being foreign owned do not pay US taxes? Canada and Mexico don't get any tax money from them either. However, Canada and Mexico have to pay, and pay dearly to clean up the environmental damage done by these hell holes. As for the jobs - they are minimum wage and are usually done by illegals who will stay silent. According to OSHA these are among the most dangerous in the country. They are dehumanizing and therefore a lot of turnover. Bad.

[MorganLver]

@zeeemanchick ~ Are you REALLY that ignorant about how horses are sold for slaughter? If so, why should anyone be interested in anything you have to say? People DO NOT truck their own horses to Mexico and Canada! They simply go to the local auction where they always went and sell their horse to the highest bidder. We have always sold thousands of horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. The very same kill buyers that were there then are there now, ready, willing and able to take those horses.

[brian93ist]

@zeeemanchick they are worthless i said it