Horse Slaughter About Disposal 4 Profit

Horse Slaughter is About Method of Disposal

The horse slaughter issue is NOT about finding homes for all the horses that are currently sent to slaughter, or obtaining the funding to care for Americas horses. It is about DISPOSAL. Is horse slaughter, the butchering of horses, an accepted method of killing Americas Horses?The issue is about what method America uses to kill a non-food animal. Simply put, how are we going to kill America's Horses? Are we going to kill them via a method that is in line with American culture for killing a NON-FOOD animal, lethal injection or gunshot, or are we going to allow foreign interests to butcher a non-food animal to meet a foreign demand for horsemeat? The slaughter of Americas Horses is repulsive to 94f Americans and is against our culture. If Americans were given the chance tomorrow, they would overwhelmingly vote to outlaw the slaughter of Americas Horses!This is comparable to opening the back door of the animal shelters and selling the animals to countries that eat dog and cat.Horses are not bred, raised, or taxed as food animals. No breed registrys conformation standards strive to standards for food production. Horse conformation standards are geared toward performance. When we breed horses we dream of the next Triple Crown winner, Olympic Champion, or pleasure horse, not our next T-Bone steak.LegislationIf you want the facts on legislation, visit the Equine Protection Network website at www.equineprotectionnetwork.com and click on Legislation where you can read the actual statutes, pending legislation, and court rulings, not someones opinion.CA took the horse slaughter issue to the People in 1998 resulting in 62f CA voters voting to, Just Say Neigh to the slaughter of Californias horses making it a felony to slaughter a California horse banning the export of California horses for human consumption In 2007 Illinois passed legislation to prohibit the slaughter of Illinois horses in Illinois, but not the export of Illinois horses for slaughter.In 1949 Texas said Neigh to horse slaughter making it illegal to sell or possess horsemeat. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 1949 Texas Horsemeat Law effectively closing the two remaining Texas horse slaughter plants despite numerous attempts in court by the slaughterhouses to keep operating despite overwhelming opposition from the American Public and the local community.In 1963 Oklahoma said Neigh to horse slaughter making it a crime to sell or possess horsemeat, effectively banning slaughter in Oklahoma.In 2006 Congress passed an amendment to an appropriations bill making it illegal to use federal funds to inspect horsemeat This temporary ban was in effect for one The slaughter plants attempted to circumvent Congress and the will of the American People with the assistance of the USDA who allowed them to hire their own inspectors. A court ruling sided with the American People and the slaughter plants were not allowed to hire their own inspectors.Currently there is pending legislation in Congress, HR503/SB311, that if passed will ban the transport of Americas Horses to slaughter, and ban the export of Americas Horses for slaughter in foreign countries.In 2006 HR503 passed the U.S. House but died in the Senate. According to sources the fix was in. In other words Congressman voted for the passage with the assurance that the bill would never move in the Senate. The bill died at the end of the session and was re-introduced with the same bill number, HR503.The Senate version, SB 311 introduced by Senator Landrieu is doomed to fail because the Senator from Louisiana would commit political suicide if she used her political favors to bring SB311 to a vote in the Senate when thousands of people in New Orleans are still homeless.As for the contribution of Thoroughbred Racing, it is nothing more than lip service. Thoroughbred Racing was able to secure 94 million dollars for Thoroughbred Racing in this years Farm Bill, yet they are not able to use that same influence to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act? One only has to look at the sales figures from the premier thoroughbred sales in Saratoga and Keenland to realize the money is being spent on the hopes and dreams of future racehorses, not on protecting the failed racehorses or washed up broodmares from being sold to slaughter. If Thoroughbred Racing wanted slaughter to end, they would hire the best professional lobbyist firms in Washington D.C. to pass the AHSPA. If Thoroughbred Racing wanted this to end they would ban from racing the owners and trainers who violate Pennsylvanias law against selling sick, lame, and debilitated horses, horses which are routinely shipped from Penn National, Philadelphia Park, Delaware Park, and Charles Town Race Tracks to horse auctions in Lancaster County, PA in violation of PA Law, Title 18, 5511 (d). Horses which are also advertised and marketed by horse rescues in violation of the law. This law, if enforced, holds owners accountable for their actions.Sadly, the horse industry and the horse rescues do NOT want it enforced. If enforced then owners and trainers have to pay to rehabilitate their horses, or pay to put them down. If enforced horse rescues are not able to go to the auction or the racetrack and buy a sick, lame, or debilitated horse, and lets face it, those are the horses that are put on display for the public because they motivate people to donate.The bottom line is slaughter exists because the horse industry wants it to exist. There is enough money in this industry that if they wanted it to stop it would. Horse Rescues have succeeded in moving the horse industrys trash can from the auctions to the rescues. Rescue has done nothing to change the behavior that causes horses to be sent to slaughter. Rescue rarely, if ever, reports the crimes committed by horse owners, horse dealers, and horse auctions to law enforcement. Enforcing the law is an accepted method of holding people accountable for their actions.The national animal welfare organizations handling this issue in Washington D.C. have the money to hire the best lobbyists and the best law firms. The Humane Society of the United States takes in more money than all the non-profit pro slaughter organizations combined, yet they are unable to pass legislation that has the support of 94f Americans?? HSUS, AWI/SAPL, Doris Day, and all the other animal welfare groups, horse organizations and individuals opposed to horse slaughter have more than enough money to pass the AHSPA, if they are willing to put their money into hiring the best professional lobbyists, the best lawyers, and running a media campaign on television, magazines, and newspapers. Just what do these groups need to pass effective legislation??? No opposition?As long as slaughter remains legal, the animal welfare groups can continue to rake in donations, horse rescues can continue to claim they are saving from slaughter thus raising more money, and the horse industry does NOT have to take responsibility for the horses they have created who can no longer perform or produce for them. It is all about money and everybody is making it off the continued slaughter of Americas Horses.Christine BerryEquine Protection Network
Christine Berry, Friedensburg, PA