Wyoming Wants Horse Slaughter

Lawmakers decry interference in horse slaughter

By MARJORIE KORN Associated Press Writer

The Wyoming House gave preliminary approval Friday to a resolution asking Congress not to interfere with the shipment and slaughter of unwanted horses.

House Joint Resolution 8 urges Congress to keep out of state oversight of the transport and processing of horses.

Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, who introduced the resolution, said it's a response to a federal bill that seeks to limit horse transport to Mexico and Canada. Americans currently send unwanted horses to the neighboring countries for slaughter, because slaughterhouses in the United States have closed.

Wallis said the proposed Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 would be a threat to Wyoming's horse and livestock industries. She said the industries have already been hurt as domestic slaughterhouses have closed due pressure from animal rights organizations.

"It's absolutely decimating to the horse industry," Wallis said.

There are an estimated 100,000 unwanted or unusable horses in the United States, according to supporters of the resolution.

But Nancy Perry, of the Humane Society of the United States, said horses transported to Canada and Mexico are often young and slaughtered for horse meat.

"Horses that wind up going to slaughter are not old, broken down horses that reach the end of their utility," Perry said. She said the Humane Society would rather see old or unwanted horses euthanized.

She said the bipartisan Conyers-Burton bill has more than 80 co-sponsors and continues to gain support.

The Wyoming House would need to approve the state resolution two more times before it would go to the Senate.


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