Horse Slaughter Information 3

This is a page where you can find additional information on national call in days, horse slaughter statistics, and any horse slaughter related information.

Red Alert :  Sue Wallis at it again!!!    : 

Sue Wallis must be planning her future as a lobbiest for some horse slaughter loving country, just like C. Burns now lobbies for the quarter horse asso.

Slaughterhouse Sue Wallis is advancing her big plans to turn feedlots into "horse rescues" , give a tax break to horse owners who turn over their horses, and send any mustangs she can get her hands on to slaughter."" THE TRUTH ABOUT WILD HORSES
Click here to view a powerful YouTube Video that shows the damage unmanaged and unrestricted wild horse populations can be to themselves and everything in their path. See what happened in the die-off between 1992 and 1993. "" vid on sue wallis website  here-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0CwXl32Zlc

Her newest youtube video makes mustangs look like they are dieing all over the range, yet she gives not one scrap of real info.

Read her latest press releases from her org. http://www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org/  its a good idea to get on their mailing list because they mail different press releases by email.

This is a email I got from that horse killers org.

Horse industry professionals work together to develop a Unified System of the Horse that includes rescue of horses with any potential, rejuvenation of horses in poor condition, and humane slaughter

The United Organizations of the Horse and the United Horsemen's Front are working with Wyoming state agencies, college and university equine studies programs, professional horse trainers, veterinarians, meat industry experts, potential customers, and with the guidance of Dr. Temple Grandin and her team at Grandin Livestock Systems to design and implement a humane system of horse slaughter including constant third party video auditing to ensure humane handling. 
CHEYENNE - The United Organizations of the Horse has just concluded an Implementation Summit that pulled together experts necessary to launch a comprehensive solution to help the horse industry start to recover, and to stop the suffering of horses. 

 The Rescue, Rejuvenation, and Slaughter Program seeks to rejuvenate starving and neglected horses; as well as provide a comprehensive program of evaluation, training, and retraining of abandoned and donated horses with potential. For those horses that are past their useful life, unsound, dangerous, or otherwise unusable this program would ensure a quick, painless death while they are well cared for and in good condition.

The Rescue, Rejuvenation, and Slaughter Program accepts horses from owners who fully understand that the horse may be humanely slaughtered.  Horses are also accepted from livestock agencies or other jurisdictions that have become responsible for abandoned or abused horses. This program is also designed for those horse owners who desire a quick, relatively stress-free end to a horse's useful life, and who are comforted by the idea that the meat will be put to valuable use. Depending on the contributor's wishes the meat may be designated to be distributed to the hungry, or the proceeds may be used to further research or other nonprofit purposes.

The Equine Assurance Program is a horse meat quality and equine well-being certification program. U.S. horse owners have a long tradition of social responsibility. In order to address animal welfare concerns, as well as ensure the highest quality product from slaughter horses, the United Organizations of the Horse has developed the Equine Assurance Program as an industry driven initiative modeled after other food animal systems. The Program includes the development of certification programs to ensure that U.S. horse products are of the highest quality and safe, and that the horses processed for food are cared for in a way that ensures their well-being.

The Horses for Humanity Program is a charitable program of the United Horsemen's Front, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the United Organizations of the Horse, a mutual benefit organization. Because of the number of excess horses, unavailability of domestic markets, and lack of access to export markets, many unusable, or unwanted horses have little or no value. This program allows an owner to donate their horse and receive acknowledgment for a tax-deductible donation. In those circumstances where an owner is unable to get the value they need out of a horse, or are in a situation where they can no longer keep a horse, this may be a viable option. This allows an owner to donate a horse with the full knowledge that they may be killed humanely, and processed to benefit the needy. Those owners who do not want to see this wholesome product go to waste can be assured of a humane and merciful end for their animal.

The National Do Not Slaughter Registry fulfills the mission of promoting positive solutions and a range of options for all horse owners, regardless of their economic situation, how many horses they own, or what they do with their horses. People who own horses should have the right to choose how they end that ownership. For some people, processing may be an acceptable choice. Others may find it unacceptable; not only for horses they currently own, but also for horses they sold or otherwise lost track of in the past. The National Do Not Slaughter Registry utilizes microchip technology and an annual registration combined with scanning equipment at processing plants, and border inspection stations, and will hold a registered horse for 72 hours to allow the registrant to recover the horse by paying costs.

These four programs combine to form the Unified System of the Horse. A pilot is being developed in Wyoming which is envisioned to serve as a model, to be replicated in other areas and to suit differing circumstances.

picture here of starved young horse laying in snow with caption"A young, starving feral horse found on the Navajo Nation with its hind end eaten by wild dogs while still alive. It had to be euthanized.

Just a few short years ago the equine industry was a $1.2 Billion dollar industry that supported some 460,000 direct full-time jobs working with horses every day, and another 1,600,000 indirect jobs. All indications are that the equine industry will have been effectively downsized by at least 50% in very short order, and have suffered the loss of at least 500,000 jobs.

Most of this can be laid squarely in the lap of the animal rights driven effort that led to the closure of the last U.S. horse processing plants in 2007. While some will claim that all of this economic distress is the result of the current nationwide situation, others will point out that the horse industry survived the economic downturn of the 1980s relatively intact.

Worst of all, the horses are suffering. The website, http://amillionhorses.com, has been documenting every media report of abandoned, neglected, and abused horses since the early 1990s and the increase in suffering is absolutely horrific. There was a 400% increase in stories detailing neglect and abandonment of horses from 2008 to 2009.

END of Sue Wallis press release

Around the World:

Canada

Fellow Horse Advocate, 

On March 30, 2010 the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition released its latest investigative reports on two of Canada's largest horse slaughter plants, Bouvry Exports in Alberta and Richelieu Meats in Quebec:

Chambers of Carnage - A Sweeping Undercover Investigation of Canada's Leading Equine Slaughterhouses

Video cameras captured footage at both facilities in late February 2010.  What is happening to our horses in these plants is horrible beyond words.  The footage is difficult to view as they contain images of horses meeting their end at the barrel of a gun.  Those fortunate enough to go down quickly are spared the suffering of many that do not meet their end so quickly or painlessly.  If you find it hard to watch the footage, there are also footage indexes that you can read instead.

Links to these reports are on our website at: http://www.defendhorsescanada.org .

From World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

"The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is appalled by evidence of grossly inhumane slaughter of horses taking place in Canada. We have been sent video footage that is stated to have been taken recently in Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd slaughterhouse in Fort Macleod, Alberta and Viande Richelieu Inc./Richelieu Meat Inc. slaughterhouse in Massueville, Quebec.

It is clear that neither the facilities nor the behaviour of the personnel shown are suited to the humane slaughter of horses, and that extreme suffering results for many individual animals. Problems include failure to restrain each animal's head properly before shooting, shooting from too great a distance, shooting in the wrong part of the head or body, failure to follow up with an immediate second shot in animals that were not killed by the first, hoisting apparently conscious animals, and - in the case of the Richelieu plant - cruel handling and treatment of the horses, including excessive whipping and overuse of an electric prod as well as an apparent callous disregard for the animals' suffering. An additional cause of very major concern is the presence of what appear to be either plant supervisors or inspectors who observe the employees' actions and yet do nothing."

From Nicholas H. Dodman, D.V.M., one of the world's most noted and celebrated veterinary behaviorists, a founding member of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare and Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Professor

“Noise, blood and suffering is what you get at the Bouvry equine slaughter plant: Horses kicking after they have been shot, sinking down and rising up; sometimes periods of struggling or paddling before a second or third shot has to be administered. This atrocity goes against all veterinary guidelines for humane euthanasia. Terror and suffering is the rule at this equine house of horrors ... and all in the name of the gourmet meat market.”

From Alberta Veterinarian Dr. Debi Zimmermann

"I conclude that the wary and flighty nature of the horse, coupled with the poorly designed kill plant systems currently in place at Bouvry Exports and Viande Richelieu, results in unacceptable levels of suffering endured by horses (both in number of horses and degree of suffering), and poses inherent dangers to plant personnel.  The shooters are seldom able to adhere to the required protocols for euthanasia by firearm, due to a combination of horse and human factors."

The CHDC asks you to take action and let the CFIA know that this suffering will not be accepted!  There are only 4 operating horse slaughter plants in Canada, yet these are the substandard conditions we can be sure are prevalent at all of them.  Horses cannot be humanely killed in an assembly-line fashion.  This evidence makes it abundantly clear.

Please contact:

Hon. Gerry Ritz
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (Minister that oversees the CFIA)
613 Confederation Bldg., House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Email: Ritz.G@parl.gc.ca
Website:www.gerryritzmp.com
Tel: 613-995-7080; Fax: 613-996-8472

Ms. Carole Swan, President
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: swanc@inspection.gc.ca
Website: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/toce.shtml
Tel: 613-221-3737; Fax: 613-228-6608
Dr. Brian Evans
Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive, Floor 1, East Room 100
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: bevans@inspection.gc.ca
Website: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/toce.shtml

Tel: 613-221-4191; Fax 613-228-6608

Also contact your Member of Parliament via this link.  Click on his or her name to find their contact information:

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Please do it for the horses! 

All of the footage compilations from Bouvry and Richelieu have been uploaded onto YouTube here: www.youtube.com/twylafrancois

Also please visit our Memorial Page for horses killed at Bouvry Exports and Richelieu Meats:  http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/forthehorses/index.php

Feel free to post this message on social networking sites to encourage others to take action for the horses.

Thank you!

Subject: EWA Press Release | Contaminated Horse Meat a Health Risk, According to Study

Please forward study to your reps in the U.S. Congress and to Ministers of Trade at every European embassy in Washington. 

Hi, folks. This is a very important release. We now have a drug manuscript that was published in a peer reviewed medical journal that we can reference in our correspondence. Our thanks to Ann Marini, Nick Dodman and Nicolas Blondeau [and several other contributors] for this very important study.

April 2, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

John Holland

540.268.5693

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin                         

630.961.9292

vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Contaminated Horse Meat a Health Risk, According to Study

CHICAGO, (EWA) – A peer reviewed scientific study tracing race horses sent to slaughter for human consumption has found that 100% of the horses in the study group had been administered phenylbutazone, a banned carcinogen that can also fatally damage the bone marrow of humans. The findings appear to validate the European Union’s recent tightening of traceability requirements on horse meat from third countries.

The paper, titled Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, appeared in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology and calls into question the reliability of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) testing programs which have consistently failed to detect the substance.

The manuscript(1), which was authored by Drs. Nicholas Dodman(2), Nicolas Blondeau(3) and Ann M. Marini(4), followed eighteen Thoroughbred (TB) race horses that were identified by matching their registered name to their race track drug record over a five year period and were given phenylbutazone (PBZ, Bute) on race day and were subsequently sent to slaughter for human consumption.

The study also traced records on sixteen TB race horses that were given PBZ on race day and would have also entered the food chain had they not been rescued. The study was limited to race horses because of the availability of drug records, but phenylbutazone is one of the most common drugs used in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses.

Because of the bone marrow toxicity caused by PBZ in humans, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set no safe levels of PBZ and bans its use food producing animals, including horses. While PBZ is but one of the numerous banned substances that are routinely given to US horses, it is one of the most dangerous.

Defenders of horse slaughter have long pointed to USDA testing records which consistently showed no positive results for PBZ. The new study shows that the USDA testing could not have been accurate. Indeed, the study uncovered a pilot test performed by the USDA in 2004 and 2005 that used a different testing technique and found 8.3% of the meat to be contaminated with PBZ. The pilot program had been subsequently discontinued.

The study estimates that sixty seven million pounds of horse meat derived from US horses were sent overseas for human consumption in 2008. If 8.3% of this meat contained phenylbutazone residues, it would translate to over 5 million pounds of contaminated meat.

Opponents of horse slaughter have long warned that US horses are not raised as food animals and mechanisms to ensure the removal of horses treated with banned substances from the food chain are inadequate at best.

--

Equine Welfare Alliance recently issued a discussion paper with their partners, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition on the serious drug issue concerning North American horses. The comprehensive paper covers concerns over the ability to meet compliance with European Commission regulations on food safety.

(1) Article is cited as, Dodman, N., Blondeau, N., Marini, A.M., Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, Food and Chemical Toxicology (2010), doi: 10.1016/j.fct. 2010.02.021

(2) Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA

(3) Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire - I.P.M.C, UMR 6097,

C.N.R.S/Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, 660 route des Lucioles, Sophia Antipolis

06560 Valbonne, FRANCE

(4) Department of Neurology and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. 

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over 100 member organizations. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.

www.equinewelfarealliance.org 

Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

And then you can no longer contain yourself! This is for all our hard working equine advocates. Enjoy!

http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/who%e2%80%99s-on-first/

Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Thanks!!  I added this to the post on equinesite too...

http://discus.equinesite.net/discus/messages/1/33462.html?1270225166 

CAUTION:  Disturbing material

--- On Thu, 4/1/10, Keith Dane <kdane@humanesociety .org> wrote
From: Keith Dane <kdane@humanesociety .org>
Subject: Press Release: The HSUS Calls on Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter Following CHDC Investigation into Canadian Plant
To: "Keith Dane" <kdane@humanesociety .org>
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010, 12:08 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Humane Society of the United States Urges Congress to Ban the Export of U.S. Horses to Slaughter in Light of New Canadian Undercover Investigation
Video shows horses conscious as they are shot multiple times
(April 1, 2010)— New undercover video footage released Tuesday by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition confirms the horrible abuses inherent in the slaughter of our horses for human consumption, and illustrates the need for the U.S. Congress to bar the export of tens of thousands of U.S. horses each year to slaughter plants across the border. At the Bouvry Exports plant in Canada, a chestnut horse is shot three times while a gray mare waits in the kill box. As the chestnut horse panics and struggles—as horses are biologically wired to do—the gray mare is shot. She remains alive and kicking even as two more .22-caliber shots are fired at her face. She languishes. The pattern repeats itself.
The CHDC’s video footage, titled “Chamber of Carnage,” further demonstrates what The Humane Society of the United States has documented for years about horse slaughter: Foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses have set up shop just over the border, and U.S. horses will continue to suffer both during long-distance shipping and then during a gruesome butchering process—all for the culinary whims of foreign gourmands.
To see the "Chamber of Carnage" video, click here. Some horses in the CHDC footage bear tags from the United States Department of Agriculture, indicating animals shown in the video originated in the United States.
“Every day while Congress delays, ‘killer buyers’ are transporting American horses to Canada and Mexico, and there the animals are meeting an awful demise, often after a painful and harrowing journey,” said Wayne Pacelle, The HSUS’ president and CEO. “This new investigation affirms again that there is unmistakable cruelty in this industry and it will only end when the Congress passes the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.”
The footage is consistent with similar footage obtained by The HSUS of horses cruelly butchered in foreign-owned plants on U.S. soil as well as that of horse slaughter in Mexico. One theme runs through every investigation – U.S. horses are generally not raised for food and where this trade occurs, there is inherent abuse.
Horse slaughter is not a form of humane euthanasia – something The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition’s video clearly shows. Horses are trusting, majestic creatures, and extreme flight animals. They fight or try to flee, and they suffer in these slaughter houses. Approximately 100,000 U.S. horses are purchased by “kill buyers” at auctions across the United States, who frequently outbid good horse owners to secure the fattest, healthiest horses, and are then transported cross-country often with no food, water or rest to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico, where they are butchered. Despite Canada’s regulations and inspection standards for plants that process horses, this investigation shows how ineffective they are at preventing suffering. 

Nicholas H. Dodman, D.V.M., one of the world's most noted and celebrated veterinary behaviorists, a founding member of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare, and Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine professor, reviewed the videos for The HSUS and echoed the same sentiment: “Noise, blood and suffering is what you get at the Bouvry equine slaughter plant: Horses kicking after they have been shot, sinking down and rising up; sometimes periods of struggling or paddling before a second or third shot has to be administered. This atrocity goes against all veterinary guidelines for humane euthanasia. Terror and suffering is the rule at this equine house of horrors ... and all in the name of the gourmet meat market.”

The HSUS joins CHDC and hundreds of other horse industry and animal welfare groups in calling for the immediate passage of H.R. 503/S. 727 to prevent our horses from the cruelty of horse slaughter for human consumption. This legislation, authored by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Dan Burton, R-Ind., and Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and John Ensign, R-Nev., has 181 House cosponsors and 29 Senate cosponsors.
-30-
Media Contact: Pepper Ballard: 301-258-1417; pballard@humanesoci ety.org
Follow The HSUS on Twitter.  
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety. org.

forwarded by:

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals*
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org (no spaces)

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Subject: EWA/ALC Alert | Missouri Legislation HB

MO HB 1747 passed the house. We must stop this in the Senate. There is a link in the below article from Laura Allen to the bill text but it basically allows horse slaughter and moves all regulation to the state level. While all meat must be federally inspected (there is currently no funding which prohibits horses from being slaughtered on US soil) it will not bode well for our federal legislation if this passes.

I have heard from several people that have called that they are pulling the ol’ you don’t reside in MO so it’s none of your business. If you get that, tell them if they are going to be slaughtering horses from other states, they have made it your business and they must listen to every horse owner in the US. Horses crossing state lines to go to slaughter makes it a federal issue, not a state issue.

We encourage you to fax a letter. We are hearing that email is being ignored. I clicked through the list of senators and snagged each of their fax numbers so you don’t have to look them up – file is attached. If you would rather email, below Laura’s article is a list of email addresses (thanks, Jenny!) that were available. For the others, you can click the name on the attached file and it will let you email from the site. You can also go to this link and go one-by-one to send an email. You can copy and paste the same message and just keep going down the list. Be sure to change the senator’s name in your message!  http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1160

MO House Passes Scary Bill

Posted Jan 24, 2010 by lauraallen

o    Horse Slaughter

Update April 1: H.B. 1747 has passed the Missouri House of Representatives.  This bill now moves to the state senate.

The version passed by the House is basically the same as the introduced bill, except for one significant change: If this bill becomes law, "[n]o law criminalizing or otherwise regulating crops or the welfare of any domesticated animals shall be valid unless based upon generally accepted scientific principles and enacted by the general assembly." 

Scary language for animals.

This means there could be no local laws regarding the welfare of any domesticated animal including dogs, cats, horses, other pets and farm animals that differ from state laws. Also, any current animal cruelty or animal welfare law in Missouri would be void unless it was "based upon generally accepted scientific principles and enacted by the general assembly." People charged with animal abuse could raise challenges to the law, claiming it was not based upon "generally accepted scientific principles". Possibly, all laws governing animal cruelty or welfare would simply be void because there was no determination of whether they were based upon "generally accepted scientific principles". Arguably, current regulations governing animal welfare and protection would be void as well for this lack of this determination and also because they are not enacted by the legislature; regulations are issued by state agencies.  

But that is not all this bill does. It was originally introduced to promote horse slaughter and it still does that. Read Animal Law Coalition's report below for more on this bill and what else all of us must do to stop it. 

Missouri state Rep. James Viebrock is the sponsor of H.B. 1747, which basically would also authorize registration and inspections for commercial horse slaughter for human consumption.

The bill proposes that the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture would register commercial horse slaughter operations and certify "that the parts of horses to be processed are fit for human food, and the processing establishment to be operated complies with ... sanitary standards". All registration and inspection fees collected" would "be paid to the director of agriculture and deposited into the state ‘Horse Meat and Product Fund'". Annual inspection fees would be used "to pay for USDA inspection of horse meat products and horse meat processing facilities."

According to the bill, H.B. 1747, "the [state] director [of Agriculture] shall make all necessary inspections and investigations" and the USDA would also have access "at all reasonable times to any building, room, vehicle, boat, or other premises in which any horse carcass, horse meat, or horse meat food product is processed, packed, transported, sold, exposed, or offered for sale at retail."

The USDA would be free to pay for samples or specimens of the carcass or "product" to determine if there are violations of USDA regulations.  

The new law would have requirements for labeling, remedies to protect against adulteration, misbranding, failure to label or brand, or unfitness for human consumption. Places that serve horsemeat would be required to post conspicuous warning signs.

The proposal, of course, is simply another tactic to promote horse slaughter with the hope of forcing a return of horse slaughter to this country.  This bill is similar to a number of bills and resolutions introduced in 2009 and several more this year, 2010, also offered in an effort to defeat the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, now pending in Congress and which would make it illegal to "possess..., ship..., transport..., purchase.., sell... deliver..., or receive" in interstate or foreign commerce any horse "with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption".   The latest of these bills to pass as part of the pro-slaughter disinformation campaign is a Wyoming law that sadly promotes sending horses to slaughter but not to rescues or sanctuaries.

Right now, commercial horse slaughter for human consumption is illegal in the U.S. though horses can be transported to other countries, typically Mexico and  Canada, for slaughter. Since 2006 Congress has de-funded ante-mortem inspections required to slaughter horses for human consumption. Congress continued the de-funding in the 2010 Appropriations Act, Sec. 744.

In 2007 a federal court rejected an attempt by the USDA to allow horse slaughter operators to pay for the inspections. The USDA is currently not authorized to conduct ante-mortem inspections of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. Without those inspections, it is illegal under the Federal Meat Inspection Act ("FMIA"), 21 U.S.C. §§601(w)(1), 603, to slaughter horses for human consumption.

If this bill becomes law, it is not clear the USDA would authorize Missouri state inspectors to conduct the required inspections.  The funds to pay for the state as well as USDA inspections would come from horse slaughter operators, the same situation in the previous litigation. The judge in that case found the USDA  violated the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706 and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. § 4321, et seq., by failing to consider adequately, or, really, at all, the environmental impact of its action in allowing horse slaughter operators to pay for their own inspections.   

Also, there is strong opposition to horse slaughter in the U.S., and the goal is to pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, to end this brutal practice altogether for all American horses.  A similar bill passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority in 2006, a vote of 263 to 146, but was never voted on in the Senate.

In 2007 a law in Texas, Texas Agriculture Code §§ 149.001-.007  was found to ban horse slaughter for human consumption and was upheld by the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals. A ban in Illinois, 225 ILCS 635, on horse slaughter for human consumption was upheld in 2008 by the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals. These state laws and court rulings closed the 3 facilities that were still slaughtering horses in the U.S.; those facilities were located in Texas and Illinois.  (Go here to read about and help oppose state Rep. Jim Sacia's effort once again to overturn the Illinois ban on horse slaughter for human consumption; the Iliinois legislature and Illinois voters have never supported this effort. )

Horse slaughter is also illegal in California, CA Penal Code § 598c ("unlawful for any person to possess, to import into or export from the state, or to sell, buy, give away, hold, or accept any horse with the intent of killing, or having another kill, that horse, if that person knows or should have known that any part of that horse will be used for human consumption"). A Mississippi law, MS Code §75-33-3, states that the "term ‘food unfit for human consumption' shall be construed to include meat and meat-food products of horses and mules.". In Oklahoma, 63 Okla. Stat. §1-1136, it is "unlawful for any person to sell, offer or exhibit for sale . . . any quantity of horsemeat for human consumption."

In 2009 the Rhode Island House of Representatives issued a resolution in support of a federal ban on commercial horse slaughter for human consumption.  A similar resolution is pending in California. A bill is pending in New York to ban commercial horse slaughter or trade in horse meat for human consumption.  Wisconsin, Senate Bill 142 would also ban horse slaughter. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you live in Missouri, again, find your state senator here.  If you don't live in Missouri, well, this bill affects horses in your state, so find Missouri state senators here. Everyone, write (letters or faxes are best) or call and urge these representatives to vote no to H.B. 1747. Please be polite.  Tell them horse slaughter is a seedy business that is cruel and inhumane; there is no way to make horse slaughter profitable and also humane. Americans don't consume horsemeat, and these facilities are generally owned by foreign investors that ship the horsemeat products overseas where they are consumed as delicacies in expensive restaurants. The profits go overseas as well. Local governments can't even collect sales taxes from them. They pay no export taxes which means the U.S. government basically subsidizes the sale of horsemeat to foreign comsumers for whom it is an expensive delicacy. There is no benefit to any community from a horse slaughter facility. Go here to read about the experience of the mayor of Kaufman, Texas when a horse slaughter facility operated there. There was no economic benefit, only financial hardship, pollution,  clogged sewer lines, illegally dumped waste and discharges in excess of that allowed by wastewater permitsand a town plagued by horrific smells and blood and waste in the streets.   

Go here to read how you can help pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, now pending in Congress.

Frank.Barnitz@senate.mo.gov

jbray@senate.mo.gov
dan_clemens@senate.mo.gov
Jane.Cunningham@senate.mo.gov
tom.dempsey@senate.mo.gov
timothy_green@senate.mo.gov
Rob.Mayer@senate.mo.gov
chuck.purgason@senate.mo.gov

eschmitt@senate.mo.gov
charlie_shields@senate.mo.gov

Wes.Shoemyer@senate.mo.gov

bstouffer@senate.mo.gov
Yvonne.Wilson@senate.mo.gov

webmail to reach them all: http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx 

Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Subject: Lots of Important Stuff on Legislation, New Video from Sandy Elmore & Petition

Just keep scrolling!

1) For MO, we are also encouraging contacting the governor. You can email him from this page or write/call him. I cannot find a fax number anywhere….

Office of Governor Jay Nixon

P.O. Box 720

Jefferson City, MO 65102

(573) 751-3222

2) Kentucky bill creating pro-slaughter board passes (HB 398) - http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1203

My suggestion for a talking point is that KY is the horse capital of the world. Every tourism ad or brochure has horses front and center. Is this how they treat their equines that bring so much revenue to the state???

Governor Steve Beshear

700 Capitol Avenue

Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 564-2611

No fax number on the site but I have a letter from the former governor, Fletcher and the fax number on his stationery was 502.564.2517. I also found this…

Governor’s office: Katie Allison, Senior Policy Advisor Office of Governor Steven L. Beshear 700 Capital Avenue, Room 109 Frankfort, KY 40601 Email: Katie.allison@ky.gov  Phone: (502) 564-2611, ext. 302

Christina Smith, Assistant Fax: 502.564-2517 Phone: 502.564-2611, ext. 314 Email: Christina.smith@ky.gov

KY Bill to Create Pro Slaughter Board Passes Senate

Posted Feb 18, 2010 by lauraallen

o    Horse Slaughter

Update Mar. 31: Other than changing the name from "an Act Relating to equines" to "an Act relating to agriculture", the Kentucky state Senate has passed H.B. 398 by a unanimous vote. 

H.B. 398 has already passed the Kentucky House. This fast tracked bill would create a board openly named for the pro-horse slaughter organization, Equine Health and Welfare Alliance.

The bill goes back to the House for approval of the minor title amendment.  

What the Equine Health and Welfare Board will do

This Board would "[a]ssist, advise and consult" the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet "on equine health and welfare issues" and "[a]ct to maintain the health, welfare, and safety of equines". The Board would have the authority to hold public hearings, collect data and issue regulations. The board would be authorized to "develop regional centers of care for unwanted, abused, neglected, or confiscated equines", create minimum standards for rescue and retirement operations that would include a "voluntary certification" process; and advise on laws "affecting equine health, welfare, abuse, and neglect issues"; identify "critical areas of need" for veterinarians and "others". The Board would report annually to the Governor and the Cabinet and Legislative Research Commission on its work.

One of the first duties of the Board will be to assess the scope of the so-called problem of "abandoned" or "unwanted" horses. The Alliance acknowledges the information disseminated is largely hearsay. Indeed, much of it is false, planted by pro-slaughter interests in an effort to see horse slaughter return to the United States. Horse slaughter, of course, is not driven by numbers of so-called abandoned or unwanted horses, but instead a demand for horsemeat largely as a delicacy in some foreign countries. The USDA reports more than 92% of horses purchased and sent to slaughter are healthy. Nonetheless, horse slaughter proponents pretend slaughter is a service to dispose of "abandoned" or "unwanted" horses to get the public to support their seedy, cruel practice.     

The bill is sponsored by Kentucky state Rep. Tom McKee of Cynthiana.

Makeup of the Board 

It is unlikely that this Board will actually promote anti-cruelty laws and other measures to promote horse welfare. The Board is simply a front for pro-horse slaughter interests that will surely recommend slaughter as an equine "welfare" measure and at the same time control the rescues operated by horse protection advocates who oppose slaughter.  All under the authority of the Kentucky state government.

Under the bill, H.B. 398, the Board will have 13 voting members including the  secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet; the state veterinarian, a  representative of the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center; one representative of the University of Louisville Equine Industry Program;  executive director of the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, or the executive director of the Murray State University Breathitt Veterinary Center;  chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture;  chairman of the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Small Business; one  representative of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation with an interest in equine issues; one  veterinarian representing the Kentucky Equine Health and Welfare Alliance Inc.;  one member representing the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association; and one member to be appointed by the Governor from a list of three (3) nominees submitted by Kentucky Horse Council; and two members at large appointed by the governor and who live in diverse regions of the state and who represent equine breeders and owners and agricultural interests.  

An amendment to the original bill added more representatives of equine education programs in several other Kentucky colleges or universities and one, yes, one member of the equine rescue community.

The Board would not be able to interfere with the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority or the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners.

The Kentucky legislature is also fast tracking a bill to create a Livestock Care Standards Board that would have the authority to determine standards for care and treatment of livestock including equines.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Oppose this bill, H.B. 398. This is nothing but a power grab by pro-slaughter interests. If this bill passes, they will have a state sanctioned Board to push for the return of horse slaughter to the U.S., oppose the federal legislation to stop all slaughter of American horses, and control the rescues of advocates working to save horses from slaughter. Kentuckians don't need an industry weighted Board to improve the laws protecting horses or come up with ways to improve their care. They can decide these issues themselves through their local and state governments.

Contact Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and urge him to veto this pro-slaughter bill, H.B. 398.

Go here to read how you can help pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, now pending in Congress.

3) Kentucky bill HB 251 passes and sent to governor – This is the bill on stray equine. You can read the text here. As soon as we have more info, I’ll pass it on – I’m checking with Laura Allen to see if she has any direction or insight.

4) There is another bill in KY that is a resolution in favor of horse slaughter – HCR 47. You can read about it at this link as well as bills from other states that are part of the disinformation campaign. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1162

5) New Sandy Elmore video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbXhYL7g7e0. BTW-I met Sandy in DC and she is as beautiful as her videos.

6) This is a petition that Nona sent me. There are signatures from around the globe to charge Salazar, the BLM and Catoor with animal cruelty. You can sign the petition here   http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/arrest-salazar-blm-catoor 

Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Good news - another set of tracks goes no-slaughter! The "directly-indirectly" phrase is key. Previously, it was "don't ask, don't tell" - but everybody knew what was going on.

We have a long ways to go to responsible breeding practices, and permanent funding sources for responsible retirement.

But today, we celebrate another victory for the horses!  Thank you, PNGI.

cheers,

Susan Hamlin

NY State Calling Group Leader

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56162/pngi-tracks-adopt-anti-slaughter-policy

(Penn National Gaming also owns 50% of Freehold Raceway, Freehold, NJ)

PNGI Tracks Adopt Anti-Slaughter Policy

By Blood-Horse Staff http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/author/blood-horse-staff

Penn National Gaming Inc. has adopted a policy that punishes horsemen that sell horses for slaughter.

The company, which currently owns five horse racing tracks and has an agreement to purchase a sixth, released the company-wide policy March 29. It is similar to those in place at other racetracks.

The policy states: “Any horsemen stabled at a Penn National Gaming Inc.-owned or -operated horse racing facility who knowingly, or without conducting proper due diligence, sells a horse for slaughter, directly or indirectly, will have his or her stalls revoked and may, in addition, be barred from all of our racing properties.”

PNGI said horsemen are required to conduct “proper due diligence on those buying horses.” The company said it encourages horsemen participating at PNGI facilities and industry-wide to support rescue and adoption efforts and to seek humane means of dealing with horses unable to continue racing.

The policy took effect immediately at Black Gold Casino at Zia Park in New Mexico; Charles Town Races & Slots in West Virginia; Hollywood Casino, Hotel and Raceway, a harness track in Bangor, Maine; Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Pennsylvania; and Raceway Park, an Ohio harness track.

“We need horsemen to become educated and use best efforts and practices in how they manage their equine charges and to act in a responsible way when those athletes no longer are able to race,” PNGI vice president of racing Chris McErlean said. “We plan to assist our respective horsemen’s organizations in promoting and advertising available options.”

Co. News

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:35 pm (PDT)

Pro slaughter legislation rears its ugly head; your tax dollars may subsidize it!
Dear Karen,
Several states currently have pending bills which directly or indirectly relate to horse slaughter. In Colorado, SB 139 would allow a check off on the Colorado income tax return for the "unwanted horse fund".
This wording is highly misleading.
Taxpayers will think their money will assist horse rescues like Front Range Equine Rescue. Instead their money will fund a group that leaves slaughter on the table as a solution for unwanted horses.
Let me explain. An organization called the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance would receive funds from SB 139. This group allies itself with the national Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC). The UHC was formed when the movement to close U.S. slaughter plants gained strength over the pro slaughter agenda. The head of UHC helped coin the marketing slogan of "unwanted horses" to make everyone believe horses going to slaughter had little to no other options.
While these unwanted horse groups talk about owning responsibly, they refuse to take a stand against horse slaughter. In other words, the option to allow horse slaughter plants back into the U.S. for disposition of horses is acceptable to them.
I'm sure this upsets you as much as it does me.
Those of us on the front lines helping horses in need rely on donations to run our programs. To have an unproven organization like the CO Unwanted Horse Alliance, which does not do hands on rescue work, have access to taxpayer dollars is grossly unfair.
The poor economy and high unemployment are still factors for many horse owners, but bringing slaughter back to the U.S. is not an option!
What can you do to help us? Let your legislators know that you oppose bills which directly, or indirectly (like SB139 in Colorado), allow horse slaughter in the U.S.
The Senate has already passed SB 139, now we need to voice our opposition to Colorado's House members.
If you live elsewhere, I ask you to send this message to your Colorado contacts and speak out against similar bills in your state.
This is a matter of life and death for our horse friends and now our own rescue funding. We have many challenges that face us on a daily basis, but we also have many viable solutions to help the horses. A weak economy means a still greater need for our rescue efforts. There are now more horses than ever that need our help. A weak economy also means that some of our most loyal and generous supporters have been unable to contribute in support of our work as they have in the past.
I hope you'll consider a gift to help us feed and shelter both wild and domestic horses we have rescued from starvation, abuse or other situations of neglect.
Front Range Equine Rescue is a leader in horse rescue efforts and we need compassionate people just like you to help us as you've done before. I know I've asked a lot from you in the past and so far this year. But I know that you are part of our team and who else can I ask; who will be there for our horses along with us?
Please contact the Colorado legislature and help us block efforts to allow horse slaughter as an option for so-called "unwanted" horses. Believe me, our horses are NOT unwanted nor are the ones owners cannot afford to keep.
We have helped so many people with re-homing horses or referring them to local hay banks for feed assistance. Our gelding program and humane euthanasia assistance help horse owners around the country. Our expenses are high, but your help allows us to say "YES" to so many horses. Your generous, tax-deductible gift will help usthrough the end of winter with high feed bills into better times for more of our equine friends.
Thank you,
Hilary T. Wood
President/Founder

Fw: One More email before I shut down for DC - Just for Tamara

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:20 am (PDT)
----- Original Message -----
From: Vicki Tobin
To: Vicki Tobin
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 9:47 PM
Subject: One More email before I shut down for DC - Just for Tamara
And what a way to go. This woman is just unbelievable. Nothing like getting my blood pressure up before I leave for DC.
"The only thing preventing investment and jobs creation in a number of states is the inability to inspect horse meat for interstate and export purposes."
Oh, I could just write a novel with this one..
Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses
From: United Orgs of the Horse
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 8:56 PM
Subject: Press Release: South Dakota legislation calls for reinstatement of federal horse meat inspection
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
You're receiving this email because of your relationship with the United Orgs of the Horse or the United Horsemen's Front. Please confirm your continued interest in receiving email from us.
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
Press Release
a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation registered in Wyoming - IRS 501(c)(6) status pending
an IRS 501(c)(3) educational & charitable organization
Contact Us
Office:
1902 Thomes, Suite 202B
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Sue Wallis
United Orgs of the Horse (UOH)
Executive Director
307 680 8515 cell
307 685 8248 ranch
Dave Duquette
United Horsemen's Front (UHF)
Executive Director
541 571 7588
Krissa Thom
UOH & UHF
Operations Manager
307 689 8536
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2010
Contact:
Sue Wallis
307 680 8515 cell
307 685 8248 ranch
sue.wallis@unitedorgsofthehorse.org
South Dakota's Legislature Passes Strongly Worded Resolution Calling on Congress and the Federal Government to Reinstate USDA Inspection of Horse Meat
The only thing preventing investment and jobs creation in a number of states is the inability to inspect horse meat for interstate and export purposes.
PIERRE - South Dakota State Senator Frank Kloucek announced today that a concurrent resolution calling on Congress to repeal roadblocks to the humane slaughter of horses, and the inspection of horse meat has passed by an overwhelming majority with only three no votes.
Just a few short years ago the equine industry was a $1.2 Billion dollar industry that supported some 460,000 direct full-time jobs working with horses every day, and another 1,600,000 indirect jobs. All indications are that the equine industry will have been effectively downsized by at least 50% in very short order, and have suffered the loss of at least 500,000 jobs.
Most of this can be laid squarely in the lap of the animal rights driven effort that led to the closure of the last U.S. horse processing plants in 2007. While some will claim that all of this economic distress is the result of the current nationwide situation, others will point out that the horse industry survived the economic downturn of the 1980s relatively intact.
Worst of all, the horses are suffering. The website, http://amillionhorses.com, has been documenting every media report of abandoned, neglected, and abused horses since the early 1990s and the increase in suffering is absolutely horrific. There was a 400% increase in stories detailing neglect and abandonment of horses from 2008 to 2009.
A young, starving feral horse found on the Navajo Nation with its hind end eaten by wild dogs while still alive. It had to be euthanized.
Members and supporters of the United Organizations of the Horse wholeheartedly believe that the key to rejuvenating the entire equine industry, and stopping the suffering of horses, is allowing for the option of a quick, humane death for unneeded horses, and the utilization of the healthy, wholesome meat by those who choose to do so.
There is a thriving worldwide market for horse meat. As was recently noted by Claude Bouvary, the owner of Bouvary Exports in Canada, one of the leading purveyors of horse meat worldwide, "Around the world today, there are as many meals of horse meat served every day, as there are McDonald's hamburgers."
There is a burgeoning underground interest in horse meat in the United States, and for good reason, the meat is very high in protein, very low in fat, and delicious. Gourmet chefs as well as those who are interested in wholesome, healthy meats from sustainable sources and well cared for animals are importing the meat. Others are obtaining it from local sources where that is legal.
The full text of the South Dakota Resolution is below.
###
The website, www.UnitedOrgsoftheHorse.org, is currently undergoing a major overhaul, and does not yet include recent updates, but a good deal of information can be found on that site.
South Dakota Concurrent Resolution
State of South Dakota
EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 2010
354R0767
SENATE ENGROSSED NO. SCR 4 - 3/2/2010
Introduced by: Senators Kloucek, Bartling, Bradford, Garnos, and Maher and Representatives Schrempp, Frerichs, Greenfield, Hoffman, Lederman, Nygaard, Olson (Betty), Sorenson, and Verchio
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Opposing certain federal legislation related to equine slaughter and processing and urging the reinstatement and funding of federal inspection programs governing equine slaughter and processing facilities.
WHEREAS, the slaughter and processing of horses has become a controversial and contentious issue, which has resulted in the closing of the last horse processing and slaughter facility in the United States; and
WHEREAS, thousands of unwanted horses annually are exposed to abandonment and neglect because of the cessation of horse slaughter in the United States. These additional abandoned horses compete for adoption with wild horses that are fed and sheltered at public expense. The nation's overburdened horse rescue facilities cannot absorb the influx of additional unwanted and abandoned horses that result from the cessation of equine slaughter, processing, and transport activity; and
WHEREAS, pending legislation in Congress, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, would further restrict actions related to horse slaughter and horse processing, and would prohibit the transport and export of horses outside of the United States for the purpose of slaughter for human consumption. This legislation includes H.R. 503, S. 727, and similar legislation that only exacerbates the problem; and
WHEREAS, if transport of horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter and processing for human consumption is prohibited, as the current legislation before Congress proposes, the number of additional abandoned horses in the United States will increase even further; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, Congress removed funding for USDA inspection programs for horse slaughter and processing intended for human consumption. These funding bans have continued for several years and have effectively prevented the operation of slaughter facilities; and
WHEREAS, horse processing facilities cannot operate in the United States unless federal inspection for such facilities is funded and reinstated; and
WHEREAS, there is a critical need for humane horse processing facilities in the United States to reduce the suffering inflicted on unwanted and abandoned horses and to meet overseas export markets for horsemeat in a humane manner:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Senate of the Eighty-fifth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the South Dakota Legislature urges the Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture to reinstate and fully fund USDA's inspection program for equine slaughter and processing facilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the South Dakota Legislature urges the Congress to defeat the current Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, including H.R. 503 and S.727 and related legislation.

(Note from Brandi:  I don’t have room on the list to post the whole article, but the link will take you to it and I believe the letter is also on that link.)
From: Vicki Tobin

Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 1:59 PM

To: Vicki Tobin

Subject: MO Bill passes committee.

Here’s info from Laura. Please also scroll below this to a letter I found through a google alert from an atty in MO.

A MO bill to allow state inspectors for horse slaughter just passed a committee and with a substitute version that would basically void all current animal welfare laws. (Read the very last line of the substitute version of the bill.) My sources in MO tell me Viebrock has the votes to pass this. No one opposed it during the committee hearing. We have to get on this!   http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1160

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Illinois Bill to Restore Horse Slaughter Withdrawn for Lack of Support

Springfield, IL (March 11, 2010) – Yesterday State Representative Jim Sacia (R – Freeport) pulled his bill to legalize horse slaughter from the agenda for this legislative session.  The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) appreciates his recognition of horse slaughter as a controversial issue and his decision to withdraw it from consideration.

This was the third time in as many years that Representative Sacia had introduced legislation aimed at overturning the state’s widely supported ban on horse slaughter.  In the two previous years, the House voted against his proposal.  Support for maintaining the ban remains strong with the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.

“We are much relieved by Representative Sacia’s decision.  We look forward to working together with all the members of the Illinois General Assembly on ways to improve the welfare of horses in the state.” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of Government and Legal Affairs for AWI.  "We are looking at positive options and slaughter is certainly not the right step."

##30##

For More Information:

Chris Heyde, 202-337-2332

--

CHRIS HEYDE

Deputy Director

Government and Legal Affairs

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE

900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE

Washington, DC 20003

www.awionline.org ~ www.compassionindex.org

The Animal Welfare Institute has been working to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by humans since 1951.

Please join us in our work to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI eAlerts: www.awionline.org.

Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

Wyoming passes slaughter bill :(

Posted by: "Donna" MyGirlHello@msn.com   hello13787

Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:54 pm (PST)
Wyoming Governor signs landmark legislation providing the option of horse processing to deal with abandoned horses
The United Organizations of the Horse is working with Dr. Temple Grandin to implement an Equine Assurance Program to ensure meat quality and address animal welfare concerns
CHEYENNE - Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal has signed HB 122-Disposal of livestock into law which provides the Wyoming Board of Livestock three options to deal with abandoned, estray (animals whose ownership cannot be determined), feral, or abused animals which come under their control. The first option is taking the animal to a public sale, which was the only alternative before passage of this legislation. Additional options provided are sending the animal to slaughter, or destroying the animal.
While the legislation applies to all classes of livestock, the need arose because of the current lack of a market for low-end horses that are small or are in poor condition. Since the closure of the last US horse slaughter plant in 2007, the only unusable horses that have any value whatsoever are those that are big enough, or healthy enough, to be worth the transportation costs to Canada or Mexico. This has resulted in a huge increase in abandoned and neglected horse cases in Wyoming, and across the nation. Wyoming has seen more than a tripling every year in these numbers, which has required emergency funding through the Governor since they are unable to recoup the cost of care and feeding by selling the horses.
If the Board of Livestock chooses the slaughter option they are required to provide the meat to Wyoming state institutions or nonprofit organizations at their cost. They are authorized to sell the meat to profit entities at market price. Meat intended for human use will be state inspected and used in Wyoming.
The United Organizations of the Horse is coordinating a working group that includes state agencies, private meat processing businesses, nonprofit relief organizations, Dr. Temple Grandin, veterinarians, and other experts to design a system for the processing of horses, and the efficient and practical use of valuable meat and byproducts. The product of this working group will be a pilot Equine Assurance Program which will be a model for other states to utilize to address animal welfare concerns, and ensure the humane handling, transportation, and processing of horses.
Historical photo from Seattle's Pike Place Market that reminds us that horse meat was appreciated nation-wide during World War II as a delicious, healthy and high-quality meat that is 50% higher in protein, 40% lower in fat than beef.
....
Horses for Humanity
The United Organizations will provide horse meat at their cost to Wyoming relief organizations for distribution to those in need. Once the roadblocks to federal inspection of horsemeat in the US can be lifted, the United Organizations of the Horse is planning to implement a partnership with national and international relief organizations to provide wholesome, healthy, humanely harvested horsemeat to the hungry.
Through this program horse owners have the option of donating a horse that would otherwise be disposed of. Owners are assured a quick, humane death for their animal, and the comfort of knowing that the meat is going to a good and useful purpose.
For additional information, please contact Sue Wallis or visit www.UnitedOrgsoftheHorse.org.
###
~~~Donna~~~
http://hello.critters.com
www.youknowmyname25.4t.com
www.newenglandequinerescues.com
"I believe life is magical. It is so precious.
And there are so many kinds of life in this life; so many things to love.
This is my love. It is mine,
And it fills me and it defines me, and it compels me on."

The story of a kill buyer:

proprietor Brenda Hemphill, who is called a “kill buyer’’ by critics, is also an unapologetic businesswoman who ships horses to Quebec to be slaughtered for human consumption, primarily in Europe. Hemphill said her business provides an alternative for horse owners who can no longer afford their animals’ upkeep or find them a suitable home.

http://www.boston.com:80/news/local/maine/articles/2010/03/08/not_all_the_pretty_horses_come_home/

Canada steps up enforcement of horse slaughter guidelines
Canada has taken a first step in developing a comprehensive food safety
and traceability program for its equine industry, the effects of which
will reverberate at home and abroad.
On Jan. 29, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued health
requirements for all horses bound for slaughter in Canada; the new
requirements come into effect July 31. Horse owners who intend to sell
animals directly or indirectly to Canadian meat processors must record
all vaccines and medications administered or fed to their animals and
any occurrence of illness in their animals.
The CFIA has provided an Equine Information Document for this purpose;
it can be found on the agency's Web site, www.inspection.gc.ca.
About 55 types of medications and substances, including phenylbutazone
and certain antimicrobials, are prohibited from being given to a horse
intended to be slaughtered for human consumption. A comprehensive list
can be found on the CFIA site.
During the transition period, the EID will be reviewed to determine
whether horses have been treated with prohibited drugs during the six
months prior to their slaughter. A longer "certification period" will
eventually be implemented.
A list of drugs that are safe to be given or fed to horses that may be
used for food will be available in April. Withdrawal periods specific to
horses slaughtered in Canada will be included with this list.
The collection of information is meant to prepare the equine industry
for July 31, when it will be mandatory for all federally inspected
Canadian equine facilities to have complete records dating back six
months for all domestic and imported animals presented for slaughter.
This new measure is part of Canada's response to the European
Commission's requirements on the importation of equine meat products,
issued in April. The EC notified countries supplying horse meat to the
European Union that they were now required to identify horses intended
for food production, have in place a system of identity verification,
prohibit the use of anabolic steroids and other prohibited drugs, and
ensure that withdrawal periods are followed for veterinary medical
products permitted to be used on horses that may be slaughtered for
food.
Early this year, the CFIA, with assistance from the Veterinary Drug
Directorate of Health Canada and equine industry partners, submitted an
action plan outlining how Canada intends to meet these requirements. The
Equine Information Document is just the first step, with more
regulations to follow.
The European Union, Food and Drug Administration, and CFIA regulations
have prohibited the slaughter of animals for human consumption that have
ever received certain prohibited substances as established by
legislation in their countries, but until now, there has been no serious
attempt at enforcement.
Dr. Tom R. Lenz, chair of the American Horse Council's Unwanted Horse
Coalition, said he wasn't sure how the regulations will affect the
industry.
"The buyers may have to hold the horses in quarantine for six months
before exporting them unless they have specific medical histories on
them," Dr. Lenz said. "Most people in the U.S. don't provide treatment
histories when they sell a horse."
Veterinarians, too, will be affected. Treatment records will need to be
referenced by owners completing the EID to obtain information on drug
withdrawal times and administration of drugs prohibited by the European
Union or Canada.
Canada currently has six federally licensed horse slaughter facilities.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that U.S. exports of horses
to Canada rose from 24,866 head in 2006 to 49,895 head in 2008, a 100
percent increase.
In 2009, Canada exported nearly 23,100 tons of horse meat products,
according to the CFIA. Nearly 60 percent of that amount was sent to
European Union markets.
Mexico, where horses are also slaughtered for human consumption, has yet
to announce how it intends to comply with the EU six-month quarantine
order regarding horses intended for slaughter.
-Malinda Larkin

March 2, 2010

Urge your Illinois Representative to vote NO on HB 4812

A bill to reopen cruel horse slaughter plants in IL
VOTE COULD TAKE PLACE ANY DAY – CALL NOW!

Dear Illinois Humanitarian,

Urgent calls are needed to protect equine welfare in the state of Illinois. Please contact your State House Representatives to help preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

To no surprise, the Illinois State House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation passed HB 4812, a bill to reopen cruel horse slaughter plants in the state.  State Rep. Jim Sacia, introduced the bill to repeal the state ban, paving the way for horse slaughter to reappear in Illinois.  As has been discussed and voted on many times before, the slaughter process subjects horses to extreme cruelty and an inhumane death.  Supporters on both sides of the issue agree that we have a nationwide crisis right now, and something must be done to save these majestic beings from cruelty.  We disagree, however, on how to handle the problem.  The Animal Welfare Institute does not believe subjecting horses to the trauma of slaughter by captive bolt or being stabbed in the neck by puntilla knife is the answer.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn reiterated his desire to protect the welfare of animals this weekend, “As long as I am governor, we're never going to pass any kind of legislation that allows cruelty toward animals, whether it be dogs, cats or any other living things.”

We are confident Illinois House and Senate representatives are strongly opposed to HB4812, and will vote NO on the bill.  However, Representative Sacia has begun to employ a new tactic to garner support for the bill.  Claims that the bill has no chance of passing and a vote in favor of the bill as a political nod to Rep. Sacia have started to swirl around the State Capitol.  Representatives must not play political games with this bill, which holds the lives of about 100,000 horses annually.  It is critical that you urge your representative to vote NO on HB 4812.

Also, please reiterate the fact that Illinois horse rescues will not accept any money as once offered by Rep. Sacia, in an attempt to appease the animal welfare community. Illinois horse rescues submitted a letter to the State House denouncing the acceptance of monies collected from slaughtering horses.  Ask that your Representative to record a NO vote on the bill with or without amendments.

It is unfortunate that the Illinois General Assembly and individuals from Illinois and around the country must continue dealing with this issue year after year, but we must remain vigilant against any and all attempts to overturn the 2007 ban on horse slaughter. It is a shame that our limited resources must be used to repeatedly engage in this fight, rather than expend the resources further protecting horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The Illinois House will bring take up HB 4812 at any time now.  The exact date is not yet set but may appear soon.  Please contact your Representatives today to register your opposition to this inhumane bill.  To find House member contact information, visit www.ilga.gov/house  or see below.

For your convenience, below is a list of talking points to aid in placing calls and drafting emails. Again, please take action for the horses today. They are counting on us!

Talking Points:

Please apologize for having to call your representative on this issue yet again. The Illinois General Assembly resolved this issue back in 2007, but Rep. Sacia continues to take up everybody’s time with this unpopular bill.

No matter what is said, please vote NO on HB 4812.  Soundly defeating this bill will send a message across Illinois and the U.S. that horse slaughter and efforts to promote it are not acceptable.

Strongly oppose HB 4812 and any amendments because horse slaughter is a cruel and unnecessary practice.

The Illinois General Assembly banned horse slaughter by an overwhelming majority in 2007, and Rep. Sacia’s bill, HB 4812, must be rejected. There is no evidence to support Rep. Sacia’s claims that the slaughterhouse closure has led to an increase in horse abandonment or abuse. Horse slaughter itself is abuse because of the way in which horses react to the stress of slaughter plants and the multiple hits required to immobilize a horse.

Ending horse slaughter stopped an overt form of animal cruelty and has only been good for the horses. The state ban is important.

The animal welfare community, equine rescues and the majority of Illinois residents DO NOT support the overturning of this ban no matter what Rep. Sacia may claim.

If Rep. Sacia actually cared about the welfare of horses he would support the federal ban on horse slaughter which would stop the export of horses from the U.S.

Please ask your representative to urge Rep. Sacia to discontinue his attempts to overturn the horse slaughter bill. Your representative should also urge Rep. Sacia to support the federal bill, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S.727), in order to truly advance the welfare of equines in Illinois if he is truly concerned with the welfare of our horses. H.R. 503/S.727 ensures horses from Illinois and all over the U.S. will no longer be hauled to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Please share this "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with all family, friends, colleagues and fellow horse enthusiasts! Also, please take a minute to visit AWI’s Compassion Index at www.awionline.org/takeaction and take action on the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727).  For more information on horse slaughter, you may visit www.awionline.org.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of the horses!

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute

House Member                D/R        Phone #                               Email

Edward J. Acevedo          D             (217) 782-2855                   eacevedoed@ilga.gov

Luis Arroyo                       D             (217) 782-0480                   repdistrict2@yahoo.com

Suzanne Bassl                 R             (217) 782-8026                   NA

Mark H. Beaubien            R             (217) 782-1517                   strepmbeaubien@aol.com

Daniel V. Beiser               D             (217) 782-5996                   dvbeiser@sbcglobal.net

Patricia R. Bellock           R             (217) 782-1448                   rep@rbellock.com

Maria Antonia Berrios      D             (217) 782-1032                   repberrios39gmail.com

Bob Biggins                     R             (217) 782-6578                   bobbiggins@comcast.net

William B. Black               R             (217) 782-4811                   wbblack@sbcglobal.net

Mike Boland                     D             (217) 782-3992                   ilrepmikeboland@aol.com

Mike Bost                         R             (217) 782-0387                   rep.bost@hotmail.com

John E. Bradley                D             (217) 782-1051                   repjohnbradley@mychoice.net

Dan Brady                        R             (217) 782-1118                   dan@rep-danbrady.com

Rich Brauer                      R             (217) 782-0053                   brauerri@ilga.gov

Daniel J. Burke                 D             (217) 782-1117                   burkedj@ilga.gov

William D. Burns               D             (217) 782-2023                   repwillburns@att.net

John D. Cavaletto             R             (217) 782-0066                   john@joncavaletto.com

Linda Chapa LaVia           D             (217) 558-1002                   chapa-laviali@ilga.gov

Franco Coladipietro          R             (217) 782-8158                   franco@il45.com

Sandy Cole                       R             (217) 782-7320                   representativesandycole@comcast.net

Annazette Collins              D             (217) 782-8077                   collinsar@ilga.gov

Marlow H. Colvin               D             (217) 782-8272                   repcolvin@sbcglobal.net

Michael G. Connelly          R             (217) 782-8028                   Repconnelly48@gmail.com

Elizabeth Coulson             R             (217) 782-4194                   Coulson@ilga.gov

Fred Crespo                      D             (217) 782-0347                   fred@fredcrespo.com

Tom Cross                         R             (217) 782-1331                   tom@tomcross.com

Barbara Flynn Currie         R             (217) 782-8121                   repcurrie@sbcglobal.net

Shane Cultra                     R             (217) 558-1039                   shanecultra105@yahoo.com

John D'Amico                    D             (217) 782-8198                   johnd@ilga.gov

Monique D. Davis              D             (217) 782-0010                   davismd@ilga.gov

William Davis                     D             (217) 782-8197                   williamd.hds.state.il.us

Anthony DeLuca                D             (217) 782-1719                   repdeluca@sbcglobal.net

Lisa M. Dugan                   D             (217) 782-5981                   lisadugan@sbcglobal.net

Kenneth Dunkin                 D             (217) 782-4535                   kendunkin@msn.com

Jim Durkin                          R             (217) 782-0494                   jimd@ilga.gov

Roger L. Eddy                    R             (217) 558-1040                   reddyunit1@aol.com

Keith Farnham                   D             (217) 782-8020                   krfarnham@gmail.com

Sara Feigenholtz               D             (217) 782-8062                   feigenholtz@ilga.gov

Robert F. Flider                  D             (217) 782-8398                   bobflider@repflider.com

Mary E. Flowers                 D             (217) 782-4207                   flowersme@ilga.gov

LaShawn K. Ford               D             (217) 782-5962                   lkf@ilga.gov

Mike Fortner                       R             (217) 782-1653                   mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net

Jack D. Franks                   D             (217) 782-1717                   jack@jackfranks.org

John A Fritchey                  D             (217) 782-2458                   mystaterep@aol.com

Paul D. Froehlich                D             (217) 782-3725                   statereppaul@sbcglobal.net

Esther Golar                       D             (217) 782-5971                   esthergolar@sbcglobal.net

Careen M. Gordon             D             (217) 782-5997                   staterepgordon@sbcglobal.net

Jehan A. Gordon                D             (217) 782-3186                   repjehangordon@gmail.com

Deborah L. Graham            D             (217) 782-6400                   st.rep.graham@sbcglobal.net

Julie Hamos                        D             (217) 782-8052                   julie@staterephamos.org

Betsy Hannig                      D             (217) 782-8071                   betsyh@ilga.gov

Greg Harris                         D             (217) 782-3835                   greg@gregharris.org

Kay Hatcher                        R             (217) 782-1486                   vote4kay@att.net

Elizabeth Hernandez          D             (217) 782-8173                   repehernandez@yahoo.com

Jay C. Hoffman                   D            (217) 782-8018                   hoffman@legis.state.il.us

Thomas Holdbrook             D            (217) 782-0104                   NA

Constance A. Howard         D           (217) 782- 6476                   howardca@ilga.gov

Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr.       D           (217) 782-5951                   NA

Naomi D. Jakobsson           D           (217) 558-1009                   naomi@naomijakobsson.com

Charles E. Jefferson           D           (217) 782-3167                   staterepchuck67@aol.com

Kevin Joyce                         D           (217) 782-8200                   kjoyce@hds.ilga.gov

Renee Kosel                       R            (217) 782-0424                   rkosel@ilga.gov

Lou Lang                             D            (217) 782-8400                   reploulang@aol.com

Michael J. Madigan             D             (217) 782-5350                 mmadigan@hds.ilga.gov

Sidney H. Mathias               R             (217) 782-1664                 repmathias@hotmail.com

Frank J. Mautino                  D            (217) 782-0140               patti76th@ivnet.com

Karen May                           D            (217) 782-0902                  karen@repkarenmay.org

Emily McAsey                      D            (217) 782-4179                  repEmily@gmail.com

Michael P. McAuliffe            R            (217) 782- 8182                 macauliffe20@yahoo.com

Kevin A. McCarthy              D             (217) 782-3316                 kevmac37@sbcglobal.net

Jack McGuire                      D             (217) 782-8090                  jmcguire86@sbcglobal.net

Deborah Mell                       D             (217) 782-8117                 deborahm@ilga.gov

Susana A. Mendoza            D             (217) 782-7752                 staterepmendoza@gmail.com

David E. Miller                     D              (217) 782- 8087                repdavidmiller@sbcglobal.net

Bill Mitchell                          R              (217) 782-8163                 repmitchell@earthlink.net

Jerry L. Mitchell                                   (217) 782-0535                 repjmitchell@comcast.net

Donald L. Moffitt                                  (217) 782-8032                 moffitt@grics.net

Rosemary Mulligan              R              (217) 782-8007                 repmulligan@usa.net

Richard P. Myers                 R              (217) 782-0416                repmyers@macomb.com

Elaine Nekritz                      D               (217) 558-1004                enekritz@repnekritz.org

JoAnn D. Osmond               R               (217) 782-8151                osmondjoann@aol.com

Harry Osterman                   D               (217) 782-8088                hjo17@aol.com

Brandon W. Phelps              D              (217) 782-5131                 bphelps@yourclearwave.com

Sandra M. Pihos                  R               (217) 782-8037                sandrapihos42@gmail.com

Raymond Poe                      R                (217) 782-0044               poe@ilga.gov

Robert W. Pritchard             R                (217) 782-0425               bob@pritchardstaterep.com

Randy Ramey, Jr.                R                (217) 558-1037               staterepramey55@aol.com

Dennis M. Reboletti             R                (217) 782-4014               dennisreboletti@sbcglobal.net

Davis Reis                           R                (217) 782-1018               repreitz@egyptian.net

Al Riley                                D                (217) 558-1007               rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net

Robert Rita                          D                (217) 558-1000               robertbobrita@aol.com

Chapin Rose                       R                (217) 558-1006              chapin@chapinrose.net

Jim Sacia                            R                 (217) 782-8186              JimSacia@aeroinc.net

Angelo Saviano                  R                 (217) 782-3374             skip@saviano.com

Timothy L. Schmitz             R                 (217) 782-5457             info@timschmitz.org

Darlene J. Senger              R                  (217) 782-6507             sengerstaterep@gmail.com

Carol A. Sente                    D                  (217) 782-0499             senteforstaterep@gmail.com

Michael K. Smith                 D                  (217) 782-8152            repmikesmith@gmail.com

Keith P. Sommer                 R                 (217) 782-0221            sommer@mtco.com

Cynthia Soto                        D                 (217) 782-0150            csoto@ilga.gov

Ron Stephens                     R                  (217) 782-6401            ron@repstephens.com

Ed Sullivan, Jr                     R                  (217) 782-3696            ILhouse51@sbcglobal.net

Andre M. Thapedi                D                 (217) 782-1702            rep32district@gmail.com

Jill Tracy                              R                  (217) 782-8096           jilltracy@jilltracy.com

Michael W. Tryon                R                  (217) 782-0432           Mike@miketryon.com

Arthur L. Turner                   D                  (217) 782-8116            gene@turnerforillinois.com

Patrick J. Verschoore           D                 (217) 782-5970             pverschoore@legis.state.il.us

Ronald A. Wait                    R                   (217) 782-0548            repwait777@aol.com

Mark L. Walker                    D                  (217) 782-3739             repmarkwalker@gmail.com

Eddie Washington               D                  (217) 558-1012             washington60th@aol.com

Jim Watson                         R                   (217) 782-1840             jimwatson@localnetco.com

Dave Winters                      R                   (217) 782-0455              repwinters@aol.com

Karen A. Yarbrough            D                  (217) 782-8120               kyarbrough@ilga.gov

Michael J. Zalewski             D                  (217) 782-5280               michaelz@ilga.gov

Horse Meat Industry In Decline

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:02 pm (PST)
----- Original Message -----
From: Vicki Tobin
To: Vicki Tobin
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:49 PM
Subject: Horse Meat Industry In Decline
Thanks to our friends in Canada for finding this gem. Words from a kill buyer.
http://agcanada.ironsolutions.com/Article.aspx?ID=17954
Horse Meat Industry In Decline
Pat Houde, a longtime horse buyer from Elm Creek, said he believes the liability for equine carcasses that are condemned for meat use should rest with the original seller whose name is on the declaration.
"I'm not liable. The person I buy it off is liable," he said. "If I buy it off of you with your declaration papers on it and send it off to the plant, I'm not responsible."
Houde said in his view European animal rights groups whose ultimate goal is a total, global ban on horse slaughter are behind the new law, and the CFIA was just trying to keep up with "politics" there.
"The horse business is finished. There's not many horses left anyway. Nobody's keeping any horses, they're worth nothing - just like cattle," he said.
"In five years, you might not see a horse around. If there's one, you'd have to pay a fortune for it."
The last slaughterhouse on U. S. soil - in Illinois - was closed in 2007. Reports of unwanted horses being abandoned on public lands have skyrocketed, especially as the battered economy south of the border leaves many casual horse owners without the means to care for their animals.
LOW VALUES
Houde said the volume of horses destined for slaughter flowing up from south of the border has dropped too. Owning horses will soon be an option only for the wealthy, he said.
With no meat market left in the U. S., the bottom has fallen out of horse values. Before the ban, when the meat price was 75 cents/lb., a good saddle horse was worth $2,000. Now, even the best might bring only $900.
"Nobody can raise a horse for $900. Years ago, I sold some of my good bulldogging horses that got crippled on me and I got $1,000 apiece for them. Now I couldn't get $150 for them," said Houde.
He advocated a "pony tax" on all horses that would go to feed unwanted, abandoned animals until they die of natural causes, if the public really wants slaughter removed as an option.
"What do you do with a horse? I've had some horses that won me thousands of dollars in the rodeo. When he was done, I put him on the truck," said Houde.
"I'm a businessman. When I buy a horse, I own (it); he don't own me. I've seen a lot of horses where the horse owns the person."
The latest statistics show that Canada has about one million horses and more than 200,000 owners. In 2008, some 111,000 horses were processed, the majority of which went through a slaughter facility in Fort Macleod, Alta. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com
Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Horse Slaughter Measure Clears First Statehouse Hurdle

February 23, 2010 by Ben Yount  
Filed under Featured Stories, IL House

Leave a Comment

SPRINGFIELD  — A plan to make commercial horse slaughter legal in Illinois again cleared a legislative panel on Tuesday.

Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, is sponsoring the initiative since the state’s 2007 ban on the practice has raised problems concerning inhumane treatment of unwanted horses.

“We can document untold numbers of abandoned starving horses. That absolutely is occurring for one reason and one reason only and that is we do not allow humane slaughtering of horses in the United States today,” Sacia said.

The Cavel commercial slaughtering plant in DeKalb formerly sold horse meat to foreign markets  and was the last such operation in the nation.

Sacia said that horse owners have since found it too expensive to deal with aging or unwanted horses.

But Gail Vacca with the Illinois Equine Humane Center said that’s just an excuse.

Vacca said many of the supporters of horse slaughter are looking for an easy solution to a complicated problem.

“With the responsible horse owner, 99 percent of us already humanely euthanize our horses.  So it’s a very small percentage of horses that have irresponsible owners that are proponents of slaughter because it’s an easy out for them.”

However, Sacia contends that slaughter should be an option.

“I myself will never send a horse to slaughter because it’s not palatable to me.  But I can afford to have [a veterinarian] come and euthanize my horse. I can afford to have the rendering truck come and haul it away.” 

The proposal now moves to the House.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

HSUS Defends Itself on WFH&B / BLM Position & Bloggers Suggestion @ the End

Open Letter to Wild Horse Advocates
I know many of you are concerned that HSUS may not be as active in criticizing the BLM re the roundups as you'd like and there has been some confusion as to what we're actually doing at the Fallon facility. I thought I'd send some of you an email trying to explain our position as well as our view of the BLM.
We're trying to 'stay on track' with our complaints and issues since there are so many areas where the BLM is negligible. We are working quietly within BLM and believe this is the best course for doing the best we can for the horses. Since it is a federal issue, our focus has been at the federal level as our complaints at the state level have fallen on deaf ears. Our number one focus: We continue to push for a moratorium on the roundups for adoption and push for the contraception of horses.
The foal's death is a direct result of BLM's negligence and there is no excuse for this kind of activity. They are gathering horses that are not in questionable health. Also, they are gathering horses that they cannot find homes for.
Should they have rounded them up? No. Should they have pressed them so hard almost 50 died? No. But once they decided to capture 2,000, deaths were inevitable .
We are trying to avoid the half truths as that makes ALL of our arguments weak. Rather than look at everything through a sinister lens, we are trying to at least keep the line of communication open. If every decision BLM makes is wrong, everytime , we leave them no reason to listen or change.
There is controversy over the stallion 'found dead' as other information indicates that it was one of the 15 in the hospital and was in terrible shape . They told us they were probably going to make the decision to put him down. He had daily vet care and they were trying to give him a chance but he was getting weaker and weaker. The other 48 were necropsied and were sick animals. They believe, although obviously can't state for sure, that the gather sped up a death that was inevitable . Mostly old pregnant mares who have a high mortality rate on the range.
I'm not being an apologist for BLM. However, when everyone attacks them for everything, some out of their control, we, not the , look silly. There is SO much for which they are responsible that is bad management , we are trying to stick to this and stay on message. The colt. The round up itself with no evidence on starvation, the round up with no place to adopt the horses. These are our strong suit. I don't think chastising them for euthanizing a horse in misery is helpful... Again... If this is the same horse.
Re the Fallon facility: The squeeze chute they have purchased is top of the line from a humane aspect... With padding... And they retrofitted a bottom piece to ensure no ones hoof got caught in it. They would like humane observers. But not people who twist everything into something sinister .
We WANT them to euthanize horses in pain. A representative from HSUS watched a field director leave a horse suffering for two days becasue he was worried about getting thrashed for " killing" a horse.
I hope this helps to explain what our focus is and what/why we're trying this approach. We all have a part to play and hopefully we'll all make a difference.
Beverlee McGrath
Nevada State Director
Humane Society of the United States
Ph: (805) 984-8200
cell: (805) 827-2809
Fax: (805) 984-9686

Fw: An Important Update from Madeleine Pickens

Posted by: "Horse Helping" horsehelping@gmail.com   eaglewhowatches

Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:37 pm (PST)
----- Original Message -----
From: Madeleine Pickens
To: horsehelping@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:06 AM
Subject: An Important Update from Madeleine Pickens
Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
Dear Friends,
Recently, I was invited to a meeting with the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, to discuss my Foundation's plan to create a sanctuary for thousands of our wild horses in Nevada or another western State. The Secretary was very gracious with his time, and I felt that the meeting was very productive. The Secretary indicated that he recognized that there is a serious problem with the excess wild horses that now stand in holding pens all across America and the additional thousands of wild horses being gathered this year. This is the first time in many years that a Secretary of the Interior has reached out to the private sector and acknowledged that there is a problem, and I commend Secretary Salazar for his initiative in trying to reconcile the many different proposals to resolve this issue.
I explained to the Secretary that it was wrong to continue to gather these wild horses, particularly in light of the fact that we have not addressed the issue of where to put them and also advised him that long term holding was not a good option. I emphasized the fact that these wild horses should remain in their natural environment and be presented to the American people in the setting where they have lived for hundreds if not thousands of years.
It is sad and regrettable that the approach we have taken to house over 22,000 older wild horses has been strictly limited to a long term holding arrangement that does little to protect or preserve the horses and offers little, if any, incentive to improve the lands where they are located. I explained in detail the distinction between having a non-profit foundation build and operate a sanctuary where any monies received from the federal government for care of wild horses would be mandated to be returned to the sanctuary for improvements or operational expenses in perpetuity. Simply paying ranchers or other contractors to warehouse wild horses until they die is an unacceptable method of addressing the issue of excess horses.
I also explained to the Secretary that embracing a plan like the one my Foundation put forth will result in saving of millions of dollars to the taxpaying public. Leveraging private dollars and relying on private contractors to build a state of the art wild horse facility will prove to be the prudent approach from a financial perspective.
I have said many times that we owe the wild horses much more than we have given and I conveyed that thought to Secretary Salazar. I told him that we have a moral obligation to America's wild horses to protect and preserve them for future generations in a manner consistent with the law.
The Secretary offered to let me serve on a small committee that he is forming to address the issue of excess wild horses and to look at a full range of solutions to this problem. I have accepted his offer and look forward to representing our wild horses and all of you as we look for a solution that is good for the wild horses and for the American people.
I urge all of you to continue with your calls and letters to the Secretary of the Interior, Members of Congress, and the Obama Administration. I believe we have laid the groundwork to succeed in this effort and through your support, perhaps we will one day soon see thousands of wild horses roaming in their natural habitat, protected from abuse and inhumane treatment for the rest of their natural lives.
Thank you and best wishes,
Madeleine Pickens
You're receiving this email because you provided your email address or "Took Action" on www.madeleinepickens.com or www.madeleinesmustangs.org or www.savingamericasmustangs.org & are interested in Saving America's Mustangs.
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The economic reality of scarce and toxic horses

February 17, 2010

by Caroline Betts

I was not surprised that Dr Tom Lenz, past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, readily credited the organisation for coining the phrase "Unwanted Horse" in his article "The Unwanted Horse in the United States - International Implications".

It is a coup d'etat of language choice for those American equine practitioners lobbying hardest to maintain a US export market for horsemeat.

Dr Lenz manages to equate "unwanted" with "slaughtered for human consumption" and with "should be slaughtered for human consumption, but aren't, because we need additional slaughter plants on American soil".

Slaughter advocates might consider it nothing short of a stroke of genius.

The phrase "unwanted horse" may well play a role in much of the mass confusion in the debate on horse slaughter among the American general public, horse-owners and horse welfare advocates alike.

Horses slaughtered are neither privately nor socially "unwanted", for they command a positive price both at auction and at the slaughter plant gate - and I suspect that if they did not, we would not be having this debate at all.

As any Economics 101 student can tell you, positive prices signal not "unwanted-ness", but scarcity.

There is no question - and what drives fear into the most vehement supporters and even some opponents of horse slaughter - that a universal ban on the slaughter of American horses will eliminate a source of demand for horses in the lower end of the market, as slaughter plant buyers and associated dealers exit.

This shift down in demand - in the efficient second price auction markets that are by far the largest source of horses to slaughter - will unambiguously reduce equilibrium prices, thereby increasing private ownership of auction-intermediated horses, and reducing private supply to those markets.

However, even better news is that this credible, permanent contraction in financial rewards to disposal of low-value horses through auctions will, assuming that breeders are rational decision-makers, reduce the incentive to produce such horses at all.

Over a period of time, such a reduction in supply at all prices will, by increasing scarcity in the American equine industry, raise equilibrium prices and - one would hope - the average quality of horses produced.

Natural results will be a substantial contraction in auction intermediated sales of horses and, ultimately, a higher value and higher quality horse market.

All of which leads me to wonder why the elimination of horse slaughter is so hotly debated at all, for reducing the excessive production of poor quality horses will presumably render the American equine much more "wantable".

In a very important sense, Dr Lenz is correct, however. The issues of his "unwanted horse" and the horse processed for meat cannot be separated.

In announcing its response to new EU restrictions to assure horsemeat safety, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has acknowledged what has (presumably) long been known. Phenylbutazone - or "bute" - an extremely common equine non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, is a banned substance in horsemeat for human consumption.

Specifically, the CFIA classifies bute as a "veterinary drug not permitted for use in equines slaughtered for food", its residue causing permanent toxicity in horse meat, with no period of quarantine being able to eliminate that toxicity.

This public and socially responsible CFIA acknowledgement brings a new clarity to the "unwanted horse" debate.

After all, of Dr Lenz's "unwanted horses" - the old, the injured, the sick, the unmanageable, the incurably lame - how many have not had bute administered at some point in his or her life?

As one public example, a brief glance at the Daily Racing Form is sufficient to confirm that the vast majority of American racehorses, who are known to ship frequently to European Union-licensed plants in Canada and Mexico for slaughter and export to European diners, certainly have had bute administered.

So let me suggest that Dr Lenz's "unwanted horse" be renamed "the toxic horse" - unwanted but not slaughtered, unwanted and slaughtered, unwanted and should be slaughtered, it matters not.

The flesh of "unwanted horses" is acknowledged to be toxic when consumed by humans. And who among the politicians, equine practitioners, and veterinarians lobbying to prevent a ban on the slaughter of American horses - in the name of equine welfare - would wish to be responsible for the deleterious impact for human welfare associated with promoting the slaughter of toxic horses?

Caroline Betts holds a PhD in economics. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Southern California. The views expressed in this article are her own, given in a personal capacity, and do not represent those of the university.

Idaho Senator critical of proposed federal horse slaughter ban 

http://www.idahoreporter.com/2010/idaho-senator-critical-of-proposed-federal-horse-slaughter-ban/

Horse Slaughter Ban Back On Agenda in Illinois:

http://www.myfoxillinois.com/dpp/news/illinois/02162010_horse_slaughter_ban_back_on_lawmakers_agenda

February 16, 2010

Here We Go Again:
Illinois House to Hold Hearing on Horse Slaughter Bill

Dear Humanitarian,

Your help is once again needed in order to preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

HB 4812, sponsored by Illinois State Rep. Jim Sacia, would repeal the state ban, paving the way for horse slaughter to once again rear its ugly head in Illinois. Every year since the Illinois General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill banning horse slaughter in the State, Rep. Sacia has attempted to overturn this responsible legislation and reestablish an industry well known for its widespread abuse of equines. We are at a loss to explain his support of this abusive industry or his persistence in advocating for it.

It is unfortunate that the Illinois General Assembly and individuals from Illinois and around the country must continue dealing with this issue year after year, but we must remain vigilant against any and all attempts to overturn the 2007 ban on horse slaughter. It is a shame that our limited resources must be used to repeatedly engage in this fight, rather than expend the resources further protecting horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee will hold a hearing on February 23, 2010 2:00PM. If your representative is on the Committee, please call her/him immediately in opposition to HB 4812. To find contact information for Agriculture & Conservation Committee members, visit http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?committeeID=626 or see below.

If your representative is not on this Committee, please take a minute to call or email her/him in opposition to HB 4812 as soon as possible. Visit http://www.ilga.gov/house/ to find your legislator and her/his contact information. For more information on horse slaughter you may visit http://www.awionline.org.

For your convenience, below is a list of talking points to aid in placing calls and drafting emails. Again, please take action for the horses today. They are counting on us!!

Talking Points:

Please apologize for having to call your representative on this issue yet again. The Illinois General Assembly resolved this issue back in 2007, but Rep. Sacia continues to take up everybody’s time with this unpopular bill.

Strongly oppose HB 4812 because horse slaughter is a cruel and unnecessary practice.

The Illinois General Assembly banned horse slaughter by an overwhelming majority in 2007, and Rep. Sacia’s bill, HB 4812, must be rejected. There is no evidence to support Rep. Sacia’s claims that the slaughterhouse closure has led to an increase in horse abandonment or abuse. Horse slaughter itself is abuse.

Ending horse slaughter stopped an overt form of animal cruelty and has only been good for the horses. The state ban is important.

The animal welfare community, equine rescues and the majority of Illinois residents DO NOT support the overturning of this ban no matter what Rep. Sacia may claim.

If Rep. Sacia actually cared about the welfare of horses he would support the federal ban on horse slaughter which would stop the export of horses from the U.S.

Please ask your representative to urge Rep. Sacia to discontinue his attempts to overturn the horse slaughter bill. Your representative should also urge Rep. Sacia to support the federal bill, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S.727), in order to truly advance the welfare of equines in Illinois if he is truly concerned with the welfare of our horses. H.R. 503/S.727 ensures horses from Illinois and all over the U.S. will no longer be hauled to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Please forward this "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert to all family, friends, colleagues and fellow horse enthusiasts! Also, please take a minute to visit AWI’s Compassion Index (www.awionline.org/takeaction) and take action on the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727).

Thank you for all you do on behalf of the horses!

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute

House Agriculture & Conservation Committee
Representative Brandon W. Phelps (D), Chairman - (217) 782-5131
Representative Patrick J. Verschoore (D), Vice-chair - (217) 782-5970
Representative Jim Sacia (R), (217) 782-8186 (bill sponsor)
Representative John D. Cavaletto (R), (217) 782-0066
Representative Shane Cultra (R), (217) 558-1039
Representative Lisa M. Dugan (D), (217) 782-5981
Representative Robert F. Flider (D), (217) 782-8398
Representative Mary E. Flowers (D), (217) 782-4207
Representative Julie Hamos (D), (217) 782-8052
Representative Donald L. Moffitt (R), (217) 782-8032
Representative Richard P. Myers (R), (217) 782-0416
Representative David Reis (R), (217) 782-2087
Representative Dan Reitz (D), (217) 782-1018

I just got this statement from Veterinarians for Equine Welfare with another point to drive home with legislators.  Also calls out the AVMA and AAEP for defending horse slaughter on yet another excuse.  Bad enough these groups support a cruel industry, this points out how they are also defending an unsafe industry.

If you haven’t done so already, please visit AWI’s Compassion Index to send an email in support of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act at www.awionline.org/takeaction.

Thanks, Chris

Fwd: Working on Tony Blair

Posted by: "May S." mayleen@gmail.com   funchy_crunchy

Sun Feb 14, 2010 6:57 pm (PST)
-- Forwarded message --
Fight for horses goes to No 10
Animal welfare campaigners say they have a strong case
*Animal welfare campaigners say they are confident they can persuade Tony
Blair to keep a ban on the live export of horses from the UK to Europe. *
They were speaking after TV writer Carla Lane handed in a petition with
60,000 signatures urging him to help.
Compassion in World Farming fears proposed new EU regulations could put the
UK's ban on the export of live horses for slaughter in jeopardy.
"It will be difficult to ignore the concerns of so many people," they say.
At the same time as the petition was handed in to Downing Street, 25
European farm animal welfare groups were staging a demonstration outside the
European Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels.
*'Terrible suffering'*
Paul Hook, CIWF's deputy political director, said his colleagues had been
working closely with the International League for the Protection of Horses
to lobby for government help.
*There is a real risk that under the current EU proposal, British pets nearing the
end of their lives, ponies from Dartmoor, Exmoor and the New Forest, and
possibly even old racehorses, will all become part of this cruel trade *
Paul Hook
Compassion in World Farming
"The British people have got a very special relationship with horses and it
is very clear that people do not want to see our horses exported live to the
continent for slaughter," he said.
"Today was about making sure that message gets across to the British
government.
"We are confident we have got a strong case and these voices will make the
difference.
"We want to ensure the current ban on the export of British horses and
ponies to be slaughtered for meat is maintained."
*Overcrowding*
He stressed: "Over 100,000 live horses and ponies are currently transported
across Europe for slaughter every year, mostly from Eastern Europe to Italy,
often on horrendously long journeys of anything up to 90 hours.
"They suffer terribly - CIWF investigations have revealed that they are
packed into overcrowded trucks, often deprived of adequate food, water and
rest, with many injured and some dying en route.
Risk that race horses could become horse meat, say protesters
"There is a real risk that under the current EU proposal, British pets
nearing the end of their lives, ponies from Dartmoor, Exmoor and the New
Forest, and possibly even old racehorses, will all become part of this cruel
trade."
New EU laws designed to improve the conditions for transported animals
remove exemptions allowing individual member states to prohibit live
exports.
This could mean the UK being forced to abandon its current arrangements,
which by setting a minimum value on live horse exports, acts as a de facto
ban.
The 60,000 signatures were gathered in a campaign run by the South West
regional newspaper, the Western Morning News, which it says prompted letters
from thousands of readers.

The Big Story

Equine Welfare Alliance Founder Blasts American Horse Council Controlled Group

By John Holland

CHICAGO, (EWA) - One cannot imagine used cars being marketed as "unwanted cars" or existing homes being offered as "unwanted homes". But amazingly the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) has managed to define horses offered for sale and unlucky enough to be purchased for slaughter as "unwanted horses".
So successful has the coalition been in promoting this strange description that when the General Accounting Office (GAO) was charged with determining the impact of the closing of US slaughter plants on equine welfare, they used the term "unwanted horses".

In his article The Unwanted Horse in the United States - international implications, Dr Tom Lenz, chairman of the UHC, describes how the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), of which he is the former president, came up with the term and a definition to go with it.

In the article, Lenz explains "Unwanted horses are defined as those no longer wanted by their current owner because they are old; injured; sick; unmanageable; fail to meet their owner's expectations; or the owner can no longer afford to keep them".

Having established the definition, the UHC has doggedly assigned it to horses that are slaughtered each year by making statements like "over a hundred thousand unwanted horses are slaughtered each year." In fact, to a jaded person like me that appears to be the sole purpose of the UHC. However, the definition is demonstrably false.

One need go no further than to look at the dictionary definition of "unwanted" and its synonyms: undesirable; unwelcome; of no value; unacceptable; objectionable; etc. Surely nobody would pay $US300 and more at auction for something that met this definition!

If that is not enough evidence, then consider that in his article Dr Lenz himself actually cited proof that the definition is wrong. When discussing Temple Grandin's study of horses arriving at slaughter1, he states that "Ninety-two percent of the horses arrived in good condition." The statement was intended to show that most horses do not suffer in transport to slaughter, an obvious attempt to downplay the gruesome 900-pages of material released under the Freedom of Information Act exposing transport violations2.

In fact, Lenz inadvertently demonstrated the lie that is the claim that we are slaughtering horses because they are "unwanted". Table 5 of that study, lists all of the problems with horses arriving at slaughter including behavioral issues. With the exception of those pertaining to the owner, they are the very qualities that the UHC says make a horse "unwanted". So only 7.7 per cent of the horses being slaughtered met that UHC definition of "unwanted"!

But why would the UHC go to so much effort to define a term that is 92.3 per cent inaccurate? Obviously a derogatory term makes the fate of these horses seem more acceptable. But why form an entire organization for little other purpose?

The answer, I believe, is that it avoids the natural and accurate description which is "excess horses".

You see, the term "excess horses" must be avoided at all costs!

This is because if the description is "excess horses", then it follows that the problem is over breeding and not some individual failing on the part of the horses. The horses, as it turns out, are not worthless; there are just way too many of them.

The slaughter defenders cannot allow the problem to be seen to be over breeding because breeders pay the registration fees that support the American Quarter Horse Association, and other pro-slaughter breed registries. And it is these registries that fund the lobbyists, the public relations experts, the publicists and the phony welfare organizations that defend horse slaughter.
The UHC was formed by experienced professionals who understood that he who controls the vocabulary controls the battle, and one controls the vocabulary by generating and continuously repeating carefully crafted definitions and catch phrases.

In the hands of the less sophisticated, attempts to float terms like "horse harvesting" look heavy-handed and buffoonish. But this is not the case with the UHC and its promotion of the "unwanted horse".

And the definition game does not stop there. For example, there have been countless articles and stories about the terrible problem of abandoned horses. In trying to substantiate these stories, a team of our researchers called hundreds of state parks, county animal control agencies and sources listed in the stories.

Almost every story was false or distorted beyond recognition. Nine horses reported in a story in the Oregonian as being abandoned on a ranch turned out to be an unconfirmed report of a single stray horse made by the rancher's granddaughter. Horses reported as having been turned loose on a reclaimed strip mine in Kentucky turned out to belong to a riding stable. State parks in Indiana reported to be counting horses entering and leaving the park to assure they were not abandoned turned out to be horses counted entering (only) so that a fee could be charged.

An independent team launched a similar study to test the claims by state representative Ed Butcher that the state of Montana had a crisis of abandoned horses. They also found only a handful of stray horses in the entire state and no evidence of intentional abandonment.

So why go to so much effort to fabricate a problem with abandoned horses when there are lots of true stories about horses being neglected and starved that could be hyped? Again, the answer is in who would be to blame.

If the horses were abandoned, there is no way to trace their ownership, so the problem falls on the local government and slaughter may be the only answer to the dilemma. But if the horses are being underfed, there is an owner upon whom to assign blame and from whom to extract fines for the animals' rehabilitation. And worse yet, the owner is often a breeder.

The same trick is being used in calling the American wild horses "feral". The modern horse (Equus Caballus), which originated in North America and spread to the rest of the world over the Bering Land Bridge, disappeared in North America about 7500 years ago3. When they escaped from the Conquistadors (and later from the cavalry and Native Americans), they were merely returning home.

Inferring that American mustangs have no place on the range because they were missing for the geological equivalent of the wink of an eye is like taking a seat from a theater patron because he went to the men's room. But "feral horses", like "unwanted horses" are by the very definition worthless.

And how does one fight such tactics? The only way is to pounce on their use with the derision and scorn they deserve! Never allow them to go unchallenged!

The horse slaughter industry in the United States is in decline. Even Italy4, one of the largest consumers of horse meat in the EU, is considering a ban on its sale. When the new EU regulations kick in, the slaughter market in the US may collapse altogether. If and when it does, the horse industry will take some time to adjust its breeding to the new reality.

We need to be prepared to help a lot of horses. By defending the very people who are causing the problem of excess horses, the UHC is guaranteeing that the transition will be worse than need be.

The EWA calls upon the UHC to give up this ridiculous charade and focus on the problem of the excess horse.

Horse meat ban in Italy???

Posted by: "Paula" horsehelpers@yahoo.com   horsehelpers

Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:35 pm (PST)
Horse meat faces ban in Italy
Horse meat, one of Italy's most popular culinary delicacies, is under
threat from a cross party proposal to ban its sale.
By Nick Pisa in Rome
Published: 6:20AM GMT 08 Feb 2010
Italy is the largest consumer of horsemeat in Europe with more than
48,000 metric tonnes eaten every year and it is a common dish among
youngsters because of its high iron content.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation 213,000 horses are
slaughtered in Italy every year but now politicians from all parties are considering banning its slaughter and sale.
Francesca Martini, a minster with the Italian health ministry and a
member of the ruling Right-wing coalition, has put forward the bill,
arguing that the "dignity of horses should be respected".
The motion is already on the desk of the Italian parliament's culture
commission and has won considerably cross party support with opposition
centre-Left MPs also backing it.
Among those leading the call for a ban is Italy's agriculture minister
Luca Zaia who says horses should not be eaten and instead "considered
just like cats and dogs".
Mr Zaia said:"I have always been against the slaughter and consumption
of horse meat. Horses are fine animals and should be treated as such,
they should not be eaten."
His support has angered people who live in his home region of Veneto,
which covers Venice and Verona, where horse meat is a culinary delicacy
and features in several dishes.
Horse meat is used in a stew called pastissada (typical of Verona),
served as horse or colt steaks, as carpaccio, or made into bresaola.
Horse fat is used in recipes such as "pezzetti di cavallo" (pieces of
horsemeat) and another favourite dish is horse in a bed of rocket,
dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Also in Veneto, horsemeat sausages called "salsiccia di equino'' or
salami, and thin strips of horse meat called "sfilacci'' are sold and it
has 8 per cent of the country's national consumption.
According to figures from the Italian health department the average
national consumption is around a kilo of horsemeat per year per person.
Italian newspaper websites carrying the report were flooded with
comments from angry readers in areas such as Veneto where horsemeat is
popular.
One person in Venice wrote: "Why is the government trying to abolish
something that is buried in the roots of Italian culture? If it is
banned it will just be driven underground and there will be a thriving
black market."
While another in Verona said: "Horse meat is part of the culinary
culture of my city. Politicians are always talking about the loss of
traditions but they are quite happy to get rid of this one when it suits
them."
However the proposal was welcomed by the Italian federation for equine
sports and animal cruelty charities who said it was "legislation that
had been long overdue".
Horse meat has been a delicacy in Italy since the Roman times although
during the Middle Ages Pope Gregory III did describe its consumption as
"abominable" but his calls for it to be shunned were ignored by hungry
peasants.
In 1928 a law was introduced by Benito Mussolini's Fascist government
that only specialist horse butchers could sell equine meat and they
could not stock other cuts.
In order to meet the high demand for horse meat in Italy more than
20,000 horses are imported from Poland and Eastern Europe every year.

Calder racetrack "pony boy" suspected of selling horses for slaughter in Miami

http://www.examiner.com/x-25445-West-Palm-Beach-Horse-Rescue-Examiner~y2010m2d9-Calder-racetrack-pony-boy-suspected-of-selling-horses-for-slaughter-in-Miami?cid=email-this-article

FW:EWA RELEASE | Horse Slaughter Trends from 2006 through 2009

Posted by: "horsehelping" horsehelping@gmail.com   eaglewhowatches

Sun Feb 7, 2010 3:55 pm (PST)
---
From: Vicki Tobin--wild horses<vickitobin@earthlink.net>;
Sent: Sun Feb 7 09:42:52 2010
To: Vicki Tobin--wild horses<vickitobin@earthlink.net>
Subject: EWA RELEASE | Horse Slaughter Trends from 2006 through 2009
The attached study by John Holland was released for publication. A PDF
version of the study is available at
http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Horse_Slaughter_Trends_2006-2009.pdf 
http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/ Equine Welfare Alliance

--
John Holland | Vicki Tobin | Laura Allen | Shelley Sawhook

Big Story

Canadian Food Agency Puts the Kibosh on American Horse Export for Meat Processing

EWA and Canadian Group Issue Joint Release

CHICAGO, (EWA) – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued the long awaited health requirements for all horses bound for slaughter in Canada. In 2009, 56% of the 93,812 horses slaughtered in Canada were U.S. exports.

The requirements posted on the CFIA website state, “Effective July 31, 2010, it will be mandatory for all CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible purposes to have complete records for all animals (domestic and imported) presented for slaughter.”

A January 21 st article in the Western Producer indicated that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was cooperating with the CFIA. When contacted on January 28 th to determine how the USDA was cooperating, Dr. Cordes, National Equine Coordinator, stated that compliance was Canada’s responsibility.

The European Union (EU), FDA and CFIA regulations have prohibited the slaughter of animals for human consumption that have ever received prohibited substances, but until now, there has been no serious attempt at enforcement.

Of particular concern is the common and widely used prohibited drug Phenylbutazone, also called PZB or Bute. “PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, states Equine Welfare Alliance’s (EWA) Food Safety Subject Matter Expert, Dr. Ann Marini , Ph.D./M.D. PBZ is used so prolifically in the racing industry that its administration before a race is noted on racing forms at many tracks.

Also listed is Clenbuterol, one of the most effective FDA approved drugs for treating COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder), a debilitating condition common in horses. Anabolic Steroids such as Winstrol, commonly used in racing and performance horses are also banned, as are drugs used by horse breeders to regulate estrus cycles.

Unlike the EU countries that electronically track veterinary records from birth, the US and Canada have no such system for horses, since they are not raised as food animals. Many slaughter bound horses have had multiple owners, and without a tracking system, it is impossible to guarantee that the horses have not been given prohibited substances. Also, most horse owners do not intend to send their horses to slaughter, as they unknowingly end up in the slaughter pipeline when sold to unscrupulous buyers or are taken to auctions where they are purchased by kill buyers.

The CFIA announcement states, “These new requirements are only the first step towards strengthening Canada's food safety and traceability system for equines.” The EU has indicated this was part of a three year plan to bring third countries into complete compliance with current EU standards. This would mean that horses presented for slaughter will eventually require documentation from birth, assuring they have never received banned substances.

During 2008, in response to the closure of the three US based slaughter plants the previous year, the export of US horses for slaughter in Canada and Mexico soared to over 77,073 and 56,731 respectively. However in 2009, as the world economy declined, exports dropped by 20%. “The only practical means to meet these requirements is quarantine”, explains EWA’s John Holland, “and we estimate that will double the cost of these horses, further reducing the demand.” The CHDC’s Sinikka Crosland added, “The welfare of the horses has not been considered, and horses in quarantine feedlots will be at huge risk of sickness and suffering”.

A Discussion Paper will be released by the EWA and CHDC in the coming days, detailing concerns with the newly announced regulations.

The EWA and CHDC have always warned that our equines are not safe for human consumption and implores Congress to step up to protect the health safety of foreign consumers by passing the legislation before it (HR 503 and S 727) that will stop the export of American horses.

CHDC and EWA urge all horse owners to end their horse’s life by humane euthanasia as we do for all non-food animals in America.

I saw this on Times Online and thought you might be interested

Posted by: "Nancy Foster" njfoster@centurytel.net   nancii44889

Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:54 pm (PST)
Horses as courses may end under French pet protection Bill
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6968034.ece

Landrieu to Speak at Kick-Off Ralley on the Hill

Landrieu to Speak Out Against Horse Slaughter
Joins members of Congress, celebrities and the Humane Society at press conference tomorrow.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., will join representatives from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), members of Congress, celebrities and representatives from the agriculture and horse industries at a press conference tomorrow in support of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727), a federal bill to prohibit the trafficking in horses for slaughter for human consumption in the United States and the export of horses for this purpose. The group will also call attention to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel and unnecessary wild horse roundups, calling on BLM to place a moratorium on these roundups until it has a plan in place for contraception and release or adoption of these horses.

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503/S. 727) was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to protect any horses from being slaughtered here in the United States and to spare horses from being transported over the border to foreign slaughter plants. In 2009, more than 90,000 American horses were exported for slaughter—the majority shipped in long-distance transport to Mexico.

Fw: Missouri bill introduced and great rebuttal to Salazar Editorial

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:39 am (PST)
----- Original Message -----
From: vicki tobin
To: vicki tobin
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 10:01 PM
Subject: Missouri bill introduced and great rebuttal to Salazar Editorial
This is from Laura Allen at Animal Law Coalition. We suspect we'll start seeing quite a few of these from the anti-horse states. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1160 HB 1747 introduced by MO state Rep. Viebrock that would authorize the state of MO to pay for USDA inspections and otherwise allow the state dept of ag to register, certify and regulate horse slaughter facilities.
Show MO Legislators Why They Should Oppose H.B. 1747
Posted Jan 24, 2010 by lauraallen
o Horse Slaughter
Missouri state Rep. James Viebrock has introduced a bill, H.B. 1747, that would authorize registration and inspections for commercial horse slaughter for human consumption.
The bill proposes that the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture would register commercial horse slaughter operations and certify "that the parts of horses to be processed are fit for human food, and the processing establishment to be operated complies with ... sanitary standards". All registration and inspection fees collected" would "be paid to the director of agriculture and deposited into the state 'Horse Meat and Product Fund'". Annual inspection fees would be used "to pay for USDA inspection of horse meat products and horse meat processing facilities."
According to the bill, H.B. 1747, "the [state] director [of Agriculture] shall make all necessary inspections and investigations" and the USDA would also have access "at all reasonable times to any building, room, vehicle, boat, or other premises in which any horse carcass, horse meat, or horse meat food product is processed, packed, transported, sold, exposed, or offered for sale at retail."
The USDA would be free to pay for samples or specimens of the carcass or "product" to determine if there are violations of USDA regulations.
The new law would have requirements for labeling, remedies to protect against adulteration, misbranding, failure to label or brand, or unfitness for human consumption. Places that serve horsemeat would be required to post conspicuous warning signs.
The proposal, of course, is simply another tactic to try to create a market in the U.S. for horse meat or at least pretend there is one with the hope of forcing a return of horse slaughter to this country. This bill is similar to a number of bills and resolutions introduced in 2009 in an effort to defeat the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, now pending in Congress and which would make it illegal to "possess..., ship..., transport..., purchase.., sell... deliver..., or receive" in interstate or foreign commerce any horse "with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption".
Right now, commercial horse slaughter for human consumption is illegal in the U.S. though horses can be transported to other countries, typically Mexico and Canada, for slaughter. Since 2006 Congress has de-funded ante-mortem inspections required to slaughter horses for human consumption. Congress continued the de-funding in the 2010 Appropriations Act, Sec. 744.
In 2007 a federal court rejected an attempt by the USDA to allow horse slaughter operators to pay for the inspections. The USDA is currently not authorized to conduct ante-mortem inspections of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. Without those inspections, it is illegal under the Federal Meat Inspection Act ("FMIA"), 21 U.S.C. §§601(w)(1), 603, to slaughter horses for human consumption.
If this bill becomes law, it is not clear the USDA would authorize Missouri state inspectors to conduct the required inspections. The funds to pay for the state as well as USDA inspections would come from horse slaughter operators, the same situation in the previous litigation. The judge in that case found the USDA violated the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706 and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. § 4321, et seq., by failing to consider adequately, or, really, at all, the environmental impact of its action in allowing horse slaughter operators to pay for their own inspections.
Also, there is strong opposition to horse slaughter in the U.S., and the goal is to pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, to end this brutal practice altogether for all American horses. A similar bill passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority in 2006, a vote of 263 to 146, but was never voted on in the Senate.
In 2007 a law in Texas, Texas Agriculture Code §§ 149.001-.007 was found to ban horse slaughter for human consumption and was upheld by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. A ban in Illinois, 225 ILCS 635, on horse slaughter for human consumption was upheld in 2008 by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. These state laws and court rulings closed the 3 facilities that were still slaughtering horses in the U.S.; those facilities were located in Texas and Illinois. (Go here to read about and help oppose state Rep. Jim Sacia's effort once again to overturn the Illinois ban on horse slaughter for human consumption; the Iliinois legislature and Illinois voters have never supported this effort. )
Horse slaughter is also illegal in California, CA Penal Code § 598c ("unlawful for any person to possess, to import into or export from the state, or to sell, buy, give away, hold, or accept any horse with the intent of killing, or having another kill, that horse, if that person knows or should have known that any part of that horse will be used for human consumption"). A Mississippi law, MS Code §75-33-3, states that the "term 'food unfit for human consumption' shall be construed to include meat and meat-food products of horses and mules.". In Oklahoma, 63 Okla. Stat. §1-1136, it is "unlawful for any person to sell, offer or exhibit for sale . . . any quantity of horsemeat for human consumption."
In 2009 the Rhode Island House of Representatives issued a resolution in support of a federal ban on commercial horse slaughter for human consumption. A bill is pending in New York to ban commercial horse slaughter or trade in horse meat for human consumption. A similar bill remains is pending in Wisconsin, S.B. 142.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you live in Missouri, find your state representative here. If you don't live in Missouri, well, this bill affects horses in your state, so find Missouri representatives here. Everyone, write (letters or faxes are best) or call and urge these representatives to vote no to H.B. 1747. Please be polite. Tell them horse slaughter is a seedy business that is cruel and inhumane; there is no way to make horse slaughter profitable and also humane. Americans don't consume horsemeat, and these facilities are generally owned by foreign investors that ship the horsemeat products overseas where they are consumed as delicacies in expensive restaurants. The profits go overseas as well...Local governments can't even collect sales taxes from them. There is no benefit to any community from a horse slaughter facility. Go here to read about the experience of the mayor of Kaufman, Texas when a horse slaughter facility operated there. There was no economic benefit, only financial hardship, pollution, and a town plagued by horrific smells and blood and waste in the streets.
Go here to read how you can help pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, now pending in Congress.
This is an excellent rebuttal to the Salazar Editorial
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-carone22-2010jan22,0,4417485.story
Give wild horses their land back
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's plan for managing the American mustang population repeats past failures.
By Jack Carone
January 21, 2010 | 5:35 p.m.
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's ode to the "majestic" wild horse, and his description of how the federal government must manage its population in his Jan. 14 Times Op-Ed article, comes across to the average reader as a reasonable and sympathetic approach to the problems faced by the American mustang. What Salazar doesn't mention is that the bureaucracies now under his control -- and the business interests they service -- have created the problems the Interior secretary says he wants to solve.
Today, like any population that stands in the way of those who covet their land, the wild horses continue to be removed from their range land and tragically herded down the trail to oblivion. With little basis in sound science, the horse has been scapegoated for environmental degradation. Meanwhile, government audits have found that the Bureau of Land Management has been curbing wild horse populations in areas where private livestock grazing is increasing. Cattle grazing on public land -- easily a much bigger cause of rang land deterioration -- outnumber wild horses by at least 200 to 1.
Salazar writes that since the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted in 1971 -- which allowed wild horses to live free on lands where they existed at the time -- the Bureau of Land Management has helped wild horse populations thrive and recover. Salazar has a curious definition of "thrive" and "recover." Since 1971, the BLM has systematically whittled away the act's protections, with about 47,000 wild horses now kept in short- and long-term holding pens and just 31,000 left roaming free on public lands.
Salazar's suggestion that horse adoption is part of the answer is perhaps his most outrageous one. In 1997, a BLM official told the Associated Press that roughly 90% of adopted wild horses ended up going to slaughter. While some horses are adopted and do adapt to a domestic lifestyle, tens of thousands remain in holding. The government spends more than $30 million a year to house captured horses, a useless expense considering that there is no need to find new land for the American mustang. The land designated for them in 1971 hasn't gone anywhere; instead, wild horses have been permanently removed from nearly 20 million acres of their original herd areas. Some of these lands have been sold and made available for livestock, but they have never been reopened to the horses.
We do appreciate Salazar's interest in "new partnerships" and "new thinking," and we certainly look forward to working together on a viable alternative to the current management paradigm. But using progressive language is a far cry from implementing an ethically sustainable program. Indeed, a U.S. District Court judge recently said that Salazar's proposed "plan" to relocate wild horses to holding facilities in the Midwest and east of the Mississippi River violates federal law.
Salazar encourages the public to get involved by coming out to the range and helping to care for the horses. This is a nice sentiment, but does Salazar seriously think he can address a "problem" that includes thousands of animals and hundreds of thousands of acres by getting a few environmentally inclined Americans to visit the range?
Perhaps most poisonous is the BLM's misrepresentation of wild American horses as an invasive species. In reality, horses originated in North America between 1 million and 2 million years ago. These ancient North American horses, which are believed to have died out around the end of the last Ice Age, are biologically the same as the horses that arrived here about 10,000 years later. Native to this continent, the horses that have returned to their natural state over the past few hundred years, on our vast remote ranges, represent the current adaptation of the North American wild horse.
The BLM must halt its horse roundups until the population of wild horses and burros on public lands can be independently assessed. It ought to abandon its haphazard way of corralling and housing horses and perfect methods to progressively manage populations on the range.
A 1990 study by the U.S. General Accountability Office has already found that cattle and sheep grazing -- not free-roaming wild horses -- damage range and riparian areas the most. Old and failed policies must stop now so that we don't continue to create bigger problems.
Secretary Salazar, please stop galloping in the wrong direction.
Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Need Calls to Congress on Horse Hearings:

 The House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold a hearing on H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, on Tuesday, February 2, at 4:00 p.m. 
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Read Animal Law Coalition's report below for more on this bill, H.R. 503.
Call or write members of the Subcommittee and urge them to vote yes on H.R. 503, to prevent cruelty to horses used for human consumption. (Click on the link by their photos for contact info! Letters or faxes are best.)
Please call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at               202-224-3121         202-224-3121 and ask for your U.S. representative.  Ask your representative to "Please cosponsor and push for the passage of H.R. 503 to prevent cruelty to horses used for human consumption". Or fax or email your representative. Click here to find and write your U.S. representative. 
Original report: The Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act has been re-introduced in the House as H.R. 503 by Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Dan Burton (R-IN). The Senate version introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) is S.B. 727.  
The same bill was introduced late in the last session of Congress in the House and passed the Judiciary Committee, but did not receive a vote by the full House before the end of the session in 2008. 
Under this bill it would be illegal to "possess..., ship..., transport..., purchase.., sell... deliver..., or receive" in interstate or foreign commerce any horse "with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption".  It would also be illegal under this bill to trade in horse flesh or carcass for the purpose of human consumption.
Violators face fines and jail time up to 3 years. If, however, the violator has no prior convictions and is moving 4 or fewer horses or less than 2,000 lbs of horse flesh, the jail time is only a year. 
This section would be added to federal laws specifying crimes involving animals in Title 18 Chapter 3 of the U.S. Code.
Because this bill involves the federal criminal code, it has been assigned to the House Committee on the Judiciary chaired by Rep. John Conyers.
Anti-horse slaughter bills have typically been treated as agricultural legislation. In the last session, for example, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 311, was stuck in a House agriculture subcommittee. (The Senate version was on the calendar for a vote, but then Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) (yes, that Larry Craig...) threatened to put a hold on it if the bill came up for a vote. (Craig is now gone from the Senate....) Two thirds of the senators are needed to co-sponsor or support the bill to override a hold.)

This bill, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, proposes to amend the criminal code which means it is assigned to the Committee on the Judiciary, not Agriculture. If the Committee on the Judiciary can pass this bill as it did in the last session, it can proceed to a vote on the House floor.

From Pro Slaughter Ohio Farm Bureau

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:36 pm (PST)
Bills may soon ban horse slaughter Published Jan. 15, 2009 | Discuss
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buckeye-Farm-News/37369002926?ref=ts>
this article on Facebook This article has 0 Comments <#comments>
Buckeye Farm News
Two major pieces of legislation banning horse slaughter are expected to
be reintroduced in early 2009. Farm Bureau strongly opposes legislation
to restrict equine processing or export for processing with the belief
that banning horses from slaughter infringes on producers' rights to
manage livestock according to commonly accepted agricultural practices
and sets a dangerous precedent for banning other foods for reasons other
than food safety or public health. Farm Bureau also believes a ban does
nothing to improve horse welfare because it ignores the underlying
problem of unwanted, unmanageable and abandoned horses. None of the
proposed bills addresses the welfare of the horses that cannot be
slaughtered or exported. The Animal Welfare Council estimates it would
cost $1,900 per year to house and feed each unwanted and abandoned
horse, not including veterinary or farrier services. Farm Bureau
continues to work to prevent such legislation.

Please send to TX contacts.  Thanks.   

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Russom rich@russom.com
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 7:46 AM
To: Rich Russom
Subject: PROTEST IN TEXAS AGAINST THE BLM ACTIONS
Importance: High

From: Anti-Fur Society [AntiFurSociety@msn.com]  

Dear Jane and Tiffany,

It's been just about two years since our big cyber protest and the demo at the Mexican Embassy--for the horses!  I wish we could've continued with the pressure, but as we all know, things don't always go the way we expect.  Never giving up though--we may go down kicking, but kicking!  : )

I am writing to you and a few other activists on bcc who may either live or know activists in Texas.  The group formed around the time we were protesting against horse slaughter is going well, with some very strong horse activists ready to work hard for the horses.  http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/STOP_HORSE_CRUELTY/

The hot subject now as I am sure you know is about the BLM that is destroying our wild horses and burros to give room to interest groups. We all know where those horses will end up, right?  At the Mexican slaughterhouses!

Protests are beginning to happen in various parts of the country, in fact there will be one in NY this weekend.

The activists are trying to form a group in Texas to protest the BLM actions.  So, would you all be able to help attract enough people to protest in Texas?

Please let me know at your convenience.

Rosa

new sign ons for hr503

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com

Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:08 pm (PST)
We are now moving to 178 co/sponsors.. What is even better one supporter
is from Ohio home of Sugarcreek Auction home of Baker.. new ones are
below
Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] - 1/12/2010

Rep Owens, William L. [NY-23] - 1/12/2010

FYI.  Please participate and forward.  Thanks. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Russom [mailto:rich@russom.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:43 PM
To: Rich Russom
Subject: Stop IL state Rep. Sacia’s effort to repeal the IL ban on horse slaughter for human consumption!
Importance: High

Stop IL state Rep. Sacia’s effort to repeal the IL ban on horse slaughter for human consumption! Despite failing in 2008 and 2009 to pass a repeal of the IL ban on horse slaughter for human consumption, Rep. Sacia is trying again. Go here for more information and how you can help stop this latest bill.  http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1138  

Rich Russom

FW:Viebrock backs bill for horse slaughterhouses

Posted by: "horsehelping" horsehelping@gmail.com   eaglewhowatches

Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:59 pm (PST)
------
From: vicki tobin<vickitobin@earthlink.net>;
Sent: Tue Jan 12 07:55:20 2010
To: vicki tobin<vickitobin@earthlink.net>;
Cc: <>;
Subject: Viebrock backs bill for horse slaughterhouses
This is a long article so please go to the site to read. It is full of
misinformation. Please comment at the site!
Viebrock backs bill for horse slaughterhouses
Bill aims to bypass ban on horse meat inspections.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100112/NEWS01/1120348/1007/Viebrock-backs-bill-for-horse-slaughterhouses
Vicki | <http://www.vickitobin.com/> A Voice for Our Horses
<http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/> Equine Welfare Alliance

Good News out of Washington,DC:

Good news this week from Washington!
Freshman Congressman Bill Owens (D-23) - just won the tight special election in NY's 23rd Congressional District -  co-sponsored HR.503 The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (federal horse slaughter ban) this week.
We love to see a district turn pro-horse. The 23rd district had been pro-slaughter w/ former Rep McHugh. Heartfelt thanks to Congressman Bill Owens and to all who advocated for the horses. 

Plus, we've also added 4 additional new co-sponsors for NY. 

·  We now have 25 out of 31 NY Congressional Districts co-sponsoring, and both NY Senators, too.

ACTION: Can you call and thank our 5 new NY co-sponsors?  Time: About 7 minutes.
Let them know we appreciate and support legislators who support the horses.
When you call... please let the aide know if you are a constituent, and say the number of the Bill - HR 503 - The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, the Federal horse slaughter ban.  Thank them for co-sponsoring HR 503, and ask for support to move to the House floor for a vote. Be polite and make friends. 

1) **Bill Owens (D-23) co-sponsored 01/12/10   DC: 202-225-4611   Fax:  202-226-0621**
2) Paul Tonko (D-29) co-sponsored 10/27/09   DC: 202-225-5076    Fax: 202-225-5077 
3) Louise Slaughter (D-28) 11/18/09    DC: 202-225-3615     Fax: 202-225-7822
(Rep Slaughter has a masters degree in public health, you may want to mention environmental pollution from the plants, health risks from drugs banned from food supply in horses)
4) Nydia Velázquez (D-12) 12/16/09    DC: 202-225-2361    Fax:  202-226-0327
5) Edolphus Towns (D-10) 12/16/09    DC:  202-225-5936    Fax: 202-225-1018 
People have been asking about getting back to work passing the Federal horse slaughter ban. You got it! We're working on both issues, mustangs and domestic horse protection. Helping one will help the other. 
Thank you - Susan

Homeless YES! "Unwanted" NO

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:27 pm (PST)
Homeless YES! "Unwanted" NO
Have you or someone you know been misled or duped about horse slaughter? Horse slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. The so called "unwanted horse problem" is a phrase coined by the AAEP to support their position in favor of horse slaughter. You may be a follower, or be a member of one of the entities listed below and not even realize that they are actively fighting to reopen horse slaughter plants in the US. You or an entity you belong to might even be parroting their favorite pro slaughter argument; the so called "unwanted horse problem". You may be supporting an entity that has aligned with UHC's position even though you remain adamantly against horse slaughter. Your own rescue organization may even be listed on the Unwanted Horse Coalition's website as a supporter without your knowledge or permission…
Please Beware!!
Pro slaughter proponents have one of the strongest lobbyists around; the Ag Department. (The US Department of Agriculture)
A Partial Listing of some of the entities that support horse slaughter, or that are listed as member organizations of the Unwanted Horse Coalition (a pro slaughter proponent) are listed below:
* AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners)
* AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
* The Unwanted Horse Coalition
* UOH (United Org of the Horse)
* United Horseman's Front
* AHC (American Horse Council)
* AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association)
* American Humane Association
* Various State Horse Councils
* American Paint Horse Association
* The Farm Bureau
* BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
* The Jockey Club
* California Thoroughbred Breeders Association
* Arabian Horse Association
* Maryland Horse Breeders Association
* TWH Breeders Association
The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) supports horse slaughter, and the UOH (United Org of the Horse) works to restore horse meat processing (horse slaughter) in the US; and control the so called overpopulation of wild and feral horses on federal, state, tribal, and private lands.
For a more complete list of entities that are on record as supporting horse slaughter, click here.
Don't be duped by pro slaughter attempts to misinform the public. The UOH (United Org of the Horse) claims that Tribal horse people from across the Nation have joined their cause. They also claim that name celebrities have been paid off to advocate against animal cruelty... But these things are NOT true.
WFLF suggests that all anti slaughter rescues double check the UHC list of so-called supporting rescues to see if they are listed there. If you find someone you know that is listed on the UHC website, but in reality is against horse slaughter, let them know.
WFLF HUMANION FILMS covers the topic of the “unwanted horse” in the feature documentary film "SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES A NATION BETRAYED". Due to escalating activities of the pro slaughter proponents we are heightening exposure on this aspect prior to the release of the film to further protect equines from this barbaric industry. Please visit our website to learn more.
Support the WFLF "WANTED HORSE CAMPAIGN". Stomp out cruelty. The "unwanted horse" argument is a pro-slaughter position. Slaughter makes cruelty profitable. Please support the WFLF "Wanted Horse Campaign". Together were are their voice and they need to be heard.
WFLF
http://www.savingamericashorses.org/home.html
http://wflendangeredstreamlive.org/savingamericashorses.html

http://wildforlifeactionnews.blogspot.com/
Our policy for recognizing those AGAINST Horse Slaughter embraces integrity, a clear and unwavering support for the CAUSE; not a co-mingling of values. If you or your entity is connected to, or aligned with pro slaughter proponents and or their view point we may not be able to recognize you as an anti- slaughter supporter. If you notice a banner displayed on our Recognition page for an entity that seems to support horse slaughter please let us know. Thank you for your support in this CAUSE.

Opposition to Equine Transport and Processing Bans

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:22 pm (PST)
Here is a list of entities who are pro-slaughter.
I am sadden to see the TWH Association as part of this group.
Marge
http://www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org:80/index_files/banopposition.htm

Vt. farm that sells horses for slaughter spurs controversy

Posted by: "Beth (:" fatoldfarmwife@verizon.net   bethofneer

Tue Jan 5, 2010 5:29 pm (PST)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11773987 

Good News for Dec

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:29 am (PST)
Evening All''
First let me say Im so sorry Im not so active on the group, but will
always at least try to update the group on our horse bills etc.
Now for the Month of Dec we have 9 new co/sponsors for our horse bill HR
503 which now makes us at 176 Please Please dont stop calling the
officals.
Pro slaughter are getting burned out they know our support is growing
and officals are growing as well.
Do note we are all Non Paid supporters and the Pro slaughter get paid
one way or another either by Overbreeding or supporting breeders for
profits or Pro slaughter vets in the field that get paid at the auction
houses. Not to mention the haulers and buyers. New supporters are...
Rep Frelinghuysen, Rodney P. [NJ-11] - 12/11/2009

Rep Himes, James A. [CT-4] - 12/15/2009

Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] - 12/16/2009

Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5] - 12/16/2009

Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] - 12/16/2009

Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 12/16/2009

Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] - 12/16/2009

Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 12/16/2009

Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1] - 12/16/2009
Kudos everyone
Sincerely Tommy Lee

interesting story about slaughter in Europe

it's not just the U.S. that conditions are bad
http://www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk/wehts.htm
Lillian

 horsemeat falling off French menus

Posted by: "May S." mayleen@gmail.com   funchy_crunchy

Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:20 am (PST)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5BE3Q720091215
"PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Many people love horses and traditionally, many
French people have loved them even more with a side of salad.
That passion, however, has slowed to a trickle in the last couple of years
as crisis-hit French consumers buy less meat and years of campaigning by
animal rights groups take effect......"
---
May Snyder
The Equihab Foundation
(443) 466 - 4087
111 S Main Street, North East, MD 21901
For more information & regular updates, visit: http://www.equihab.com

R-

forwarded message:

Thanks to Susan in NY for breaking this most welcome news!

http:// www.nyra. com/aqueduct/stories/Dec102009.shtml (remove spaces)
NYRA Introduces Anti Slaughter Policy for all NYRA Tracks (Saratoga, Belmont, Aqueduct) 
Thanks to producer Kathy Barran’s wonderful 2 part story on WNYT/NBC News Channel 13  and people getting involved and speaking to NYRA. There will be a follow up piece tonight on News Channel 13. We are moving forward!

Vicki Tobin

forwarded by:

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org (no spaces)

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

From against slaughter list:

My Gift to you for the Holidays.... ....the entire MESTENGO documentary
During the Holidays I cannot help thinking of the over 33,000 wild horses and burros in government (BLM) holding pens. Facing mass slaughter, cold, families torn apart, castrated and confused on why the humans are doing this to them.
All I ask from you this Holiday season is to go to Reinfree.org  "ACT NOW" tab and take action to restore protection to the wild horses and burros and stop horse slaughter. Also, donations are appreciated so we can continue educating the public on the saga of the Wild horses & Burros, take care of the wild mustangs we have rescued and possibly adopt some more. Just go to "Donate" tab on Reinfree.org.
Let us all send the horses and burros our love and positive energy this holiday season.....may they feel safe and protected and running free soon!
For the horses,
Sonya Richins
Executive Producer, Mestengo
Reinfree.org
Click on Link Below and View the ENTIRE Mestengo 26 minute documentary. Feel free to forward this to all your animal lovin' friends! Make some noise on facebook, twitter, the media etc. We are the horses voice.......
http://blustream.sendvideo.net/stw/index.php?p=gxxzsnk2cd3tjtsxwwkz

forwarded by

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals*
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org (no spaces)

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

http://www.animals-angels.com/index.php?pageID=690&synlink:docID=i8386&synlink:linkID=62

At the bottom of the page you have a link for a choice of the full 31 page report or the short version. I did the long report and it had pictures of some of the conditions they found. Very sad.

December 6, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland
Equine Welfare Alliance
540-268-5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Sinikka Crosland
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
info@defendhorsescanada.org
250-768-4803
Will American Congress and Canadian Parliament Allow Europeans To Consume Tainted Horse Meat?
CHICAGO, (EWA), - European horses sent to slaughter require a passport that chronicles every drug the horse has received since birth.
Canada and the U.S. do not regulate nor track this information in equines and American horse meat is potentially poisoning European consumers. Worse still, the American government is abetting the process. In 2008, 134,059 American horses were sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for consumption in the European Union with no regard as to the drugs they had received.
The EU is now insisting that the countries supplying this meat follow guidelines it issued in April, but it is apparently relying on the US and Canada for enforcement of an affidavit system.
For the past eight years, Congress could have ended the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in Europe. Despite strong bipartisan support, production agriculture has been allowed to stop the bills dead in their tracks preventing a vote on the floor of either one house or another.
On August 25, the Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) issued a press release questioning the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on how the European Commission (EU) guidelines issued in April would be enforced. The guidelines, issued to "third" countries outlined requirements for equines intended for food production, including a system of identity verification, a prohibition on banned substances and a minimum 6-month withdrawal period for drugs commonly used by American horsemen.
EWA has now learned the EU will accept affidavits from killer buyers and haulers employed by the offshore slaughter industry as proof that animals have passed the quarantine period.
It is inconceivable that the EU is prepared to trust the word of killer buyers and haulers, many with criminal records, to protect the health of European consumers. Currently, there is no mechanism in place to keep these profiteers honest.
The overwhelming majority of North American horses have received toxic wormers, drugs like phenylbutazone (PBZ), the "aspirin" of the horse world and even fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women - all banned substances in animals intended for food.
"PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans", says EWAs Food Safety Subject Matter Expert, Dr. Ann Marini, Ph.D./M.D.
EWA's Vicki Tobin added, "If these animals were livestock, the USDA would never allow them to enter the food chain in the United States. I don't understand how our government is allowing Europeans to consume horse meat with banned substances."
CHDC's Sinikka Crosland said simply "Drug-free equine meat from these horses is not an attainable goal, and without any enforcement mechanism the proposed system will be totally ineffective."
This year, a bill to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption has been delayed until March to allow the GAO time to study the impact that the closing of the US plants may have had on horse welfare. The study does not even address the tainted meat Europeans will be allowed to consume. The EWA implores Congress to pass the legislation before it (HR 503 and S 727) and stop the export of our work, sport, therapy and companion equines to slaughter.
www.equinewelfarealliance.org
www.defendhorsescanada.org
Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Animal Angels Reports

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Thu Dec 3, 2009 6:36 pm (PST)
Animals' Angels meets with European Commission to discuss horse meat
imports from Mexico
AA met with representatives of the European Commission Food and
Veterinary Office in Ireland on Nov 9 to discuss plans of action
regarding horse meat imported from Mexico and animal welfare concerns
documented by AA at the Mexican plants. AA is the first organization
invited to Ireland to talk with the EU Commission about these issues.
The meeting was also attended by the EU inspectors who had visited the
plants in 2008 and 2009.
We were eager to learn from EU officials about a 180 day quarantine for
horses intended for slaughter. The 180 day quarantine before slaughter
would allow harmful drug residues in horse meat to dissipate. The issue
of drug residue is of special concern to the EU and its consumers
because American horses, unlike Mexican horses, commonly and regularly
receive medications that are known carcinogens, etc.
However, the EU response was quite disappointing. EU officials informed
us that pending further evaluation and discussion, they will accept
sworn statements provided by kill buyers upon arrival at the slaughter
plant declaring the horses have been drug free for 6 months.
The rumored 180 day quarantine is not currently in place, nor does the
quarantine approach seem likely.
AA told EU officials this was unacceptable, that while the issue of meat
tainted with drug residues certainly needs to be addressed, there is no
way to verify the kill buyers' statements. True accountability is not
achieved nor are safety and liability issues resolved. However at this
point this is the EU plan.
On the other hand, we supplied EU officials with several pieces of
information that have raised their level of concern very significantly.
They were extremely surprised to learn that over 100,000 horses are
exported for slaughter from the United States to Mexico annually. For
the EU these numbers make the drug residue issue much more immediate
than if the horses were almost all from Mexico as had been their belief.
AA also showed the EU representatives the investigation report and video
of the inhumane treatment of horses at the Jerez slaughter plant. They
saw horses left in the kill box while workers went to lunch, the
slaughter of a horse with a broken leg, horses dragged by a wire around
the leg into the plant, mothers with new born foals in the slaughter
plant pens, downed horses and dead horses in the slaughter plant pens.
The officials and inspectors were extremely shocked by the evidence AA
had obtained. They admitted that their inspectors had never seen
anything like this during their visits at the plant. However, they said
it is not surprising since due to international trade regulations they
have to announce their inspections months in advance.
EU officials indicated that the evidence of inhumane treatment would be
the basis for a formal complaint which then would lead to an official
investigation at the Jerez plant. They were candidly appreciative and
encouraged AA to share any new evidence with them quickly.
We believe that it was crucial to establish an open dialogue with the EU
leaders since they have the power and the authority to change things
fast - especially regarding the ongoing suffering at the plant.
We plan to meet with the Dutch and the Belgian importers, confront them
with our findings and inform them of our meeting with EU officials.
Pressure will be high because European consumers are to date almost
completely unaware of the cruelties and dangers involved in the
slaughter of horses for meat.
AA went ahead and filed formal complaints with the EU and the Mexican
Secretary of Agriculture. We will unquestionably continue to work on
this issue.

Fw: AAHS and WFLF TEAM UP TO CALL ON ALL AMERICANS

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Fri Dec 4, 2009 10:53 am (PST)
"American's Against Horse Slaughter and WFLF Humanion Films team up to call on all Americans to help end the slaughter of all equines, both wild and domestic."
In a joint effort, both organizations are calling on all Americans to lend their voice to the CAUSE. Please help pass The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act HR503 and S727 and to increase awareness of the brutal practice of slaughtering American horses.
The legislation is pending in both the house and the senate and will prohibit the slaughter of American horses for human consumption, and end the transport of our American horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION
Please take a minute to see if your U.S. Representative is already a cosponsor of H.R. 503 and if your two U.S. Senators are co sponsors of S727. If your Representative and Senators are not yet cosponsors, please make a call and ask them to cosponsor the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.
To reach your federal legislators, please call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or for your convenience, ?you can use this toll-free number 800-828-0498 and ask for a legislator by name (or ask for extension, last 5 numbers of legislator's office phone)
About WFLF Humanion Films:
WFLF Humanion Films is in production on the feature documentary film entitled "Saving America's Horses A Nation Betrayed". The mission of the film is for the protection of all equines from slaughter. Through a focused look into the horse slaughter industry, this film seeks to advance compassion for horses, raise awareness for their suffering, and expose the corrupt driving forces supported by those who profit from the sordid practice of horse slaughter.
Humanion Films is the film label under Wild for Life Foundation (WFLF), a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty and protecting wildlife from extinction.
About AAHS:
Americans Against Horse Slaughter is a grassroots movement comprised of constituents from all 50 States. Their only mission is to end horse slaughter through the passing of Federal legislation.
This message was sent from Americans Against Horse Slaughter to redmm97@cox.net. It was sent from: Americans Against Horse Slaughter, 1551 Willow Pond Dr., Yardley, PA 19067. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below. Email Marketing by

Fw: EWA Alert - NTRA Comments

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Russom [rich@russom.com]
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 7:38 PM
To: Rich Russom
Subject: Fw: US horse advocates are called on by Canadian horse advocates to help stop slaughter in Canada
Importance: High

US horse advocates are called on by Canadian horse advocates to help stop slaughter in Canada!

Cross post and forward.  Help expose the truth about horse slaughter.
Dear Horse Advocates World Wide,
One of our associates, resides in Canada and is working to end slaughter there. She has alerted us of a special slaughter situation that needs immediate press. 
Though we are fighting to save America's horses in the US, the reality is that this is an international issue. Collaboration amongst horse advocates from around the world is what this CAUSE needs.

The Horse Riding Stable in Squamish, BC is scheduled to sell three three of their recently "used up" horses at the market Saturday Nov 28th for slaughter. Concerned Canadians are rallying to get media attention to help prevent this.

This kind of thing happens all across the US as well so let's help keep the momentum going to expose this aspect of the slaughter trade  and honor the citizens of Canada who are speaking out to help end horse slaughter.
Cross post and forward to friends, press and colleagues.  Help expose the truth about horse slaughter.
(Thanks to Amanda Daniell in BC Canada)
For all the horses and burros~
Katia Louise
Saving America's Horses A Nation Betrayed
--
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
CONTACT: Lucy Hulse, 604-815-8245 (cell); 604-815-0002; shine-lucy@hotmail.com (shine-lucy @ hotmail.com)

SQUAMISH RESIDENTS CLAIM SEA-TO-SKY STABLES IS NEGLECTING, STARVING ITS HORSES
Witnesses Say Abused Horses May be Sold for Meat Slaughter on Saturday, November 28
SQUAMISH, BC – This week, Squamish horse lovers came forward with shocking allegations that the Sea-to-Sky Stables (http:// www.seatoskystables.com/ ), a horseback riding ranch just outside town in Paradise Valley, is routinely neglecting and starving its horses. The horse advocates, including area resident Lucy Hulse, have urged authorities to intervene immediately to save the animals. Two other witnesses, who want to remain anonymous, have provided additional details to Ms. Hulse confirming long-term abuse of the horses.
On Friday, a constable with the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told Ms. Hulse she would work with local law enforcement to investigate the matter. Ms. Hulse told the SPCA she was especially concerned about the fate of the animals because the stables intends to sell off a few of the horses for meat slaughter on Saturday, November 28. Even if these horses are spared from slaughter, Ms. Hulse said the animals should be removed from Sea-to-Sky Stables because the horses – weakened from the neglect – are not likely to survive the winter. She urged officials to place the horses with a better home.
"These poor animals have been terribly neglected. And now that the Sea-to-Sky Stables has deemed the animals 'useless' they may be shipped off to slaughter," said Ms. Hulse, who was featured on Global TV in February about an unrelated neglected horse case in Squamish. "This is just so heartbreaking. These horses should be immediately removed from Sea-to-Sky Stables and be placed with homes that will properly care for them. Time is of the essence. I urge authorities to act quickly before it is too late for these horses."
Among the allegations, Ms. Hulse and the other witnesses said Sea-to-Sky Stables had:
·      Heavily overworked horses, giving the horses no days off in the summer
·      Provided little or no water to the horses even on very hot days
·      Provided little to no veterinary care for the horses. Witnesses said many of the horses are riddled with painful saddle sores from ill-fitting tack or have injuries that have gone untreated. They said the horses are plagued with worms, skin problems and other health concerns due to lack of adequate care and nutrition. Few have received vaccinations or regular check-ups.
·      Deprived the horses of food. Witnesses claim approximately 30 horses are provided significantly less food than they require to maintain healthy weight. Only the strongest few horses get what food is provided due to the herd dynamics. This creates very aggressive conditions when food is given. Often, the stable has simply forgotten to feed the horses. Some horses, especially older or weaker ones, have literally starved to death.
·      Provided little to no shelter for the horses. Older, weaker horses are not provided adequate shelter nor blankets and are exposed to the elements even in winter.
"Horses require a lot of attention, knowledgeable care, and love. These animals are living in third world conditions in a first world country and it is simply unacceptable.  They deserve better than to be neglected and then discarded like trash simply to make a couple of hundred dollars from the 'meat man'," said Ms. Hulse. "I will not stop sounding the alarm until these poor animals are placed in good homes that will provide them the specialized attention and care they so desperately need and deserve."

6 new sign on's for HR503

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:16 am (PST)
This is great news please continue to make your calls. The new sign on's
are.
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2] - 11/18/2009

Rep Grayson, Alan [FL-8] - 11/18/2009 

Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] - 11/18/2009

Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] - 11/18/2009

Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr.  [IL-2] - 11/18/2009

Rep Buchanan, Vern [FL-13] - 11/18/2009
This puts us at 167 co/sponsors

FW:Horse neglect case calls for horse slaughter in Nebraska (US)

Posted by: "horsehelping" horsehelping@gmail.com   eaglewhowatches

http://wnyt. com/article/ stories/S1221486 .shtml?cat= 10112
Posted at: 10/29/2009 4:04 PM
Updated at: 10/29/2009 5:18 PM
By: WNYT Staff
Horse Slaughter Legislation Tracker
Federal
U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 503)
Track the bill http://www.house. gov/
* Rep. Scott Murphy (D-New York, 20th Dist): Not a co-sponsor.
Murphy's office tells NewsChannel 13, "While no final bill has
come to the floor, Congressman Murphy feels that it would be
unfair to place further burdens on our horse owners, who are
finding it more and more expensive to care for their animals
during these tough economic times. As a result, some owners are
forced to cut feed, veterinary services and even abandon their
horses. Unwanted horses are often neglected and abused by owners
who lack the finical resources to care for them."
* Rep. Paul Tonko (D- New York, 21st Dist): Not a co-sponsor.
According to his office, Tonko supports the bill and has been a
longtime supporter of animal rights.
* Rep. John Conyers Sponsor H.R. 503: NewsChannel 13 contacted
Conyers' office to ask whey the bill has seen no action since
March. We were told they would get back to us but so far have
not.
U.S. Senate (S. 727)
Track the bill http://www.senate. gov/
* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- New York): Co-sponsor. On
October 22, 2009 her office told NewsChannel 13 there was a
secret hold placed on the legislation in the Senate. We did some
research and found secret holds are no longer allowed. A law
which was passed and signed in 2007 requires any senator placing
a hold on legislation to name themselves within 6 days.
* Sen. Charles Schumer (D- New York): Co-sponsor. On October
22, 2009, Schumer spoke with NewsChannel 13 via satellite. He
strongly supports this legislation. When asked why it's being
held up, he said they are trying to get unanimous consent to
avoid filibuster and they are three votes away. We asked about a
hold being placed on the legislation. He said it was a Democrat,
but they didn't yet have the name of the lawmaker. He said they
will soon because law requires them to give their name within six
days.
* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) : Sponsor. October 23, 2009
Landrieu's office told NewsChannel 13 they have been trying to
work with the Judiciary Committee to get the bill out of
Committee before the end of the year. They asked for a hotline,
which is a notice of intent to request that the legislation be
passed by unanimous consent. Each office receives the hotline
request and if a Senator is planning to object to the
legislation, they notify the cloakroom of their intent to object.
According to Landrieu's office, one office has notified the
cloakroom that they intend to object but that office is unknown
at this time. A hold on a bill only becomes public knowledge if a
live unanimous consent request was made on the Senate Floor. That
has not occurred yet.
* Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont): Chairman of Senate Judiciary
Committee. A spokesperson in the Judiciary Committee office tells
NewsChannel 13 that Leahy has cleared this legislation to be
discharged from the committee but there needs to be a unanimous
agreement for that to happen. They say somewhere along the line
there has been a hold placed on the legislation. Since Leahy has
cleared it, the hold issue goes to the Senate Majority office
(Sen. Harry Reid).
* Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada): Senate Majority Leader.
NewsChannel 13 contacted Reid's office and asked where the
legislation stands and who placed a hold on it. We received an
email saying the Senate was very busy and it's not clear when the
legislation would come to the Senate floor. As for the hold, they
said "... this is Sen. Landrieu's bill. You should contact
her office regarding this." We then asked if Reid supports this
legislation. We are awaiting a response.
* Secret Holds Legislation: This was created and signed into
law in 2007 to provide greater transparency in the legislative
process. We thought, since a secret hold may be at play here, it
would be interesting to provide you information on the law. Here
is a link to the text
.
State Legislation
New York State
Senate S3178 Prohibits the slaughter of horses for human
consumption
Track the bill
http://open.nysenate.gov/openleg/api/html/bill/S3178
* Sen. Frank Padavan (R,C 11th District): Sponsor. A spokesman
in Padavan's office tells us this legislation was first
introduced in 2004. Since then, it has passed in the state Senate
four times; 2005 (vote 59 to 1); 2006 (vote 59 to 0); 2007 (vote
60 to 1); 2008 (vote 58 to 0)
Assembly A3736 Prohibits the slaughter of horses for human
consumption
Track the bill http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A03736
* Assemblyman Deborah Glick (66th District): Sponsor. October
28, 2009 A staffer says this bill was first introduced in 2004
but has not yet made it out of the Assembly Agriculture and
Markets Committee. Staffer says they have a lot of people that
contact them in favor of this bill but the Farm Bureau opposition
keeps it from moving on.

forwarded by:

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals*
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org (no spaces)

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

3 more sign ons for HR503

Posted by: "Tommy Lee" phazzii@yahoo.com   phazzii

Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:03 am (PDT)
From 158 to 161 for our horse bill hr503 they are..
Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] - 10/27/2009

Rep Tonko, Paul D. [NY-21] - 10/27/2009

Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 10/27/2009

----- Original Message -----

From: charise demao

Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:59 PM

Subject: INTERESTING SURVEY<<<<<<< GOVERNMENT TO STUDY "UNWANTED HORSE "ISSUE

 interesting survey:

This is listed on a couple of sites.  Here's the link from AQHA.  I didn't know what topic to put this under.  It says in the article that they think the real story is the wanted horses.

http://www.aqha.com/news/2009PressReleases/102609equineindustrysurvey.html

Government to study "unwanted horse" issue:

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15163

http://tonko.house.gov/

 Three new congress reps have signed on to support HR503 - Prevention of Equine Cruelty Bill (prohibits selling, transporting, etc for slaughter for human consumption) This includes Paul D. Tonko from the NYS 21st District.   

Please send a note of thanks for his support. 

Good job Capital District !!

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals*
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org (no spaces) 

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Canada Horse slaughter updates

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:37 am (PDT)
Greetings from the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition!
2009 has so far been complex around horse welfare and slaughter issues. We have come to realize how closely our battle to defend horses in Canada is linked to unrelenting efforts to fight for horses' rights and to ban slaughter south of the border. Please read on to learn about the latest developments and what you can do to help.
EU Regulations Affecting Shipment of Horsemeat to Europe
On August 25th, the CHDC sent out a joint news release regarding the European Union (EU) April 17th notification to "third" countries that supply equine meat to the EU (including Canada). Requirements have been established by the EU regarding slaughter-bound horses, including the identification of horses intended for food production, a system of identity verification, a prohibition on the use of anabolic steroids & other prohibited drugs, and a minimum 6-month withdrawal period for veterinary medicinal products. The letter stipulates immediate steps required to implement a food safety program for countries supplying horse meat to the European Union. A link to our news release is here: http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/HorseGroupsCallonCFIAforAnswersonEUEquineFoodSafetyRequirements.html .
Dr. Claude Boissonneault of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) eventually responded to our letter of concern, "The European Commission (EC) requested that action plans for meeting the law requirements be submitted by July 17th, 2009. However, that deadline has been extended to October 17, 2009." To date there have been no updates to report. We will post news about any developments as they unfold. The understanding is that the CFIA is working collaboratively with stakeholders to enhance the Canadian system in an a effort to meet EU requirements. The stakeholders are abattoirs slaughtering horses, Equine Canada, Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada & Health Canada, and the Bureau of Veterinary Drugs.
According to the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (a pro-slaughter organization), the only steps being advocated at present are for people to maintain health records for their horses. A far cry from the conditions mandated by the European Commission!
Response from the RCMP
After analyzing our June 2008 investigative report "Black Beauty Betrayed" on Natural Valley Farms horse slaughter plant, the CHDC opened a police file at the Broadview, Saskatchewan RCMP detachment. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is an offence to willfully cause unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal. Film evidence obtained for the report provided proof that an investigation was in order, as several horses were beaten willfully while in the kill box, and five different Acts covering everything from animal welfare, transport of horses, humane slaughtering and environmental regulations were violated.
More than a year later, a response was finally received from the RCMP. In their letter to the CHDC, workplace inconsistencies and poor practices were acknowledged, however they were closing their file due to the closure of Natural Valley Farms. Any concerns regarding worker misconduct will have to be taken to the CFIA. To view the entire letter in JPG format, click here: http://defendhorsescanada.org/images/rcmpletter090902.jpg
Petition to MP Barry Devolin
On May 20th, supporter Denise Lockhart and CHDC director Shelley Grainger presented a petition that Denise gathered, containing over 400 signatures, to Ontario MP Hon. Barry Devolin of Haliburton - Kawartha Lakes - Brock. Way to go, Denise and Shelley! A follow up meeting on September 24th was successful and additional signatures were presented for a total of 585! Mr. Devolin promised to table the petition in the House of Commons. In addition, he promised to write to Minister of Agriculture, MP Gerry Ritz, concerning poor transportation standards and lack of enforcement of them for slaughter-bound horses, the European Union's April 2009 directive banning horsemeat containing drugs and certain contaminants from third country suppliers, as well as the ongoing issues and concerns around horse slaughter.
We are awaiting Mr. Ritz's reply to Mr. Devolin's October 5th letter. Clearly, more pressure on individual ministers is required if we are to alleviate the suffering of our horses. We would ask that as many supporters as possible start gathering signatures on petitions with the intention of presenting them to your MP. The more signatures that they see, the more the Canadian government must pay attention to this issue. Here is a link to a petition template you can use: http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/pdf/sp070403.pdf. The CHDC would be glad to assist in your efforts to gather signatures and present them to your MP. Please feel free to contact us at info@defendhorsescanada.org to get involved.
Wild Horse Shootings in Alberta
In April, the CBC reported on the investigation into the shooting of another 3 wild horses near Sundre , Alberta . This brings the total number of horses shot and killed in Alberta , to over 22 in the last 4 years. For more on this disturbing story and about how to help Canada 's wild horse population, please visit the Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS) at http://northernhorse.com/wildhorses/ . WHOAS is offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps solve these killings.
Statistics
Statistics from Agriculture Canada reveal that between January and July 2009, 31,140 horses were imported into Canada for slaughter from the US . During all of 2008, 42,319 horses were imported for slaughter. These tragic numbers reveal that US horse imports are on the rise. Interestingly however, statistics for all horses to slaughter in Canada (up to August 2009) are down 17% over 2008. Up to August last year, 72,191 horses met their death in Canadian slaughterhouses. In 2009, the number to the end of August was 60,478. While this number is down marginally, there are still over 1,775 horses going to slaughter every week in Canada !
US Mustangs
Many of you may have been following the situation in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana involving the legendary stallion, Cloud, and his herd. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced a new initiative that includes the "possible creation of wild horse preserves on the productive grasslands of the Midwest and East". However, the Cloud Foundation is concerned that the BLM is not following the law in the management of America 's wild horses and burros, and the Foundation questions why new preserves should be created. Instead, why not return the horses to their native lands? Currently 32,000 wild horses are in government holding pens. To read more, please visit the website of the Cloud Foundation at: www.thecloudfoundation.org. You can sign the petition located on the right sidebar, as well as call the offices of President Obama and Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior.
US Agricultural Act Passes Senate
We are encouraged by news from south of the border regarding USDA inspections at horse slaughter plants. On October 8th, the US Senate passed the final version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R. 2997). This bill was subsequently approved by the House of Representatives. In a nutshell, it prohibits any funds to be used by the USDA to inspect horsemeat for human consumption and therefore effectively bars horse slaughter plants from operating in the US for the fiscal year 2010. The bill awaits Presidential approval.
Subsequently, an October 15th Associated Press article quotes Montana Rep. Ed Butcher (leading supporter of re-establishing horse slaughter in America) as saying that French and Belgian companies didn't express much interest in a possible plant in Montana. For more insight into developments south of the border.
Horse Protection Initiatives
TRACS (The Responsible Animal Care Society) has launched a new program designed to help speed up the rate of adoptions from qualified Canadian rescue centres, and to alleviate the suffering of elderly, lame and ill horses at risk of being shipped for slaughter. For more information, please visit: www.tracs-bc.ca .
Horse Welfare Workshop - Sunday, November 15th
On Sunday, November 15th, CHDC Director Shelley Grainger will be conducting a workshop for people to learn and network on horse welfare issues. Topics to be covered include petitioning and meeting with your MP, horse auctions and transportation issues, operating a horse rescue, obtaining non-profit charity status and fund-raising ideas. This afternoon session will take place at Royal Canadian Riding Academy (RCRA) in Cedar Valley , near Newmarket , Ontario . Please contact Shelley directly at sgrainger2434@rogers.com to confirm your attendance to what promises to be an informative afternoon.
Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farm Animals (CETFA)
Our friends at CETFA have a very informative web site: www.cetfa.com . CETFA is an investigative and educational organization established to examine intensive farming practices, hazards to human health and environmental impacts. They've put out an excellent flyer titled "Black Beauty Betrayed" that can be printed out and distributed (Warning - graphic content): http://www.cetfa.com/files/The_Life_of_a_Slaughter_Horse_Food_Facts(1).pdf .
AND just in time for Christmas, visit the CHDC Shop at Cafe Press
The CHDC's mission is to protect and defend the horses of Canada from abuse, neglect and slaughter. All proceeds will go to work immediately to further this mission. Select from dozens of shirts, hats, sweatshirts, home and pet items at http://www.cafepress.ca/chdc . Help display the message while looking cool!
Your continued involvement in horse protection efforts is so important and so appreciated. Let's keep the momentum going!
For the horses,
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
info@defendhorsescanada.org
www.defendhorsescanada.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Russom [mailto:rich@russom.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 3:10 PM
Subject: Saving America's Horses - CROSS-POST!
Importance: High

This is what we are now facing…Please note date. 

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov09/091101m.asp
November 1, 2009 ~ Congress requests GAO study on horse welfare

Industry associations support the initiative

Two years after the last U.S. horse slaughter plant ceased operations, the government wants to look into the implications the closures have had on horse welfare.

Congress has requested the Government Accountability Office to study the issue and report its findings by March 1, 2010.

Specifically, the GAO is to look into the following:...  (Click to read more.) 

Here's the most recent info I forwarded on this subject: 

-----Original Message-----
From: sandra [mailto:sandra_spaymart@att.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:34 PM
To: sandra_spaymart@att.net
Subject: ALERT - Fw: Horse Slaughter - Re: HR 503 and S 727 - Ask legislators to vote "YES"

Note message.  It's very important to participate, so please do and forward widely.  Thanks.   

To identify your federal legislators and find contact info:
Congress.org - http://www.Congress.org
USA House of Representatives - http://www.house.gov
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121 

If in LA:

Sen. Mary Landrieu: (504) 589-2427

Sen. David Vitter: (504) 589-2783

Rep. Steve Scalise (if he's your rep.): (504) 818-2245

-----Original Message-----
From: Rich Russom [mailto:rich@russom.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:43 AM
To: Rich Russom
Importance: High

Call your legislators and ask them to vote "Yes" on HR503 and S727 - Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009.  For more information on what you can do, go to:

HorseKillers.com 

SOME INFO FROM THE LINK:

(Click link above for more) 

Important Update!
Monday, February 16, 2009
We Must Now Fight Horse Slaughter State by State

The Horse Slaughterers' Strategy

State legislators have been introducing pro horse slaughter resolutions on behalf of foreign investors anxious to defeat H.R. 503.

These resolutions and bills are a not-so-subtle ploy by the foreign investors that own horse slaughter houses to defeat H.R. 503 which would ban the sale, transport, and possession of horses in interstate and foreign commerce for slaughter for human consumption.

Even without H.R. 503, horse slaughter cannot occur legally in the U.S. There is no point in states appropriating tax dollars for studies when currently horse slaughter for human consumption is not allowed in the U.S. These resolutions will simply insure horse slaughterers can continue to take American horses to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.

The number of states taking part is alarming. They are: Arizona, Tennessee, Utah, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, and Illinois.

Read all about it here and PLEASE take action.

HorseKillers.com

The fight for horses is not over! To stay on top of the latest legislation to ban (or legalize) horse slaughter in the U.S. go to our "Latest Updates" page. To find out more about what you can do to help horses, click here.

hi all  - this is interesting timing, with some tribes hoping to re-open slaughterhouses...also on 11/5, obama is having a conference w/the tribes in DC. 

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/living/reviews/63995517.html

best - deanne

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6873678.ece

American Horse Council Washington Update

WASHINGTON, (AHC) - On October 8, 2009, the Senate passed the final version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.2997).  The House of Representatives approved the bill the previous day.   This bill provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for fiscal year 2010 and contains two provisions of interest to the horse industry.
GAO Study of Horse Welfare
The conference agreement accompanying this bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the status of horse welfare as it relates to the closing of horse slaughter plants in the United States.  
The agreement requests the GAO to issue a report by March 1, 2010, on the current state of horse welfare in the US since horse slaughter facilities were closed.  The GAO is instructed to consider how the horse industry has responded to the plant closings in terms of horse sales, exports, adoptions, and abandonments.  In addition the GAO is instructed to review the impact the closures have had on farm income and state and local government organizations.
USDA Inspection at Plants  
The bill also contains a provision prohibiting any funds from being used by the USDA to inspect horse meat for human consumption.  While there are currently no plants operating in the in the United States  that process horses for human consumption, this bill effectively bars  any such plant from operating in the U.S. for  fiscal year 2010.
This bill will now proceed to the President for his approval, which is expected.   

Montana horse slaughter plant bill courts Chinese investors

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Fri Oct 2, 2009 4:54 pm (PDT)
Author of Montana horse slaughter plant bill courts Chinese investors
By MIKE DENNISON Missoulian State Bureau | Posted: Thursday, October 1, 2009
HELENA - As the new state law to encourage construction of a horse slaughter plant in Montana takes effect this week, its sponsor said he's exploring whether Chinese investors might be interested in building a plant here to export horsemeat to the Far East.
Yet Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, acknowledged that any such plans are a long way off, even if he can help arrange a visit by Chinese business interests.
"You have to work on their timeframe, and they're very cautious," Butcher said. "These people are good businessmen. You have to be able to present a very logical business proposal."
Butcher and others hoping for a horse slaughter plant in Montana also face another considerable hurdle: Federal law effectively bars the U.S. Department of Agriculture from inspecting such a plant, and any meat shipped overseas for human consumption must be inspected by the USDA.
Congress in 2006 approved language in a spending bill that says the USDA cannot provide inspection for horse slaughter plants.
"Distribution of products derived from horses for human consumption, in interstate or international commerce, is effectively barred," said a spokeswoman for USDA.
If horses are to be slaughtered in Montana or anywhere in the United States for human consumption, the market is overseas, in Europe or Asia, Butcher said.
Regarding the federal ban on inspections, Butcher has acknowledged the problem, but said getting his bill into state law is "just putting the first step forward."
Butcher's bill, passed by the 2009 Legislature and effective Thursday, says once a horse slaughter plant gets its required air, water and other state permits in Montana, a state court cannot block construction if those permits are challenged.
It also says if anyone challenges the proposed plant's permits, they must post a bond equal to 20 percent of the estimated cost of building the plant.
"We finally put in a law to the point where we can say, 'Look, we've got the protections here, if you can meet all the environmental regulations, you can go ahead and build the plant,' " Butcher said.
Butcher has said a horse slaughter plant in Montana would fill two vital needs: economic development for rural Montana and a badly needed place for people to dispose of horses they no longer need.
Because no horse slaughter plants exist in the United States, there is a national epidemic of abandoned horses, he said.
"Only about four to six horses out of every 10 born actually become usable animals," he said. "This is the thing the animal rights people don't understand: Every horse that's born doesn't turn into a Trigger or a Black Beauty. They're animals. Some of them are usable and some of them are not."
Opponents of Butcher's bill argued during the Legislature that other, more humane ways exist to dispose of unwanted horses.
Three Montana towns - Hardin, Conrad and Wolf Point - have expressed interest in hosting a horse slaughter plant, he said.
Harold Olson, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Pondera County in Conrad, said the city has studied a slaughter plant site north of town, and this year had a consultant examine how the site could accommodate horse slaughtering.
"We're waiting for someone to step forward and say, 'We'd like to consider your site,' " Olson said. "We've done the legwork."
Butcher said French and Belgian companies that distribute horsemeat in Europe already have plants in Canada and Mexico, and haven't expressed that much interest in Montana recently.
That's why Butcher said he's turned his efforts toward China or South Korea, and hopes to bring a Chinese businessman to Montana sometime this year. China uses 160,000 tons of horsemeat a year, he said.
"It's a normal menu item in restaurants, particularly in the northern provinces," Butcher said.

Special Announcement!

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:06 pm (PDT)
Dear members of Americans Against Horse Slaughter,
As you all may know, we are an all volunteer, non funded grassroots organization that encompasses constituents from all 50 states and abroad. We have no other agenda but to end horse slaughter and the cruel transport of our American horses across our borders for slaughter.
We have never asked you for a donation nor will we in the future. It is because of our wonderful volunteers we are able to continue offering you information and education on how you can lend your voices to help the cause.
With that being said, in an effort to help raise mass awareness for our horses who continue to suffer a cruel and brutal death, we are encouraging you to take a look at a film that is currently in production called Saving America's Horses and the profound collaboration that this project has achieved.
Saving America's Horses is a full length documentary feature film that depicts a Nation betrayed, a country divided and recounts the cruel and inhumane journey our horses endure until they reach their brutal death in slaughter houses for the sole purpose of dinner plates overseas.
The film's mission is to protect all horses from slaughter. Please take a moment to learn about the filmmaker, the advisory board members. Your help in the form of donations and/or in-kind donations will help WFLF complete this film and support their efforts to bring this film to completion for viewing in the film festival circuit and and theaters across the country.
Some of the Honorary Board Members who have come on board to help support this film include Celebrities, Paul Sorvino, Tippi Hedren, Linda Gray and well known musician/entertainer Maria Daines.
You can view the trailer here: http://www.savingamericashorses.org/issuetrailerflv.html
*The official film trailer is expected to release in November*
SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES A NATION BETRAYED
EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
PAULA BACON JOHN HOLLAND NENA WINAND LAURA ALLEN SHELLEY ABRAMS JULIE CARAMANTE
Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Americans Against Horse Slaughter
Debra
Associate Producer
Humanion Films
Saving Americas Horses A Nation Betrayed
This message was sent from Americans Against Horse Slaughter to redmm97@cox.net. It was sent from: Americans Against Horse Slaughter, 1551 Willow Pond Dr., Yardley, PA 19067. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below. Email Marketing by

They just put the bill on the calendar and it could come up today, Tuesday. They have several other bills to do, so the vote may not come until tomorrow. You can watch/listen to floor happenings at this link:
http://www.ilga.gov/house/audvid.asp
Please, keep the calls and emails going until the vote has transpired!
Contact info for reps:
http://www.barntowire.com/stophorseslaughter-Illinois-reps.html

Hi Folks,

As some of you know, I was on Chase Adam’s radio show “Five State Live” Saturday.  Chase is the CEO of American Horse League an organization formed to fight for the preservation of horse slaughter.  He was a very cordial host and let me make my points. 

There were several callers hostile to me, but that largely served to bring up good topics of conversation.

 It is an hour long show. You can listen or download from this link.

 http://www.kbhbradio.com/podcast.kbhb?f=2528

Chase will be our guest on Howling Ridge Radio this Wednesday.  I hope everyone will tune in and/or call in.  I have promised him that it will be as polite as he was to me.

Wednesday, Sept. 2^nd, 9:30PM EDT

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Howling_Ridge_Radio

John

Hi Folks,

This could be the most important release to date.

For those of you who missed last week's program you should click on the "interview" link below.  The mystery guest was Henry Skjerven, a former director of the Natural Valley Farms slaughter operation in SK, Canada!  You will not believe what Henry had to say! 

John

---

August 3, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: John Holland                             

540.268.5693                            

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin                             

630.961.9292

vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

New EU rules may end slaughter of American Horses

CHICAGO, (EWA) – The European Union (EU) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have announced that the rules on slaughtering horses for human consumption are about to change radically due to concerns regarding contaminated horse meat.

The new EU rules will become effective in April, 2010, requiring that either the animals have complete health records showing they have not received banned substances or a 180 day quarantine for the horses. Claude Boissonnealut, head of the CFIAs red meat programs, has indicated that Canada will likely abide by the 180 day quarantine.

Equine welfare advocates have warned of the contamination of American horse meat for years. Substances banned from food animals range from wormers to phenylbutazone (PBZ), the “aspirin” of the horse world, and even include fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women. “PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, says EWA’s Professor of Neurology, Dr. Ann Marini, MD/Ph.D.

But the list of contaminants is not limited to conventional drugs. “Some of the garbage ‘treatments’ that are given to performance horses included iodine-peanut oil injections along the spine, anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and even snake venom”, explains Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DVM at Tufts University. “None of these are helpful to the horse and some, in the short or long term, are positively harmful.”

The new rules will mean that horses coming from auctions and other sources in the US will have to be kept drug free on a feedlot for half a year. Producers estimate that feeding horses that long will more than double their cost, making them less competitive with horses from other sources. And that is likely to be only half their problem.

EWA member Christy Sheidy, of Another Chance 4 Horses, routinely rescues slaughter bound horses from Pennsylvania’s New Holland auction. Sheidy warns, “Outbreaks of diseases like strangles and shipping fever will be inevitable. Left untreated, many horses may die before they can be slaughtered.” Treating the horses would restart their quarantine time.  

In recent years, European authorities have cracked down on horse meat producers within the EU, requiring a “passport” system that specifically documents whether a horse has received such substances. Owners must state that their horses are intended for slaughter.

USDA statistics show that in 2008 the US exported 56,731 horses to Mexico and 77,073 horses to Canada for slaughter, resulting in the second highest slaughter total since 1995. Diners abroad have no idea whatsoever what dangerous chemicals they are eating in the American horsemeat that is shipped from plants across our borders.

In an interview with EWA, Henry Skjerven, a former director of the Natural Valley Farms operation in Saskatchewan, Canada, said:  “Unfortunately, North America, US and Canada, were never geared for raising horses for food consumption. The system as it stood when we were killing horses was in no way, shape or form, safe, in my opinion.” 

Skjerven went on to say, “We did not know where those horses were coming from, what might be in them or what they were treated with. I was always in fear - I think that it was very valid - that we were going to send something across there [to the EU] and we were simply going to get our doors locked after we had some kind of issue with the product.”

Skjerven’s plant began killing horses in September of 2007 for the Velda Group in Belgium following the closing of their Cavel slaughter plant in DeKalb, Illinois. Natural Valley’s horse slaughter plant was closed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in January of 2009, over health issues.

Unlike Canada, horses going to Mexico are killed in two types of slaughter plants. The three largest plants export the meat to the EU and will fall under the same new rules. Mexican authorities have yet to announce whether their smaller plants, that provide meat for domestic consumption, will be required to follow the new rules.

“We don’t need to eat horses. Horses are for riding, jumping and doing a whole lot of great things. They’re not food”, concluded Skjerven.

www.equinewelfarealliance.org 

Please call Senator Gillibrand and then forward this to your friends, relatives and associates.

Robin

From: Mary Max [mailto:mrsmax@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:27 AM
Subject: We Must Stop Horse Slaughter!  

Urge Your Senators to Cosponsor Bill S. 727 to Protect Horses!  

Hi Everybody,  

Even though all three foreign-owned slaughter plants in the U.S. have closed, about 95,000 American horses are still subjected to intense suffering and abuse because they are now enduring very long journeys, cramped in trucks without any food or water, as they are shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada . Moreover, because Mexican slaughterhouses are ill-equipped, most horses aren’t being killed by captive bolt guns, but by being brutally stabbed repeatedly in their spines.  

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, S. 727, prohibits the knowing and intentional possession, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering, or receiving of a horse for slaughter. The inhumane transport over extremely long distances, combined with the horrifying methods of killing and difficulty of stunning equines prior to slaughter, are unacceptable conditions and must be halted immediately.  

WHAT WE CAN DO:  

FOR NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS:  

Please call Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (202-224-4451) to politely urge her “to co-sponsor The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, S. 727, which will finally stop American horses from being transported and slaughtered for human consumption abroad.”  

Note: Senator Schumer became a co-sponsor on July 14^th.  

FOR THOSE LIVING OUTSIDE OF NY:  

Please visit http://action.humanesociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=electedOfficials_federal

to find out who your two Federal/U.S. Senators are and their D.C. phone numbers. When calling, politely urge each of your Senators “to co-sponsor The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, S. 727, which will finally stop American horses from being transported and slaughtered for human consumption abroad.”  

As always, thank you,

Mary Max

forwarded by:

Robin J. Yager,  Director
Network Partners for Animals*
* We do not sanction any groups' ethics or actions and offer the Network Partners Group as a networking resource tool.

http://www.partnershelpinganimalscoalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

  (remove spacing)
Spring Farm CARES
3364 Route 12
Clinton, NY 13323
315-790-1404

http://www.springfarmcares.org

(no spaces)

Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants
happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so
do other creatures. ~ His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Report of plan for horse slaughter plant dismissed

July 25, 2009

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, in Oregon, have no plans to build a horse slaughter plant, it has been revealed.  

Prominent equestrian author, R.T. Fitch, has exposed information reported in a news story from July 18 as incorrect.  

The report said the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon, would attempt to reintroduce horse slaughter into the United States.  

"Native Americans and others are pushing for the renewed slaughter of horses in the US ... and processing them into meat," the original report said.  

It said the plant was being considered for a reservation north of Madras, as recommended last spring by a coalition of Northwest tribes.  

"No, we are not making any plans to build a horse slaughter plant on any reservation," said Tim Outman, field representative for the Warm Springs Tribe's Department of Natural Resources. 

Putting all cultural and moral conflicts aside, Outman said, "Who would invest $US8-10 million into building a facility where there is absolutely no market?

"Shipping horse meat is against federal law. We have no idea what, where or who, is perpetuating this misinformation.  

"This sort of journalism does nothing to further the cause and public relations of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs," said Outman.  

Animal Welfare Institute head Chris Heyde has also voiced his anger at the report, telling an Oregon news organisation that he spent a great deal of time on the phone with the reporter providing the facts and evidence "dismissing the misleading claims put forward by individuals more interested in abusing horses than advancing the truth".  

"However, what does he do? Prints rhetoric," Hyde continued.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/07/147.shtml 

NATIONAL CALL IN DAY FOR THE HORSES

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:31 pm (PDT)
----- Original Message -----
From: Americans Against Horse Slaughter
To: redmm97@cox.net
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 5:45 PM
Subject: NATIONAL CALL IN DAY FOR THE HORSES
Dear friends,
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 14th as this is a very important day for our horses.
If you cannot attend this special Lobby day "Horses On The Hill" in D.C., please show your support by calling your Representative and Senators.
The link below will give you all the information you need whether you're attending the event and/or making those important phone calls.
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/567
Please pass this email on to your family, friends and co-workers.
May the horse be with you.
Most Sincerely,
Americans Against Horse Slaughter

FW: Please send to everyone!

Posted by: "BHFER" bhfer@earthlink.net   horsn4fun

Tue Jul 7, 2009 8:37 pm (PDT)
See below. Senator Mary Landrieu is attaching an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill which will criminalize the
transport, possession, sale or purchase of horses with the intent to process for human consumption!
Please CROSSPOST and give her a call if you can and tell her office that you support this amendment 100%.
I just received confirmation from Paula Bacon.
We need to show our support for this-big time. Cross post to your groups and let all of our legislators know that we support this and want it passed NOW! Be sure to call Landrieu and let her office know that we support her 100% in this.
AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION ACTION ALERT
Louisiana Quarter Horse Owners & Members:
We need your assistance this morning. AQHA has been advised Senator Mary Landrieu may try to offer an amendment to the Ag Appropriations bill which would criminalize the transport, possession, sale or purchase of horses with the intent to process for human consumption.
Your U.S. Senator should focus on job loss, the economy or Federal disaster relief for victims still displaced by Katrina. She is more interested in crippling Louisiana agriculture even further by ignoring common sense and facts. Cases of abandoned and neglected horses in the past year have grown exponentially-the economy, loss of processing plants and high feed costs have severely impacted horse owners, particularly in the state of Louisiana.
Call Senator Landrieu's office now at (202) 224-5824 and tell her horsemen care for their livestock and should maintain the right to make end of life decisions for that livestock. Tell her the horse industry cannot afford her brand of legislation!

Wanted: Vermonters to work Washington for ban.

Posted by: "Kathryn" ma4horses@gmail.com   autumnsmoke7

Tue Jul 7, 2009 7:59 am (PDT)
We're hearing from Vermont Rep Peter Welch's office that he is NOT
getting much input from antislaughter constituents (though he IS hearing
from plenty proslaughter constituents).
THERE IS ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE for the whole State of Vermont, so
EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN VERMONT is a constituent of his.
We're reaching out to those who live in Vermont and/or has any contacts,
family, friends, whatever, in Vermont, to PLEASE contact Rep Peter Welch
of Vermont and let him know you support HR 503 and, as a constituent,
are asking him to cosponsor the Bill. Welch did co-sponsor Conyers'
bill HR6598 last session, very similar bill text now as HR503.
Here is link to email him via his website (ANYBODY with a VT zipcode can
convey input in this manner):
http://www.house.gov/formwelch/issue_subscribe.htm
His office addresses and phone and fax contact numbers are:
Vermont Office
30 Main Street
Third Floor, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (888) 605-7270 (toll free in Vermont)
(802) 652-2450
Washington, DC Office
1404 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-4115
toll free switchboard: 800-828-0498 Thanks for forwarding, and for
helping.
--
http://www.americansagainsthorseslaughter.com/Services.html
"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how
they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
Anna Sewell, Black Beauty, 1877.

Please take action to assist federal investigation on slaughter!

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Tue Jun 23, 2009 5:59 pm (PDT)
Please contact your Congressmen and Senators today and ask them to send a letter to the US Government Accountability Office's Acting Comptroller General. Their letter should express support for a 6/8/09 letter from two non-profit groups requesting an investigation of gross violations of law in connection with the slaughter of horses. This investigation is essential for the passage of a ban on horse slaughter, as USDA has failed to humanely regulate horse slaughter and can not do so in the future. Without letters from your Congressmen, this cruel industry and the government agency that manages it will not be investigated, and hell for horses continues.
To see the GAO request, go to http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/958 and scroll down to Attachments.
To see USDA failures (warning: graphic content) see: http://www.kaufmanzoning.net or http://www.animals-angels.com/index.php?pageID=684&synlink:docID=i8386&synlink:linkID=61
To find your elected members in Washington: http://www.votesmart.org
For more info, contact Kathryn at MA4Horses@gmail.com with Americans Against Horse Slaughter. Thanks for helping horses!

Proposed Legislation for introduction in the US Congress]

http://www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org/index_files/HORSEAct.htm

The H.O.R.S.E. Act of 2009 is being proposed to include the following:

· Requires that all horses to be euthanized must be humanely killed using a method that is approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). 

· Allows processers of horse meat to apply for and receive fee-based inspection services from the USDA and state inspection programs. Under this regulation, which is already in use for all species of non-amenable animals such as bison and pen-raised elk, the processor pays for the necessary food safety, live animal handling, and humane euthanasia regulation at the processing point, as well as the necessary coordination between USDA, European Union, Japanese, and other Asian food safety systems.

· Provides for the inspection and licensing of equine rescue, recovery, and retirement operations that are accepting unusable and unwanted horses, as well as horses that owners cannot support, for a fee or for no charge. Regulation will ensure horses are being cared for appropriately and that owner’s stipulations are being adhered to in terms of the disposition of the horses they have surrendered.

· Mandates the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to adopt and enforce all recommendations of the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Committee. The bill also includes a clear mandate to measure population numbers accurately and that the optimum numbers are not exceeded.  By strictly adhering to herd numbers in Horse Management Areas, the BLM can ensure the sustainability and ecosystem integrity of the resource base for horses, burros, native wildlife, and livestock. The H.O.R.S.E. Act of 2009 promotes reasonable attempts and creative programs that can be established to encourage the adoption or sale of all horses removed from BLM lands. The H.O.R.S.E. Act of 2009 clearly establishes that no wild horse should be held in a corral, feedlot, or pasture for longer than 90 days. Finally, the bill mandates that wild horses in captivity and not transferred to private ownership within 90 days shall be sold to the highest bidder without reservation, with all of the proceeds returned to improve the management and habitat for the wild herds.

· Tightens the current transport regulations regarding time in transit, number of horses in a truck, segregation of horses, and rest and watering stops for horses being transported for processing; strengthens the penalties for violations; and provides additional funding for USDA enforcement.

· Requires and provides for training and certification for employees at equine processing facilities involved in the actual humane euthanasia of horses prior to processing.

· Requires signage at auctions and sales facilities that do not have a $1,000 minimum bid requirement that indicate that horses sold may be humanely euthanized, and the carcass processed for meat and by-products including life-saving medicinal uses.

· Requires that sellers to processing facilities present the plant with a document stating that they consent to processing; if they have owned the horse less than sixty days (a “killer buyer”), they must present a similar document from the original seller, unless the horse was purchased at an auction with signage mentioned above.

· Requires inspecting horses at the plant and holding those with lip tattoos or microchips that match numbers or chips that an owner has registered with a national “do not slaughter” registry.  Such horses would be held for forty-eight hours to allow the owner to claim the horse and compensate the plant for its costs.

The H.O.R.S.E. Act of 2009 does not impede the market, transport, processing, or use of horses in any way. It does not take away the private property rights of horse owners. It does not eliminate the right of Americans to decide how, or if, they choose to market or consume horse meat.  The Act will encourage and not defeat the efforts of states, tribes, and private citizens to implement services, facilities, and options for all horse owners. Nor does it impose egregious financial and regulatory burdens on either horse owners or taxpayers. The H.O.R.S.E. Act of 2009 does not require American taxpayers to pay for the care of excessive and unrealistic numbers of wild horses and burros on our public lands or for care of the Nation’s unwanted domestic horses.

Please encourage people not to sign this as it is very pro slaughter!

ATTENTION anyone that adds there name to the list please post it here or email me.  I am trying to help Chris update.

Even if you have sent in a letter in previous years please zip off a quick email to Chris confirming your support the ban on horse slaughter.

See below for email and information needed.  Please help : )

Thank you!!

Dear Horse Advocate:

As we all know, those individuals and organizations actually involved in the horse industry and the equine rescue and welfare community are in strong support of ANY federal legislation to end horse slaughter.

For years we have been building a list of organizations and leading horse owners who are opposed to horse slaughter and who support ALL efforts to end this terrible industry including passage of federal and state legislation.  These are people and organizations who are directly involved with horses and in ensuring their welfare and protection.

In contrast, the pro-horse slaughter camp draws more on organizations that have no involvement in the horse industry.  For example, why would Ringling Bros. have a say in supporting horse slaughter?  This group is currently in federal court over charges of elephant abuse.  Why would a poultry association care about ending horse slaughter?  They do so simply because of their traditional and entrenched opposition to any animal welfare provision.

We want to add to the list of organizations opposed to horse slaughter and that support any and all efforts to ban this practice one and for all.

If you represent such an organization please send us an email (chris@awionline.org) (chris @ awionline.org) with the following information and we will add you to the list of supporters in favor of any effort to end horse slaughter.  Be sure to put “Please add us to the list opposing horse slaughter” in the subject line.

Name of organization

Your name and title

Address

Telephone number

Website

Email

Are you or your group a member of any organization claiming to be pro-horse slaughter?

Short quote on horse slaughter

Hundreds of horse related organizations are already supporters of our efforts to end horse slaughter.  Please add your group to the list and show you support for America’s horses.  Help be part of the solution. Join us and the majority of Americans who are fighting to end this cruel and predatory industry.

Thanks, Chris

"A Horse that is slaughtered has NO chance of being rescued, a Horse in a field does."

Exposure of the cruelties of horse slaughter will save the horses!!! 

Lucille Matte

Warning-pictures are graphic.  Equine Rescue, Inc is the rescue involved and need donations of money and equipment and supplies.

Mike and Chris Dodge
Founders
H.O.R.S.E. Rescue & Sanctuary
http://www.hrsny.org

----- Original Message -----

From: charise demao

To: chris ; tracy/AWI ; amdef fund ; sheiser@aldf.org ; jackie beckstead ; nan perry ; stacy hsus ; elaine sloan ; Lauren Maruskin ; keith dane ; frog pond rescue ; sterling silver farms ; manes and tails ; project Sage ; hr sanctuary ; tina johnson ; dawn walsh ; Shirley Allen ; mattonco@prodigy.net ; endurance riders ; meadow gate ; flequestrain ; horsesareforme@yahoo.com ; laura@barndoorstudio.com ; laura boothby ; project hope ; standrdbrd retirement fndtn ; paula bacon ; robyn day ; deanne stillman ; equinerescueresource@hotmail.com ; ten mer ; cr mtn ; abigail hornik

Cc: pets alive

Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 5:19 PM

Subject: Unspeakable horror in Middletown Ny for 2 horses

Friends,I really thought had seen it all when it comes to horse abuse and w/ only the ex ception on the 800 USDA photos of slaughter houses -I think I now have.(regarding the 1st photo) Do not look at this while you are eating. or right b4 u go to sleep tonite.

Please refer to contact info at the bottom of this link's page.I hope everyone can take a few minutes to call or email.This one deserves phone calls(in my opinion.Keep in mind this was done by a 58 yr old female physicist.

TYPE IN:  http://www.petsalive.com/leecruelty.htm

Montana Quarter Horse Association

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Tue Jun 2, 2009 5:54 pm (PDT)
Breed group named as "driving force" behind slaughter law
May 22, 2009
The Montana Quarter Horse Association (MQHA) has been named by the Equine Welfare Alliance as a key driver of a law that allows construction of a horse slaughterhouse in the state.
The alliance has released an email sent to a mailing list by Montana Quarter Horse Association president Stan Weaver.
Alliance representatives John Holland and Vicki Tobin said, in their view, Weaver appeared to be rejoicing that Montana may be home to a horse-killing plant.
The bill, sponsored by Representative Ed Butcher, has proved controversial on several levels.
Montana Governor Schweitzer returned the bill to the state legislature over concerns it limited citizen's rights through courts to challenge construction of a plant.
However, both houses returned the bill unchanged. Schweitzer's decision not to sign the bill meant it passed automatically into law.
The alliance says the new law has left many Montana legislators and citizens shocked that their state might soon be known as the new "home of horse slaughter".
"Montana has enacted a probably unconstitutional statute that denies due process under the United States Constitution," Holland and Tobin said in a statement.
Horse slaughter, they said, will tarnish the "Big Sky" brand and everything it stands for, from cattle to tourism.
"History has shown that such plants bring nothing but pollution and controversy. Montana law makers failed to ask themselves why Texas and Illinois, and now Saskatchewan Canada, have rid themselves of the industry."
Weaver's email praises members for pushing the legislation while discussing the haste with which it was put together.
Weaver describes how the MQHA and Ed Butcher had come up with the idea for the bill just weeks before it was introduced.
Weaver wrote: "I also would like to thank the Montana Quarter Horse Association and its Board of Directors for letting me represent them in this endeavour. It was at a meeting of these folks on Sunday, February 8th that the whole idea was born. At that meeting it was decided unanimously that we would support the Horse Processing bill, and I agreed to write a letter [to be sent] to our members. The effort and email list just grew from there."
"This magnificent breed," said Holland and Tobin, "touted as the most versatile of all horses, is being sent to slaughter in record numbers. In fact, half of all horses sent to slaughter each year are American Quarter Horses.
"Weaver is apparently so enamored at the prospect of a slaughter plant to butcher Montana's Quarter Horses that he ponders writing a book that will contain all the emails and letters in support of horse killing."
The pair accused the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) of continuing to promote indiscriminate breeding.
"Last year, when other businesses were reducing production, AQHA management and its member breeders continued their mad quest to grow revenues by registering 140,000 new foals, an increase of 5000 more horses over 2007," they said.
In his speech before the 2008 annual convention, Bill Brewer, the AQHA?s then executive vice-president said, "Our challenge becomes looking at ways to introduce an equine economic stimulus package that will boost registration numbers."
Weaver?s ranch alone produces and registers 100 horses a year "and helps fill the AQHA treasury with registration fees", the alliance says.
It argues that vested interests promote stories that the United States is being flooded with tens of thousands of abandoned horses.
It was picked up by the Montana media and repeated without question, they said, even though county officials reported a total of only 14 abandoned horses in 2008. Yet little or nothing was reported on the breeding encouraged by the AQHA.
"According to Weaver, the next major AQHA effort will be to try to defeat the federal legislation that will end the slaughter of American horses; HR 503, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009.
The pair said they expected more of the "elaborate disinformation campaign" from pro-slaughter lobbyists.
Quarter horse breeding continues apace
» Horse slaughter in the news

AQHA Official Celebrates Pending Slaughter of Quarter Horses

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Thu May 21, 2009 8:36 am (PDT)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AQHA Official Celebrates Pending Slaughter of Quarter Horses
CHICAGO, (EWA) – In the aftermath of Montana Governor Schweitzer’s non-action, HB 418, a bill that bars Montana’s citizens from taking court action against the building of a horse slaughter plant, became law. This action has left many Montana legislators and citizens shocked that their state might soon be known as the new “home of horse slaughter”. Montana has enacted a probably unconstitutional statute that denies due process under the United States Constitution.
Horse slaughter will tarnish the “Big Sky” brand and everything it stands for from cattle to tourism. History has shown that such plants bring nothing but pollution and controversy. Montana law makers failed to ask themselves why Texas and Illinois, and now Saskatchewan Canada, have rid themselves of the industry. Who is to gain?
The Equine Welfare Alliance has obtained a document that answers this question. The mass e-mail was from Stan Weaver, president of the Montana Quarter Horse Association (MQHA) and is titled “HB 418 Final Comments – Success!!!!. Rejoicing in the news that Montana may be home to a horse killing plant, the MQHA president boasts that the MQHA was the driving force behind the passage of the law.
Weaver praises members for pushing the legislation while bragging about the haste with which it was put together. Weaver describes how the MQHA and the bill’s sponsor, Representative Ed Butcher, had come up with the idea for the bill just weeks before it was introduced. After that introduction, the bill was ridiculed widely as the “Montana Butcher Bill.”
Indeed, this is cause to rejoice for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the organization leading the effort to continue the slaughter of American horses for foreign firm’s profit. This magnificent breed, touted as the most versatile of all horses, is being sent to slaughter in record numbers. In fact, half of all horses sent to slaughter each year are American Quarter Horses.
Meanwhile, the AQHA continues to promote indiscriminate breeding.
Weaver is apparently so enamored at the prospect of a slaughter plant to butcher Montana’s Quarter Horses that he ponders writing a book that will contain all the emails and letters in support of horse killing.
Last year, when other businesses were reducing production, AQHA management and its member breeders continued their mad quest to grow revenues by registering 140,000 new foals, an increase of 5,000 more horses over 2007.
In his speech before the 2008 annual convention, Bill Brewer, the AQHA’s then executive vice-president said, “Our challenge becomes looking at ways to introduce an equine economic stimulus package that will boost registration numbers.” Apparently, that package includes killing off existing Quarter Horses to make room for more.
The AQHA and its allies have promoted unfounded stories that the nation is being flooded with tens of thousands of abandoned horses. It was a salient point made by supporters of “The Butcher Bill” and was picked up by the Montana media and repeated without question, even though county officials reported a total of only fourteen abandoned horses in 2008.
Yet the group and its apologists fail to mention the indiscriminate breeding encouraged by the AQHA and ranchers such as Weaver. Weaver’s ranch alone produces and registers 100 horses per year and helps fill the AQHA treasury with registration fees.
According to Weaver, the next major AQHA effort will be to try to defeat the federal legislation that will end the slaughter of American horses; HR 503, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009.
In their zealous quest to defeat HR 503, EWA expects more of the elaborate disinformation campaign from the AQHA and its lobbyists.
EWA wholeheartedly supports humane and responsible animal agriculture and is prepared to respond.
www.equinewelfarealliance.org
Contacts:
John Holland
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292
vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

From Laura Allen

TN state Rep. Frank Niceley’s pro-horse slaughter bill, very similar to the MT bill, has passed one committee and is now in another. It could be voted on at any time. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/903

 PLEASE CROSS POST

(Note from Brandi:  You can sign up for free and comment.  I did!!!)

New horse slaughter policy stirs debate in Oklahoma Some worry no-ki

Posted by: "Marge" redmm97@cox.net   redmm97

Tue May 12, 2009 6:43 am (PDT)
Same old bullshit from the Quarter horse folks!
Marge
New horse slaughter policy stirs debate in Oklahoma
Some worry no-kill policy leads to abuse, slow death and costly fees
BY SONYA COLBERG
Published: May 11, 2009
In Oklahoma, where there are more horses per capita than any other state, it isnt easy to decide what to do with a dangerous, old or severely ill horse that is on the brink of death.
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Some say the horse owners situation has worsened as the value of horses drops, personal wealth falls and U.S. horse slaughter plants have been closed since 2006.
State Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville, who has a horse and cattle ranching background, said Americas gone so horse crazy that the attitude is that horses are entitled to a guaranteed retirement.
"Youre sentencing a lot of them to a slow, miserable death. They lose their teeth as they age, they have to eat a lot to maintain their weight and ... many of them wind up slowly starving to death or freezing to death in the winter, he said.
When U.S. slaughterhouses closed, nearly 99,000 American horses were taken to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada last year and, ultimately, to someones dinner table in France, Belgium or Japan, said Nancy Perry, vice president of government affairs for the Humane Society of the United States.
"In the industry we think of as a predatory industry, the killer buyers come in to regular horse auctions and scoop up horses and take them away, said Perry, a former horse owner.
"The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act is designed to protect American horses from what Perry said undercover videos show is a terrifying trip down a foreign slaughter house ramp, where they flail and kick as they attempt to avoid being stabbed numerous times in the neck.
The recent proposed legislation is pitting horseman against horseman.
Perry said she has numerous statements from rescue workers saying they had been outbid for healthy horses by "killer buyers, as theyre called in the industry.
Several horse groups publicly have opposed any ban on horse slaughterhouses, citing unintended consequences.
The American Quarter Horse Association states the majority of its members oppose the legislation because more than 100,000 horses yearly would be at risk, horse cruelty and abuse cases would increase and the legislation would encroach on owners rights to choose how to dispose of unwanted or unusable horses.
Perry responded that many horses are stolen out of pastures and sold for horse meat and Californias horse theft dropped 34 percent after that states 1998 ban on slaughter. She also said if someone is going to abuse a horse, it typically has nothing to do with the economy.
Owners of Oklahomas aging or unwanted horses often face paying hundreds of dollars, roughly $500 or more, to have one of their horses euthanized and buried or hauled to a rendering plant.
Martin said once his wifes 23-year-old Arabian horse is ready, shes prepared to have it shipped to slaughter.
"Nobodys getting out of here alive, he said, "and that would have been a better end to that horse than starving it to death.
But Perry said, "Its especially cruel to suggest old and infirm horses should go to slaughter; theyre the ones who most need a quick death. I think the better thing is put a bullet between their eyes and let them go immediately.

I pasted info from the petition at the bottom, since there are links for two contacts we need to make.  Hope you'll also participate with that.  Thanks, and please forward. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan [mailto:davissd7@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 4:46 PM
To: Zelda
Subject: Need more signatures on Petition/STOP HORSE SLAUGHTER!!!!

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HORSES THAT WILL GET SHIPPED OVER BORDERS FOR SLAUGHTER IF WE DON'T STOP IT RIGHT NOW!  HORSES ARE BEING ABANDONED LIKE WILDFIRE AND WILL END UP SLAUGHTERED, THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE!!!!  SEVERAL USA STATES ARE TRYING TO BRING BACK SLAUGHTER HOUSES, IT IS IMPERATIVE WE STOP ANY OPPOSITION MOMENTUM NOW!   Please watch this very beautiful video, then sign petition and cross post! 

And below that take a look at Equine Advocate's brand new website and find out what you can do to get legislation passed!  Thanks for everything you do!

No graphic pics, lovely video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dx-Xu2Zyw

Please sign petition and cross-post!

 http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/sign-hr503.html

http://www.equineadvocates.org/index.html 

distributed by SDD (NY) 

FROM THE LINK:   

Stop the Horse Slaughter

631 Signatures

Published by Tanyia Altamuro on Apr 02, 2009

Category: Animal Welfare

Region: United States of America

Target: Obama

Web site: http://current.com/items/89920561/legislation_prev...

Background (Preamble):

H.R. 503 is the bill that's currently sitting on the floor of the US House of Representatives. Its predecessor, H.R. 6598, was not passed by the last Congress.
H.R. 503 will finally make it ilegal to transport all equines (horses, burros, donkeys) across US borders for the purpose of slaughter.
Every day that this bill is not signed, each day it is not law--horses are dying a painful, cruel, vicious, violent death. Greed is the root of this cruelty--soul-wrenching pain is the end result.
The ONLY ones who benefit from the slaughter of horses are the killer-buyers; New Holland and Texas auction houses--and the Ag lobbyists, who make obscene amounts of money working to convince Congresspeople that ending horse slaughter will eventually topple American agriculture.
That's a crock--a lie--a slippery slope of lies. Every check written to an Ag lobbyist is written in the blood of a dead horse.
Please contact your Congressperson, and tell them that you want them to sign this bill, and make it law.
Go to the 'site for Congress, and find your Rep. It will take you TWO minutes to call and tell them that you want H.R. 503 passed.
http://www.house.gov  

(You can also send your Rep an e-mail from here.)   
If you're outside the United States, we need your support, too! Please contact the United States Congress--most notably the office of Rep. John Conyers (Democrat/Michigan)--he's the good man who originated this bill. Please contact his office, via email or phone, to thank him; tell him that you're not an American--but that you're watching what the US is doing. America must be aware that the world is watching--Mr. Conyers cares about the horses, and he should know that you do, too.
(Rep. John Conyers:
Phone: (313) 961-5670
Website: http://capwiz.com/compassionindex/webreturn/?url=http://www.house.gov/conyers) 
Gandhi is quoted as saying,
"A society is judged by its treatment of its weakest members," and "A society is judged by its treatment of its animals."
Whichever is the correct quote--the great man was right.
And, that being the case--America, and those horsepeople who are willing to murder their horses for a few bucks--will be judged very harshly, indeed.