Kinship Circle | Letter Campaigns

3/20/09: Stop Horse Slaughter Blitz At State/Federal Levels

SOURCE OF INFORMATION / BACKGROUND

• Proponents of Horse Slaughter Flood State Legislative Agendas
• Promoting The Humane And Responsible Treatment of Horses
• PREVENTION OF EQUINE CRUELTY ACT

LEFT PHOTO: Foals at slaughter. RIGHT PHOTO: Horse injured on the way to slaughter. Promoting The Humane And Responsible Treatment of Horses

Those in favor of horse slaughter for human consumption claim U.S. slaughter plants are better regulated than kill floors in Mexico and Canada. Opponents of a horse slaughter ban contend abandonment/starvation of horses (because caretakers can't finance their care) is far worse than slaughter. This line of reasoning overlooks:

Americans don't eat horsemeat and the majority oppose killing horses for meat.
Horses aren't bred for meat and thus not checked for disease, pathogens prior to slaughter.
Animal abandonment is illegal. Offenders should be criminally charged, not permitted to profit from killing horses.
Cow and pig slaughter methods used on horses are inhumane for these long-necked, excitable animals.

There are too many horses due to overbreeding in industries such as Premarin and Prempro (HRT drugs from mare's urine); carriage horses; riding stables, etc. Rather than study feasibility of new slaughterhouses, proponents ought to question: "Why are so many animals sent to slaughter, starved or abandoned by owners who refuse to take responsibility for their horses' humane care?" SOURCE: www.navs.org/site/News2? news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=7757

State Bills Related To Horse Slaughter
To read a state bill, go here: www.navs.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=7757

SUPPORT New Jersey A551: Referred to Assembly Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee 1-8. Bans horse slaughter; horseflesh for consumption.

SUPPORT New York A3736: Referred to Committee on Agriculture 1-28.Prohibits slaughter of horses for human consumption.

SUPPORT Arkansas SCR 11: Read twice by Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development 3-5 Urges horse owners to take responsibility for the humane treatment and care of horses during this time of economic crisis.

OPPOSE Arizona SCM 1001: Senate first reading 1-29. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Arkansas HCR 1004: Passed House 1-29, read twice by Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development 1-29. Requests congressional support of horse processing facilities.

OPPOSE Idaho HJM5: 3rd reading in House 3-12. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation that interferes with a state's ability to direct the transport or processing of horses .

OPPOSE Illinois HB 583: Placed on House calendar for second reading and short debate 2-25. Repeals the state ban on the slaughter of horses.

OPPOSE Illinois HR 160: In House, referred to Rules Committee 3-10. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Iowa SR 16: Resolution filed, referred to Rules & Administration 3-9. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Kansas HCR 5004: Adopted as amended by Agriculture and Natural Resources 2-17. Resolution urges US Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Minnesota SF 133: Senate refers to Agriculture and Veterans 1-22. Resolution urging Congress to oppose federal legislation banning the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses to slaughter.

OPPOSE Minnesota HF 840: House first reading, referred to Agriculture, Rural Economies & Veteran Affairs 2-16. Resolution urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Missouri HCR 19: House pass 3-11. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Missouri SCR 8: Reported to House 3-5. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter.

UPDATE Montana HB 418 becomes a law: Gov. Brian Schweitzer's inaction causes HB 418 to automatically become law. Authorizes investor owned horse slaughter plants.

OPPOSE North Dakota SCR 4021: Passed Senate. Urges Congress to recognize the need for regulated horse processing facilities in the United States.

OPPOSE North Dakota HB 1496: Introduced 1-19, passed 2-18. Lets Department of Commerce conduct equine processing facility feasibility study.

OPPOSE South Carolina SCR 480: Senate referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources 2-25. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation interfering with a state's ability to direct transport/processing of horses.

OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 2: Senate adopted 2-3-09, House of Representatives Concurred in Resolution, Passed 2-5-09. Urges reinstatement and funding of a federal inspection program for horse slaughter and euthanasia facilities.

OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 4: Passed Senate 2-19, passed House 2-23. Supports transport of horses out of the state and country.

OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 10: Senate Adopt Resolution, Passed 3-10. Supports efforts in other states to address need for equine slaughter and processing in the U.S.

OPPOSE South Dakota SB 114: Senate appropriations deferred, passed 2-5. Provides for study of feasibility of a horse slaughter plant in South Dakota.

OPPOSE Tennessee HB 1361: Referred to Agriculture 2-19. Eliminates packaging and labeling requirements for horsemeat.

OPPOSE Utah HJR 7: Passed House. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and the export of horses for slaughter.

OPPOSE Wyoming HJR 8: Signed into law. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation that would interfere with a state's authority to direct the transport or processing of horses.

CONTACT INFORMATION + SAMPLE LETTER

CONTACT INFORMATION • Print/Send This Letter

1. Below is a sample letter about the FEDERAL (NATIONAL) Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503). You may use letter as written to send to your Representative and Senators in Congress, in Washington D.C.

2. There are also many STATE BILLS to facilitate horse slaughter. Take a minute to see if YOUR STATE is listed above. Modify the sample letter to include the name of the state bill and your argument against it.

— You have CONGRESSIONAL officials who represent you in Washington DC. These are your FEDERAL LEGISLATORS.

— You also have STATE officials who represent you in your state's capitol. These are your STATE LEGISLATORS.

LOOK UP CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOUR FEDERAL & STATE LEGISLATORS HERE:
• www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L
• www.votesmart.org/

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During campaigns, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Emails from government, corporate, or institute websites may be incorrect.

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SAMPLE LETTER • Print/Send This Letter

Dear Representative and Senators:

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503) is back on the legislative calendar, after moving through the Judiciary Committee with bipartisan approval in the last Congressional session. Please help pass this measure to ban the possession, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering or receiving of a horse or horseflesh for human consumption.

I am counting on you to support H.R. 503, reintroduced 1/14/09 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. and Rep. Dan Burton. I encourage my Senators to introduce and endorse a companion bill that also activates an export-for-slaughter ban on our nation's horses.

In 2007, state courts closed America's last three equine processors in Texas and Illinois. Still, the lack of a federal law let over 100,000 horses go to slaughter in Canada and Mexico in 2008.

To reach kill plants, horses are jammed in double-decked cattle trailers that hurt their heads and necks. Food, water and rest are withheld for 24 or more hours. Horses arrive weak and injured. Some are dead by journey's end. Others kept in the over-packed trailers endure hot or cold weather extremes. Horses who collapse are brutally offloaded.

Slaughter is excruciating for these easily excitable animals. Horses are goaded into the kill box with fiberglass rods. Workers pummel their faces, necks, backs and legs. The captive bolt pistols used in Canada often don't work on such long-necked animals, and leave them thrashing in pain.

In Mexico, killers use a "puntilla knife" to sever a horse's spinal cord. Investigative footage from a San Antonio News-Express expose in 2007 shows alert horses stabbed repeatedly around the withers. When a horse finally falls, he is merely paralyzed while workers dangle him by his hind leg and slit his throat. Some horses even remain sentient when dismembered.

Violent slaughter should never be an alternative to rescue, adoption or humane euthanasia. Furthermore, without a federal law horse kill plants may reopen in states where they are not currently banned.

As a constituent, I ask my Representative to back the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503). I urge my Senators to initiate similar legislation to end slaughter and domestic/global transport of horses for human consumption. Your feedback is very important to me.

Thank you,

EASILY PERSONALIZE AND SEND COMMENTS NOW

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DISCLAIMER: The information in these materials is verified with the original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use. Nothing on this website is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful activity. Nothing in this action alert serves to promote such conduct.

Kinship Circle cannot guarantee the validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Email addresses obtained from government or other official websites may be outdated or incorrect.