Take Action: Help End American Horse Slaughter

Horse slaughter fact: We are allowing our beloved American horses to be slaughtered for meat for human consumption. I will continue to write about horse slaughter until legislation is finally passed that puts an end to the horrendous mass murder-for-profit of innocent horses.

While the three foreign-based horse slaughterhouses in the United States that killed horses destined for European diners were closed in 2007, each year hundreds of thousands of horses continue to be shipped outside the country to Mexico and Canada where they are legally slaughtered.

Horses are not raised or bred for their meat. They are our faithful companion animals who have served us in so many ways. They have taken soldiers into battle and (in the far-off past) pulled fire trucks before gasoline engines were invented. These magnificent animals have helped to make our country great in a wide variety of ways.

They perform for us, they race and jump hurdles for us; they give us their all. They assist children and adults with physical and emotional disabilities, and aid in the rehabilitation of prisoners. But most of all, they bond deeply with us and give us their hearts.

With 92 percent of these horses determined by the USDA to be healthy and denied good homes (since horse rescue groups and legitimate potential owners were outbid by the "meat packers"), they were shipped out of the country and left to become victims of the horse slaughter industry.

The long-distant transport to which these horses are subjected is fraught with cruelties.

Horses, which are social herd animals, are separated from their offspring and herd-mates, shoved into huge open carrier trucks in which they are stuffed like sardines, inadequately fed or watered, and dismally treated. For years, horse advocates, rescue organizations and animal lovers have been working hard in support of the passage of horse slaughter legislation that would put an end to this practice.  

Many of the horses are injured or trampled, killed en route while being transported to the horse slaughter facility. The pro-horse slaughter lobby wants us to believe that the killing of “unwanted, homeless” horses is an act of kindness. Additionally they suggest that reopening horse slaughterhouses in the United States would boost the economy by creating jobs.

Another horse slaughter fact: Nothing could be further from the truth. Horse slaughter is not “kind”, it is cruel and inhumane. It is not compassionate euthanasia, because if horses were humanely euthanized, the drugs used in kindly putting them to sleep would prevent their meat from being suitable for human consumption.

There are many alternatives to horse slaughter.

This past June, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S.1176) which would prohibit the interstate/international transport and transfer of ownership of any equine destined for slaughter for human consumption. If this bill passes, finally the flow of U.S. horses into Canada and Mexico will be stopped. One quarter of the U.S. Senate already supports this legislation. But we need to get the majority of the Senate to get on board by co-sponsoring it.

You can help! Call your Senators and ask them to support the passage of S 1176 by becoming a co-sponsor, or send them an email. Please take action today!

Visit this website for contact information and email addresses. You can call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Your call will be directed to your Senators.

How do you feel about horse slaughter? Share with a comment.

For an update on horse slaughter legislation read The Truth Behind Lifting the Horse Slaughter Ban.