From Tuesday's Horse
A bill entitled the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 — S. 1176 — was introduced in the United States Senate, Thursday, June 9, 2011, by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) with 14 originating co-sponsors.
S. 1176 makes it illegal to slaughter horses for human consumption and export horses for the same purpose.
This week, most likely tomorrow, the house will vote on this bill.
The full House of Representatives will vote on the FY12 Agriculture Appropriations bill this Wednesday, June 15. An amendment may be offered to remove the Committee-approved language prohibiting the USDA from spending your tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. Maintaining the USDA language defunding inspections of horse slaughter facilities as currently included is vital to protecting our horses. It is critical that you call TODAY and urge your legislator to strongly OPPOSE ANY amendment to restore horse slaughter.
Horse slaughter is a cruel, inhumane and unnecessary practice. Even though all remaining horse slaughter plants have been closed, American horses continue to be slaughtered in Mexico and Canada.
However, failure by the US Congress to pass legislation banning horse slaughter means that American horses are still being slaughtered for human consumption abroad. Tens of thousands are shipped to Mexico and Canada annually, where they are killed under barbaric conditions so their meat can continue to satisfy the palates of overseas diners in countries such as Italy, France, Belgium and Japan.
The suffering begins long before our horses even reach the slaughterhouse. Conditions of transport are appalling, with horses regularly hauled to our domestic borders on journeys lasting more than 24 hours. Deprived of food, water or rest, the horses are forced onto double-decked cattle trailers with ceilings so low that they injure their heads. Not only are these double-deckers inhumane, but they are also dangerous and have been involved in a number of tragic accidents.
Horses are not raised for food. People who delight in eating horsemeat might also be delighted to know about all the drugs they are ingesting at the same time. It is not just old and sickly horses that get sent to slaughter. They range from babies to adults - many of them racehorses with race day medications still in their system.
American horsemeat poses a serious risk to human health. Horses in the U.S. are not raised as food animals, so while their flesh may be considered a delicacy by foreign gourmands, it poses serious risks to human health. According to a recent Food and Chemical Toxicology report, substances routinely given to American horses cause dangerous adverse effects in humans. If federally funded inspections were to begin, not only would taxpayer dollars be needed to inspect these facilities, but additional funding would be required to enforce transport regulations and increased food safety testing as required by new European Union mandates.
Some of them are pets that have been stolen to sell to slaughter... there is a long list..
Facts and FAQs About Horse Slaughter
Please help to put an end to this unnecessary evil.
The information at the end of the video is a little outdated but you can visit these links for ways to help:
http://www.awionline.org/...
http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/...
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/...