Sadly, horses have been slaughtered for human consumption overseas, for many years in the U.S.A., and in Canada and Mexico. Last year 100,000 American horses were slaughtered, and the meat was shipped to France, Belgium and Japan. The meat is also consumed in French Canadian restaurants. Considered a delicacy, the meat fetches high prices and is in demand. The three horse slaughterhouses that were in operation in America were Belgian owned. Facing tremendous opposition for years, two in Texas were finally closed in early 2007, and the remaining Cavel International, operating in DeKalb, Illinois just lost a lawsuit against the State if Illinois.The closure of Cavel International is another step forward in seeing an end to slaughter in the U.S.A. The problem is far from solved though, as the horses face a long and grueling journey to Canada or worse still, Mexico.
The slaughter of horses is the most inhumane practice imaginable. Horses are purchased at auction by “kill buyers”(KB). Horses are badly treated right from the moment they arrive at auction. Food and water are not always available to them in the holding pens. Weather may be extremely hot or extremely cold, and no shelter provided. Kill buyers buy the horses per pound for their meat. Sadly, many of these are healthy riding horses, and have been someone’s pet. Some owners do not know the horses will end up at slaughter, and some do know but do not seem to care. Other horses arrive at auction sick, emaciated, injured and worse.
Read more about Horse Auctions.
No horse deserves the pain and torture of the transportation to the slaughterhouses, and the act of slaughter itself. Horses are crammed into cattle trucks. Stallions, mares, some heavily pregnant, young horses, old horses, sick, lame, and even blind. A recipe for disaster, many horses do not make the journey alive. They become weak from the journey fall and are trampled to death. They are on the road for as long as 24 hours with no food or water. Transportation laws are broken daily by this industry, as is the 1958 Humane Slaughter Law. These laws, consistently broken are proof enough that this industry should be abolished. Horses are being transported to Mexico and Canada. Animals Angels have conducted investigative reports on the transportation of horses. They have observed the lack of interest in these horses at the border by both the USDA inspectors and the Canadian CFIA. Horses must be checked en route every few hours and are routinely not. Horses arrive at the slaughterhouse very weak, some are even dead or die soon after arrival. No food or water is offered to them at the slaughterhouse, no shelter from the weather, and the conditions at slaughter are unbelievably inhumane. It is cruelty at its worst. Read about the investigation at Richelieu Meat, Inc and the investigation into the transport of American horses to Canada for slaughter. WARNING THESE INVESTIGATIONS ARE TRULY DISTURBING.
To watch video of transportation and slaughter and read more about transportation from Animals Angels,
Click Here.
Animals Angels report on horses going to Mexico for slaughter.
In 1998 Proposition 6 passed in California, banning the sale of horses for slaughter for human consumption. Sadly, funding was not put in place for the enforcement of these new laws, making it illegal for anyone to knowingly sell or purchase a horse for slaughter. Kill Buyers still attend auctions in California, purchasing horses for transportation out of state. Horses from California are passed on to other auctions out of state or driven directly to slaughter in Mexico or Canada. There is no enforcement of the law. Hopefully when the federal laws are passed there will be funding and enforcement.
The Humane Society have put the abolition of horse slaughter among their top priorities. Lobbying hard along with The Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL), with Bo Derek as spokesperson, both Congress and the Senate have been hit hard this year with the brutal facts about the horse slaughter industry, the grossly inhumane treatment of the horses and the laws that are broken on a daily basis at auction, transportation and at the slaughterhouses. The legislation pending in Congress HR503 and the Senate S311 are worded exactly the same and will ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S.A. and ban the transportation of horses across the border for slaughter also. As part of their campaign HSUS have undercover video, exposing the inhumanity of horse slaughter in Mexico, where 20% of American slaughter-bound horses end up. The method of slaughter used in Mexico “pithing” is illegal in the U.S.A. and in Europe, yet the American government permits our horses to be murdered in this manner across the border. There is a holding station in El Paso Texas where hundreds of horses await the Mexican slaughter trucks to pick them up and drive them to their death. Many are transported in double deck trucks which is illegal in the U.S.A.
NEW LEGISLATION
I have news to report on the progress, or lack of it, of the anti-slaughter legislation.
HR 503 and S311 have many co-sponsors, and if the bills were introduced to the floor of the House and the Senate, we are confident that they would pass. But the chances of them coming to the floor for a vote any time soon, is not likely. S311 is stuck in committee and is being railroaded by Senator Larry Craig. For some reason or other we cannot convince the Leader of the House, that there is great urgency for the passage of HR503. So there is now a new Bill. Conyers and Burton are sponsoring The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008, and is numbered HR6598. There are a few co-sponsors, and many more calls are needed to the members of the House of Representatives, to gain more. This Bill needs to be brought to the floor for a vote very soon. There is much work to be done to end slaughter once and for all. Please call your local representative and ask him to become a co-sponsor of HR6598.
For more information on the legislation and how you can help, visit:
Get The Facts on Horse SlaughterAmerican Horse Slaughter Prevention ActSociety for Animal Protective LegislationContact your local legislators and tell them you want to see an end to horse slaughter.Watch Bo Derrek on Horse Slaughter. WARNING Other horse slaughter videos on YouTube may be graphic!
For more information on slaughter, horse tripping, rodeos, horse “bleeding” and other cruelties against horses visit the International Fund for Horses website.
Horses are rescued from slaughter every week. Rescue organizations are rescuing horses at auction and off feedlots all across the country. The president of SHI rescued a 15 year old thoroughbred mare from the feedlot in Fallon, Nevada where she was one of many awaiting the slaughter truck to take them to one of Canada’s five horse slaughterhouses. Rescues are conducted weekly off this feedlot. Audrey’s mare is aptly named “Lucky Girl.” Your donation to SHI will ensure that rescued horses will never have to endure anymore pain and suffering in their lives. Your donation will not be used to sustain Lucky Girl. She is well taken care of. Donations will help 501(c)(3) horse rescue organizations nationwide such as the Animali Farm, United Pegasus Foundation, Last Chance Corral, Shiloh Horse Rescue, Habitat for Horses, to name only a few. Find out more about these rescues from our website.
DONATE NOW TO SUSTAIN HORSES THE RESCUE HORSES OF SHI, IN ADDITION TO HELPING OTHER RESCUES NATIONWIDE.