Request for Quick Action Today: Stand Against Horse Slaughter
Wednesday, 14 Sep. 2005 - For Congress, this past year could be dubbed the “year of the horse.” Since January, numerous measures have been proposed that could seal the fate of free-living horses in the United States. The bills come partly in response to public concern over the Burns Amendment, which enables the Bureau of Land Management to sell off older horses or those not readily adopted.
Although pending legislation could take an initial step to obstruct the slaughter of horses, the position of Friends of Animals will involve a bill to end government-sanctioned round-ups and privatization of free-living horses in the United States.
Meanwhile, you can support our efforts by encouraging your senators to support two measures. Currently, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), and Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) are introducing a measure to stop federal taxpayer funds from going to pay the salaries and personnel costs of inspectors at U.S. slaughterhouses where horses are killed. Without inspections, horses could not legally be slaughtered for human consumption. An identical bill passed in the House just last week.
Byrd also leads an effort to restore the ban on the commercial sale and slaughter of free-roaming horses and burros. This bill would, in effect, reverse the Burns Amendment.
Both measures may be voted on next week.
Please Act Now:
Please contact your senators today and ask them to support the Ensign-Byrd amendment to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill, and to pass S. 576—Senator Byrd’s bill to restore the ban on the commercial sale and slaughter of free-roaming horses and burros.
We also recommend pointing out that you are opposed to roundups of free-living horses at all.
To find contact information for your local senators, see: http://www.senate.gov/
For the Capitol Switchboard, dial: 202-224-3121
We appreciate all your support, Friends of Animals
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3 Comments
On September 16, 2005, Joe wrote:
I want to say that no one loves horses more than I do I have had them and been around them all my life as were my father and grandfather , I train horses , I buy and sell horses I have 16 as of right now on my ranch so I have some experince with them and they are still teaching me many things after 53 years of being with them. I do not agree with closing down the slaugterhouse ,they are needed, we have to many horses that have reached old age, are lame, sick and most have been screwed up by people that have no idea about what they are doing and get these horse so they are killers or will be, many of these same people don’t have the means to take care of these horses when the horses need to be disposed of or they just want to get rid of them because they can not deal with a large animal they can no longer ride or handle because of fear they have of them , the wild horse herd need to be controlled so that the herds can stay strong and not die from starvation I guess I don’t under stand what difference it makes to anyone wheather they are used for human consumtion or something else . The bottom line is we have a lot of domesticated horses that need homes and are ending up in slaugterhouse , who is going to take all these horses and deal with the expense of medical , and feed cost , it is a nice jester to save all these horse but is the [animal advocacy community] going to pick up the tab for all of this ? I know what it cost to feed 16 horses, I can only imagine what it would cost to feed and doctor a few thousand . I don’t like the slaugterhouses but we need them and if some one has a better idea I would like to hear it .
[Blog editors’ note: Thank you for writing in. You touch on an important point here. Many people want to own horses, but the number of owners who would keep them all their lives, until they die, is a small fraction of people. It is a reminder that no matter how much we love other animals, that does not mitigate the reality that once they are taken by human society they are treated as property, not as persons whose needs are paramount. This says something profound about the relationships we forge with the rest of the biocommunity of which we are a part.]
On September 18, 2005, E.T. Lewis wrote:
I recently watched some of the Congressional debate on the slaughter of horses. I agree with Joe’s position, but would like to add that the Gov’t inspectors are probably the best insurance for a humane environment that we currently have.
On September 18, 2005, Kailey wrote:
i was on a web site that made me sick. Out west men were/are hunting wild mustangs! They would capture them, spray bleach in their eyes and nose and then shoot them! They even took pictures! Horses were put on this Earth for a reason! They are gardians for us made by god to be free and run wild and NOT killed! I want to help but i don’t know how to. Please tell me how to help this killing needs and must stop!!!!!!!!!!