Organizations opposed to this bill deliberately fail to inform their members that “humane” federal regulations concerning the transport of horses to slaughter allow for horses to be shipped on double-deck trailers designed for smaller livestock. Present laws permit shippers to travel over twenty-four hours without stops for food, water, or rest.
Upon arrival at the slaughterhouse, horses are callously herded into kill shoots where they are stunned using the captive-bolt method. This procedure includes driving a four-inch nail into the horse’s skull. If done improperly, the conscious horse continues through the remaining stages of slaughter, which includes slitting their throats.
Following tremendous momentum on the movement to ban horse slaughter achieved in the House last session, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) has been reintroduced in both chambers of the new 111th Congress.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act will end the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human consumption.
On January 17th, Representatives Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), John Spratt (D-SC) and Nick Rahall (D-WV) reintroduced in Congress H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA).
This legislation, a new version of the former American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act which was overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives last year but died in the Senate at the end of the 109th Congress, would prohibit permanently the slaughter of horses for human consumption as well as the exportation of live horses intended for the same purpose, making sure that no American horse is slaughtered in the US nor shipped to be slaughtered abroad. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as the House Committee on Agriculture.
A similar bill, S. 311, was also introduced last January 17th in the Senate by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and John Ensign (R-NV). It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Although two recent federal court rulings -one from the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upholding a longstanding Texas state law banning the sale, possession and transportation of horse meat for sale for human consumption and other one from the U.S. DC District Court declaring illegal an USDA fee-for-inspection plan to circumvent an amendment to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill removing funding for mandatory USDA ante-mortem inspections of horses for slaughter- forced the closure of the three horse slaughterhouses operating the US, American horses continue to be exported for slaughter to Canada and Mexico. In addition, the horse slaughter industry is appealing these rulings and attempting to repeal the Texas state law banning horse slaughter. This makes the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 and S. 311) extremely important since it would not only prevent American horses from being sent for slaughter abroad but also would put a definitive, permanent end to horse slaughter in the United States.
Immediate action is needed in order to ensure the passage of this vital legislation which will put an end once and for all to the slaughter of American horses, domestic or wild alike.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please call, fax or email your Representative and both Senators today, urging their co-sponsorship of the AHSPA (H.R. 503/S. 311).
To find your legislators, please visit this link.
For facts and additional information on both bills to include in your calls and letters, please visit this link.
Additionally, please share this information with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their Representatives, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!
At left...Elmer was rescued from horse slaughter...
read his story here.