Slaughter news

[second_glance]

The White House has submitted its proposed 2015 budget to Congress -- and has retained the language blocking use of inspectors for equine slaughterhouses. (Of course, Congress will ignore this budget proposal until much later in the year -- and the language could always be changed by Congress.)

[Ballerina]

Canadian Bill would tighten slaughter regulations

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-b ... gulations/

Slaughter statistics

http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Ho ... ghter.html

[second_glance]

Current list of organizations supporting slaughter:

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/list-of-shame/

[Ballerina]

Current list of organizations supporting slaughter:

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/list-of-shame/

American Association of Equine Practitioners. Bastards! However, not every member of that organization agrees.

Here's a list of those organizations against horse slaughter -

http://equinewelfarealliance.org/upload ... ations.pdf

[Ziggypop]

Current list of organizations supporting slaughter:

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/list-of-shame/

American Association of Equine Practitioners. Bastards! However, not every member of that organization agrees.

Here's a list of those organizations against horse slaughter -

http://equinewelfarealliance.org/upload ... ations.pdf

To have the equine folks backing slaughter is like pediatricians backing pedophiles.

[Ballerina]

Current list of organizations supporting slaughter:

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/list-of-shame/

American Association of Equine Practitioners. Bastards! However, not every member of that organization agrees.

Here's a list of those organizations against horse slaughter -

http://equinewelfarealliance.org/upload ... ations.pdf

To have the equine folks backing slaughter is like pediatricians backing pedophiles.

Good one, Ziggypop. I'll have to remember it.

[Ballerina]

From EWA Equine Welfare Alliance

Here is the official announcement on the ban on horse meat from Mexico.

http://equinewelfarealliance.org/upload ... EN-TXT.pdf

This is some background info.

http://equinewelfarealliance.org/upload ... e_meat.pdf

And more good news.... We received word today that the continuing resolution with the defund language (no funding for horse inspections) is officially a done deal for the 2015 budget year.

[Catalina]

So far so good...

[Catalina]

Sounds like no more shipments of horsemeat from Mexico to the European Union after 15 January. I guess we get to all hold our breath that this doesn't derail between now and then.

[BaroqueAgain1]

This sounds hopeful, as inhumane treatment of horses during transport is a major issue for the EU, and that is likely to also be true of horses shipping to Canada.
"The transportation problem is also expected to affect slaughter operations in Canada, according to Scannell, who added the commission is close to imposing a "six-month" rule for Canada."
Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... rom-mexico

[Catalina]

This sounds hopeful, as inhumane treatment of horses during transport is a major issue for the EU, and that is likely to also be true of horses shipping to Canada.
"The transportation problem is also expected to affect slaughter operations in Canada, according to Scannell, who added the commission is close to imposing a "six-month" rule for Canada."
Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... rom-mexico

The "Six months rule" presumably is like a quarantine to insure that the horses are medication free for the last six months before slaughter. I think once that is in place, you will find that the inhumane treatment during transport will be of far less interest to the EU.

[Ballerina]

http://rtfitchauthor.com/2015/04/23/fed ... n-equines/

Please contact your U.S. representatives and encourage them to co-sponsor the SAFE Act.

Federal Legislation Introduced to Prohibit Slaughter of American Equines

“This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food.”

On April 22nd, 2015, federal lawmakers introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of horse slaughter operations within the U.S., end the current export of American horses and donkeys for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1942, was introduced by Reps. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).

Last year, more than 140,000 American horses, donkeys and mules were slaughtered for human consumption in foreign countries. The animals often suffer long journeys to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico without adequate food, water or rest. At the slaughterhouse, horses are brutally forced into a “kill box” and shot in the head with a captive bolt gun in an attempt to stun them before slaughter—a process that can be inaccurate due to the biology and nature of equines and result in animals sustaining repeated blows or remaining conscious during the kill process.

For centuries, horses have embodied the spirit of American freedom and pride,” said Rep. Guinta. “To that end, horses are not raised for food – permitting their transportation for the purposes of being slaughtered for human consumption is not consistent with our values and results in a dangerously toxic product. This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food.”

Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “We must fight those practices. The SAFE Act of 2015 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve.”

“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an absolute travesty that must be stopped,” said Rep. Buchanan. “This bipartisan measure will finally put an end to this barbaric practice.”

“Horse slaughter is an inhumane practice that causes great pain and distress to the animals, and poses numerous environmental and food safety concerns,” said Rep. Lujan Grisham. “The vast majority of my constituents oppose horse slaughter. I’m proud to support the SAFE Act to ban this cruelty once and for all.”

The SAFE Act would also protect consumers from dangerous American equine meat, which can be toxic to humans due to the unregulated administration of drugs to horses. Because horses and donkeys are not raised for food, they are routinely given hundreds of toxic drugs and chemical treatments over their lifetimes that are prohibited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals intended for human consumption. Those drugs, although safe for horses, are potentially toxic to humans if consumed. In December 2014, the European Union announced its suspension of imports of horse meat from Mexico after a scathing audit of EU-certified Mexican horse slaughter plants, which kill tens of thousands of American horses each year. Additionally, the discovery of horse meat in beef products in Europe shocked consumers and raised concerns about the potential impact on American food industries.

The concerned American public is encouraged to contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to cosponsor the SAFE Act in order to protect America’s horses and overall consumer health from horse slaughter.

[BaroqueAgain1]

News from Europe:
Europe's police crack massive horsemeat trafficking ring
The Hague (AFP) - Police from seven European countries detained 26 people in a crackdown on a horsemeat trafficking ring two years after a tainted meat scandal that rocked the continent, the EU's judicial agency Eurojust said Saturday.
Eurojust said in a statement that the swoop by hundreds of police and judicial officials "succeeded in stopping an organised criminal network involved in trade in illegal horsemeat."
The operation involved officers and the judiciary in France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Britain, the European Union agency said.
Eurojust did not say where the 26 suspects were arrested but the Dutch public prosecutor's office said three were arrested in the Netherlands. France had requested the trio's extradition, the prosecutors added.
The animals involved were used for recreation as well as for racing, meaning they could have been injected with drugs including antibiotics, according to Belgian public television provider RTBF.
Read more at:
http://news.yahoo.com/europes-police-cr ... 00332.html

[serenassong]

http://rtfitchauthor.com/2015/04/23/fed ... n-equines/

Please contact your U.S. representatives and encourage them to co-sponsor the SAFE Act.

Federal Legislation Introduced to Prohibit Slaughter of American Equines

“This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food.”

On April 22nd, 2015, federal lawmakers introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of horse slaughter operations within the U.S., end the current export of American horses and donkeys for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1942, was introduced by Reps. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).

Last year, more than 140,000 American horses, donkeys and mules were slaughtered for human consumption in foreign countries. The animals often suffer long journeys to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico without adequate food, water or rest. At the slaughterhouse, horses are brutally forced into a “kill box” and shot in the head with a captive bolt gun in an attempt to stun them before slaughter—a process that can be inaccurate due to the biology and nature of equines and result in animals sustaining repeated blows or remaining conscious during the kill process.

For centuries, horses have embodied the spirit of American freedom and pride,” said Rep. Guinta. “To that end, horses are not raised for food – permitting their transportation for the purposes of being slaughtered for human consumption is not consistent with our values and results in a dangerously toxic product. This bipartisan bill seeks to prevent and end the inhumane and dangerous process of transporting thousands of horses a year for food.”

Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “We must fight those practices. The SAFE Act of 2015 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve.”

“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an absolute travesty that must be stopped,” said Rep. Buchanan. “This bipartisan measure will finally put an end to this barbaric practice.”

“Horse slaughter is an inhumane practice that causes great pain and distress to the animals, and poses numerous environmental and food safety concerns,” said Rep. Lujan Grisham. “The vast majority of my constituents oppose horse slaughter. I’m proud to support the SAFE Act to ban this cruelty once and for all.”

The SAFE Act would also protect consumers from dangerous American equine meat, which can be toxic to humans due to the unregulated administration of drugs to horses. Because horses and donkeys are not raised for food, they are routinely given hundreds of toxic drugs and chemical treatments over their lifetimes that are prohibited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals intended for human consumption. Those drugs, although safe for horses, are potentially toxic to humans if consumed. In December 2014, the European Union announced its suspension of imports of horse meat from Mexico after a scathing audit of EU-certified Mexican horse slaughter plants, which kill tens of thousands of American horses each year. Additionally, the discovery of horse meat in beef products in Europe shocked consumers and raised concerns about the potential impact on American food industries.

The concerned American public is encouraged to contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to cosponsor the SAFE Act in order to protect America’s horses and overall consumer health from horse slaughter.

My rep- Elizabeth Esty- is actually a co-sponsor on this bill- and was nice enough to send me a personal e-mail about this after I contacted her about this.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Good news about that proposed New Mexico slaughterhouse.
http://www.paulickreport.com/horse-care ... the-state/

[Sparrow Castle]

Progress.

Jail sentence expected to buoy slaughter fight

An animal rights group seeking to shut down illegal horse slaughterhouses and other illegal butcheries received a shot in the arm this week when a Florida rancher, targeted in an undercover sting, was sentenced to a year in jail.
Following the sentencing of Jorge Luis Garcia, 48, of Ranchos Garcia Farm to a year behind bars without possibility of probation, animal-rights activist Richard “Kudo” Couto declared the sentence a “groundbreaking” decision, one that should help other prosecution efforts of illegal slaughterhouses.

http://offtrackthoroughbreds.com/2016/0 ... ter-fight/

[Catalina]

Progress.

Jail sentence expected to buoy slaughter fight

An animal rights group seeking to shut down illegal horse slaughterhouses and other illegal butcheries received a shot in the arm this week when a Florida rancher, targeted in an undercover sting, was sentenced to a year in jail.
Following the sentencing of Jorge Luis Garcia, 48, of Ranchos Garcia Farm to a year behind bars without possibility of probation, animal-rights activist Richard “Kudo” Couto declared the sentence a “groundbreaking” decision, one that should help other prosecution efforts of illegal slaughterhouses.

http://offtrackthoroughbreds.com/2016/0 ... ter-fight/

Painfully slow, but yes, progress at last.

[Sparrow Castle]

Maybe some here might find this series interesting. I think he explains his case pretty well, using data when possible. Just not sure there's all these "new homes" for horses out there even if his recommendations were implemented.

UPCOMING SERIES: RESCUE, AFTERCARE, AND HORSE SLAUGHTER

Stop the commercial slaughter of all North American Thoroughbred horses, that’s the “stretch” goal. Impossible? Maybe, probably, but that’s the target. In the words of legendary General Electric, Inc. Chairman and CEO Jack Welch, “If you know how to get there, it’s not a stretch target.”

Horse Racing Business will soon begin an in-depth three-part series on horse rescue, aftercare, and commercial slaughter. The publication dates are noon eastern time on September 1, 8, and 15, 2016. A caveat: The articles are lengthy, data-driven, and thorough, as short journalistic-type anecdotal fluff pieces won’t do justice to the topic. Following publication of the three-part series, three more notes on important and debatable aftercare subjects will appear on September 22, 29, and October 6.

The analyses are derived from my recent original research with aftercare facilities and from reliable sources of secondary data like the United States Department of Agriculture. To my knowledge, these are the most research-based and unvarnished articles ever published on aftercare and horse slaughter in the North American Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry. I am not beholden to horse-racing interests and therefore can provide uncensored findings and recommendations without spin or regard for whose feelings might be hurt.

The intent is to be as objective and balanced as possible and to rely on facts and data rather than opinion. The final article contains specific and no doubt controversial recommendations on how the Thoroughbred industry can institute a stable funding mechanism to take care of many more retired and cast-off horses.

http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/upco ... -14342.htm

Part I: http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/resc ... -14333.htm

Part II: http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/resc ... -14348.htm

Part III: http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/resc ... -14353.htm

[Sparrow Castle]

Interesting article from Caroline Betts, about the state of horse slaughter and horse rescue. The article features "Cole" a Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue horse.

The Dark Side of Being a Horse in America: Horse Slaughter and the Politics of Change

It touches on:

• The Pro-Slaughter Argument
  The Other Side of the Slaughter Story
  Reasons for Unwanted Horses Today
  Race Horse Slaughter
  Off-Track Horse Rescue
  The Effects of Social Media on Animal Rescue
  Gender Imbalance in Animal Welfare Charities
  The Politics of Changing Horse Slaughter in America

http://prymemag.com/science-technology/ ... cs-change/

[Ziggypop]

This is not good.

https://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/201 ... th-sb-139/