Anti-horse slaughter bill passes House vote

[K9soul]

The title of the article seems a bit misleading as it has only passed the first step to becoming law (I hope), but it talks about the vote taken today in the House of Representatives. A lot of people have been fighting very hard to lobby this bill getting through this time around. I hope and pray it does.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...5-1702,00.html

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US bans horse slaughter for meat

From correspondents in Washington

Article from: Agence France-Presse

THE US House of Representatives has overnight voted to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, which could bring an end to a $US40-billion industry exporting horse meat to Europe and Japan.

By a vote of 263-146, the House voted to amend the Horse Protection Act, yielding to animal rights activists and average American horse enthusiasts for whom the animals are best enjoyed at the racetrack or on the riding trail.

The law would "prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption and for other purposes."

The legislation was co-sponsored by more than 200 members in the 435-member House.

Opponents fear that the bill could make it more difficult to humanely dispose of thousands of aging or infirm horses each year.

Some 90,000 horses were slaughtered last year in three US plants which the legislation, if also passed in the Senate, could force to be shuttered. Almost all of the meat is for foreign consumption, as most US states have outlawed the sale of horse meat.

Most of the horse meat is shipped to Europe and Japan, where it is seen as a lean alternative to beef.

The bill will go to the Senate for consideration, but probably not before Congress recesses for November's midterm elections.

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A site that goes more into horse slaughter: http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.c...ses/index.html

I personally feel if a horse must be put down for some reason, it should be humanely euthanized the same as a dog or cat. That's no way to reward a lifetime of service and devotion to man.

[areias]

Hm, that's interesting. I know there has been a lot of push to get this bill passed over the years, but it's never happened. I'm on the fence about slaughter-I believe there that some good does come out of it, but I believe there should be a humane slaughter bill passed that protects the way an animal is slaughtered. However, supposedly the FDA demands that the horse is strung up by one leg fully concsious, and it gets "bled"-it's throat gets cut, and supposedly it has to be alive during this process or they can't sell the meat.

[dragonfly]

Hm, that's interesting. I know there has been a lot of push to get this bill passed over the years, but it's never happened. I'm on the fence about slaughter-I believe there that some good does come out of it, but I believe there should be a humane slaughter bill passed that protects the way an animal is slaughtered. However, supposedly the FDA demands that the horse is strung up by one leg fully concsious, and it gets "bled"-it's throat gets cut, and supposedly it has to be alive during this process or they can't sell the meat.

I think I'll join you on the fence. Of course the slaughter is cruel it's also the exact same slaughtering procedure used for cows, I believe pigs also. I understand that in this country horses are pets not food, to most people but I'm just not sure. I guess I'll be reading up on this issue some more.

[Lady's Human]

The horse (or any animal) is not strung up by one leg fully concious. The animal is killed by a blow from a bolt gun before anything else happens..

[Vela]

Not true, I have watched video. They aren't always dead. The captive bolt gun stuns them and many ARE hoisted up by their leg still alive. Some do die from the bolt gun but not all. OFTEN the captive bolt gun misses and the person firing it hits the shoulder, hits the side of their face and lays it open, has to fire again and again because they won't go down. No it's digusting and I think ALL animals should be treated more humanely during slaughter. My cattle and pigs are home raised and slaughtered quickly and humanely.

If you can stomach it.....which I have a hard time doing

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter.mv

That is not the only video out there, and it's NOT done by PETA.

[K9soul]

In America, horses are pets and/or working animals the way our dogs are. We don't send our dogs to a slaughter house when we are "through" with them, we give them a humane euthanasia if they must be euthanized. We could easily do the same with dogs that we do with horses... have slaughter plants where shelters send strays, or where people sell their old/infirm dogs to to be slaughtered (NOT humanely) and then the meat exported to countries that eat dog as a delicacy. To me it's the exact same thing. We do not eat horses here, they are our companions and partners. They deserve more than to be sent to a terrifying slaughter house after we are "done" with them to die a horrible death.

If you read on the link about horse slaughter I linked at the bottom of my first post, you'll learn more about it, and how these plants are foreign owned and run, they just use American horses for their business.