Who is Watching Live Animal Exports from the US to Russia, Mexico, Canada, etc?????  What if any protections do these animals have? Enforced by whom? Are we as a nation willing to send our animals off on these horrible tortuous journeys to terrible fates in return for the "almighty buck"? I have included below links to two documents that should cause every US citizen enormous concern: (1) A sickening report  by Animals Angels  of the July 2014  live transport of 2,253 cows and horses on the sea bound livestock carrier ship  Abou Karim III to RUSSIA from Delaware http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs161/1101655399670/archive/1119136075560.html  and (2) A US Dept of Agriculture request for comments (due by April 27 2015) on their newly lofted proposal to DECREASE regulations on the US live animal transport export industryhttp://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/f409eb with this their stated goal: 

 "These proposed changes will provide additional flexibility to businesses and better support livestock exports to overseas markets, a segment of U.S. trade which continues to grow each year. The changes are part of APHIS’ ongoing effort to meet stakeholder needs by reviewing and streamlining its regulations. The goal is to make APHIS regulations more responsive to customer needs, easier to update in the future and more performance-based." 
 
I read nothing absolutely nothing in the USDA proposal about assuring animal welfare!  I had no idea til now the extent to which my own country allows, accommodates and now plans to foster this horrible trade.  Have we sold our souls for profit? Will we do anything to bring another dollar into our coffers? Where are our values? It's one thing to plead ignorance, but once we and our representatives and our leaders know this goes on, how can we let it continue? And were does it stop? This is not only about horses which would be bad enough. It is about cattle, pigs, sheep and who knows what other animals now, and in the future, subject to live export from our country to others. PS. It might not be popular with business interests, but why not prohibit live animal export to any country that doesn't meet specific stringent enforceable animal welfare requirements, period? 
 
Please let your Federal representatives know that you care about this issue and PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION to tell the USDA that you want the live export regulations to focus on animal welfare and to be meaningfully strengthened and enforced NOT loosened and ignored.
 
 APHIS is seeking public comment on this proposal. Consideration will be given to comments received on or before April 27, 2015. Interested parties may submit additional comments by either of the following methods:
        Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to:              http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=APHIS_FRDOC_0001-1742.

        Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2012-0049, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.