On Nov. 11th, I received the following urgent email from the ASPCA and my heart sank...

 

On Nov. 1, a federal court issued a ruling that clears the way for horse slaughter plants to open in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already issued applications for horse slaughter inspections at a few locations around the country, therefore horse slaughter could resume in the U.S. any day now! It is more urgent than ever that we pass the SAFE Act and stop the slaughter of American horses for good!

 

The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and ban their export abroad for that purpose. This bill will protect our nation’s horses from the predatory horse slaughter industry and protect the public from toxic horse meat.

 

The cruelties associated with horse slaughter are well-documented. Passage of the SAFE Act will not only ensure that predatory horse slaughterers cannot reopen their doors here in the U.S.—it will also stop the trafficking of horses to slaughterhouses over our borders.

 

There is no such thing as a commercial horse slaughter plant that does not inflict cruelty on horses. And horse slaughter is not only bad for horses, it’s also bad for people. Meat from American horses is unsafe for human consumption. Our horses are not raised as food animals; they are raised to be companions, sport competitors or work partners. Horses are routinely given medications and other substances that are toxic to humans and are expressly forbidden by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in animals intended for human consumption.

 

Recent reports that horse meat accidentally entered the food chain overseas illustrate that horse slaughterers are incapable of preventing horse meat from mingling with their other products. If it can happen there, it can happen here. 

 

The recent court ruling and the USDA’s approval of horse slaughter plants means that enacting a ban on horse slaughter has never been more urgent!

 

If you are an animal like I am and if you love your horses please help me take a stand and support the SAFE Act, which will protect our horses.  Below is some informations provided by the ASPCA:

 

1.      SAFE Act prohibits the slaughter and export of American horses in the United States

 

2.      This legislation will prohibit the inhumane slaughter of American horses for human consumption.  Please read the below facts: 

 

- American horse meat is unsafe for human consumption. Because horses are not raised as food animals in this country, they are given medications and other toxic substances that are expressly forbidden for use in animals intended for human consumption. There is currently no system in place to trace the drug histories of American horses.  

 

- Horse slaughter is inherently cruel and inhumane. Because horses' instinctual flight response makes them ill-suited for stunning, they often endure repeated blows and sometimes remain conscious during their dismemberment. The scarcity of horse slaughter plants for this small, low-demand industry means that horses are trucked long distances without food, water or rest. Many are injured or die in transit.

- A 2012 national poll revealed that 80% of Americans favor a ban on horse slaughter and recognize that we have a responsibility to protect these intelligent, sensitive animals from being butchered.

- Subsidizing horse slaughter cruelty will divert precious food safety resources away from products that Americans eat. At a time when the nation is focused on fiscal responsibility, it is outrageous that Congress would allow tax dollars to be wasted on horse slaughter, a cruel practice that benefits only foreign markets.

 

My family and I love our horses like family and could never imagine sending them to slaughter.  American culture has always viewed horses as a working animal and a friend, NOT a source of food.  This is a very slippery slope and I believe that it is one that we should avoid at all cost.  What will be next?  Dog slaughter...  Please help me and my family by signing my petition and demanding that the USDA and the Federal Court who approved this legislation to reverse their decisions and stop pursuing the ability to slaughter horses in our country for any reason!