June 8, 2007...
----- Original Message -----
Sent: 6/8/2007 6:16:38 PM
Subject: Fw: Judge denies HSUS bid to intervene & HCI alert
Dear Friends,
As we anticipated, Judge Capala has denied the HSUS petition to intervene
as a defendant. He has agreed to accept an amicus
brief from them (Cavel did not object to that, so he isn't going out on
any limbs there).
The Horse Council of Illinois has asked to file an amicus
brief on the part of the plaintiffs (Cavel), indicating that the HSUS
represents an emotional position and not a rational one.
If you disagree with this position, visit their gateway page. You will
find links to their sponsors there. I have followed them to get to the
contact links for all four. You can email their sponsors and tell them
that you do not intend to use their products as long as they support the
HCI.
http://www.horsemenscouncil.org/
National sponsors:
(309) 765-8000.
John
I sent a letter to Purina, John Deere and Morton
Buildings...Please send one yourself.
----------------
Updates are posted most recent first.
June 7, 2007:
Judge allows
slaughter plant to remain open in IL awaiting trial of Cavel vs. Governor
Blagojevich on
June 14, 2007.
If you want
horse slaughter banned in IL (the only plant left in the U.S.)...
Tell
Judge KAPALA
you want him to
"BAN
HORSE SLAUGHTER IN ILLINOIS!"
Contact phone
number for all judges is Court of Appeals
Clerk's Office:
(312) 435-5850
----------
April 20,
2007:
Congress to consider two bills
to protect horses next week
Your Help Is Urgently Needed
Dear Humanitarian:
1.
AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT
On April 25, the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Committee will hold a mark-up for S. 311, the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA). At the mark-up, Committee
members will decide on the language of a measure they expect to
report to the full Senate.
While support on the Senate Commerce Committee is strong, it is
critical that all Committee member including cosponsors of this
bill hear from an outpouring of constituents. Please urge the
members of the Committee to stand strong against any
misinformation that is being spread by pro-horse slaughter
groups and individuals. Ask all members of the Committee to
vote in favor of S. 311 and encourage Senate leadership to move
the bill swiftly to the full Senate for consideration. If your
own Senator is on the Committee it is especially important for
you to contact him/her. Two years ago, the US Senate voted
overwhelming to stop horse slaughter for a year; S. 311 will
ensure that the practice is stopped permanently.
2. A BILL TO RESTORE THE PROHIBITION ON THE COMMERCIAL SALE AND
SLAUGHTER OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS
In the House of Representatives, Members of Congress will have
an opportunity to take a stand for wild horses when H.R. 249
comes up for a vote on Thursday. Introduced by Chairman Nick
Rahall (D-WV), this bill would stop the commercial exploitation
and slaughter of wild horses by repealing the 2004 “Burns rider”
and restoring the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act to
its original language.
Passage of these bills is critical to the welfare of America’s
horses. Congress has spoken out several times against the
slaughter of both wild and domestic horses, and now they must
take a stand to keep our horses safe forever.
WHAT
YOU CAN DO:
A. Please call and fax members of the Senate Commerce
Committee
TODAY,
urging them to vote “YES”
on S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. If
they are currently cosponsoring the bill, also ask them to
speak out on behalf of this important measure during the
mark-up and persuade their colleagues to join them in
support. Feel free to refer to the facts about horse
slaughter listed below.
For a complete listing of committee members and their contact
information, click here:
www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=About.Members.
To learn more about our campaign to stop horse slaughter for
human consumption, please visit
www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.
B. Please contact your Representative as well, asking that he
or she vote “YES”
on H.R. 249 to restore protections for wild horses when the
measure comes to the House floor for a vote next Thursday.
For more information on these animals’ plight and how to
contact your Representative, please click here:
www.saplonline.org/w_horses.htm.
Additionally, please share this eAlert with family, friends and
co-workers, and encourage them to contact the Commerce Committee
Senators and their Representatives, too. As always, thank you
very much for your help!
Sincerely,
Cathy Liss
Legislative Director
www.saplonline.org
www.compassionindex.org
Sign up for SAPL eAlerts to receive the latest legislative
news on what you can do to help us protect all animals
www.saplonline.org/action.htm.
________________________________
FACTS AND FAQ's ABOUT HORSE SLAUGHTER
-
Last year, three foreign-owned slaughter plants cruelly
slaughtered more than 100,000 horses for human consumption in
Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more of America’s horses
were exported from the United States and slaughtered in other
countries.
-
Slaughter is
NOT
humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and
during slaughter.
-
Passage of the AHSPA will reduce animal suffering hence its
wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world,
as well as the humane community.
-
Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for
human consumption. In California, a 1998 ballot initiative to
ban horse slaughter for human consumption passed with 60
percent of the vote.
-
Animal cruelty is
NOT
a property rights issue. It is illegal to abuse and neglect
any animal, and horse slaughter is one of many tragic forms of
animal cruelty.
-
A recent ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld
Texas law making the operation of the two Texas plants
illegal.
-
The US District Court recently ruled that the US Department of
Agriculture scheme that allowed the horse slaughter facilities
to hire their own inspectors is a violation federal law. All
plants were ordered to close immediately.
-
Horse slaughter has been stopped temporarily in the United
States, but could resume without passage of the AHSPA. Horses
are still being shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter,
causing even greater suffering.
|
______________
VICTORY!!!!!!! -
but we still need HR 249 to be passed
(see additional
information immediately
below this press release)
Posted
6 March 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal
Court of Appeals Affirms Ruling Declaring Horse Slaughter Illegal in Texas
Two of the Nation's Three Horse Slaughter Plants Must Now Close
WASHINGTON (March
6, 2007)—Today,
The Humane Society of the United States hailed a decision yesterday by the
entire United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to affirm an
earlier panel decision upholding a Texas state law banning the sale of
horsemeat for human consumption.
Without comment or dissent, the 19 judges of
the full court rejected a petition by three foreign-owned slaughter plants
seeking full court review of a three-judge panel’s January 19, 2006 decision
upholding the Texas horse slaughter law. The slaughter plants had claimed
the Texas law at issue was unconstitutional, an argument that was quickly
brushed aside by the Court in its January opinion and again by its decision
denying rehearing yesterday.
“This is the end of the line for the horse
slaughter industry in Texas," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO for The
HSUS. "The kill floors should be still and quiet in Texas if the owners of
these foreign-owned plants obey the law.”
“Only one slaughterhouse continues to operate
in the United States, and it is time for Congress to step in and halt this
grisly business once and for all,” Pacelle added.
The HSUS has been actively campaigning to ban
the slaughter of American horses for export for human consumption.
Facts
·
The criminal code of Texas has long prohibited
the sale or possession of horse meat, but the law has never been enforced.
·
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
100,800 American horses were slaughtered in three foreign-owned slaughter
houses in 2006. Another 30,000 were sent to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.
·
Opponents of the slaughter ban argue the
practice constitutes a humane way to kill old animals, but investigations by
The HSUS show cruelty and abuse throughout the process. USDA statistics show
that more than 92 percent of horses slaughtered in the U.S. are not old and
infirm but in good condition.
·
Legislation to ban the slaughter of American
horses nationwide was introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate by Sens.
Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Reps. Janice Schakowsky
(D-Ill.), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), John Spratt (D-S.C.), and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.)
introduced a companion bill, H.R. 503.
·
The measure received tremendous bipartisan
support in the 109th Congress, winning a vote of 263 to 146 in the House. It
stalled in the Senate in late 2006, however, and was not brought up for a
vote before Congress adjourned, even though a similar effort had been
overwhelmingly approved by the Senate in 2005.
·
Nearly 70 percent of Americans are strongly
against the slaughter of American horses for human consumption overseas.
Timeline
·
In 2002, responding to citizen and local
government concerns about the two foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in
the state – Dallas Crown in Kaufman and Beltex in Fort Worth – then-Texas
Attorney General John Cornyn issued a written opinion that the 1949 Texas
law applies and may be enforced.
·
In response, the Tarrant County District
Attorney attempted to enforce the law, but last year a federal district
court in Texas ruled that the law was repealed by another statute and
preempted by federal law.
·
The District Attorney appealed that decision
last year, and the HSUS filed an amicus brief in the case in March 2006.
·
In January 2007, the court of appeals upheld the
law, flatly rejecting the slaughterhouses' arguments that the ban on the
sale of horsemeat does not protect horses from theft and abuse, and that
regulating horse slaughter can achieve those same purposes, noting instead
that "it is a matter of commonsense that…alternatives…do not preserve horses
as well as completely prohibiting the sale and transfer of horsemeat for
human consumption."
Media contacts:
Polly Shannon,
pshannon@hsus.org, 703-283-5104
Tracey McIntire,
tmcintire@hsus.org, 301-548-7793
_______________
6 MARCH 2006.....
IMMEDIATE CONTACT NEEDED TO
ENCOURAGE VOTE ON HR249
Call them at 1-202-225-6065 and tell them to please vote YES on H.R. 249
to stop the sale and slaughter of our wild horses. Barbara Cross-post
Chairman Nick J. Rahall II
Members
Members of the
Committee on Natural Resources
U.S. House of Representatives
110th Congress
1329 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-6065 Fax: (202) 225-1931
MR. NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia,
Chairman
MR. DON YOUNG, Alaska, Ranking Republican Member
(Ratio 27-22)
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands
Grace F. Napolitano, California
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Raúl M. Grijalva, Arizona
Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam
Jim Costa, California
Dan Boren, Oklahoma
John P. Sarbanes, Maryland
George Miller, California
Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts
Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon
Maurice D. Hinchey, New York
Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Lois Capps, California
Jay Inslee, Washington
Mark Udall, Colorado
Joe Baca, California
Hilda L. Solis, California
Stephanie Herseth, South Dakota
Heath Shuler, North Carolina |
Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Elton Gallegly, California
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
Ken Calvert, California
Chris Cannon, Utah
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Rick Renzi, Arizona
Stevan Pearce, New Mexico
Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina
Luis G. Fortuño, Puerto Rico
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana
Louie Gohmert, Texas
Tom Cole, Oklahoma
Rob Bishop, Utah
Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania
Dean Heller, Nevada
Bill Sali, Idaho
Doug Lamborn, Colorado |
Subcommittees
Members of the
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
1626 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-9297 Fax: (202) 225-5255
Mr. Jim Costa, California, Chairman
Mr. Stevan Pearce, New Mexico, Ranking Republican Member
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Dan Boren, Oklahoma
Maurice D. Hinchey, New York
Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island
Hilda L. Solis, California
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio)
|
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana
Louie Gohmert, Texas
Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania
Dean Heller, Nevada
Bill Sali, Idaho
Don Young, Alaska (ex officio)
|
Members of the
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
187 Ford House Office Building
(202) 226-0200 Fax: (202) 225-1542
Ms. Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam, Chairwoman
Mr. Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina, Ranking
Republican Member
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Frank Pallone, New Jersey
Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Lois Capps, California
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio)
|
Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Wayne Gilchrest, Maryland
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana
Tom Cole, Oklahoma
Bill Sali, Idaho
Don Young, Alaska (ex officio)
|
Members of the
Subcommittee on Insular Affairs
1337 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-0691 Fax: (202) 225-0521
Mrs. Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands,
Chairwoman
Mr. Luis G. Fortuño, Puerto Rico, Ranking Republican
Member
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Raúl M. Grijalva, Arizona
Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio)
|
Elton Gallegly, California
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Don Young, Alaska (ex officio)
|
Members of the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
1333 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 226-7736 Fax: (202) 226-2301
Mr. Raúl M. Grijalva, Arizona, Chairman
Mr. Rob Bishop, Utah, Ranking Republican Member
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Dan Boren, Oklahoma
John P. Sarbanes, Maryland
Peter M. DeFazio, Oregon
Maurice D. Hinchey, New York
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Lois Capps, California
Jay Inslee, Washington
Mark Udall, Colorado
Stephanie Herseth, South Dakota
Heath Shuler, North Carolina
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio)
|
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Chris Cannon, Utah
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Rick Renzi, Arizona
Stevan Pearce, New Mexico
Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina
Louie Gohmert, Texas
Tom Cole, Oklahoma
Dean Heller, Nevada
Bill Sali, Idaho
Doug Lamborn, Colorado
Don Young, Alaska (ex officio)
|
Members of the
Subcommittee on Water and Power
1522 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-8331 Fax: (202) 226-6953
Mrs. Grace F. Napolitano, California,
Chairwoman
Mrs. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington, Ranking
Republican Member
Jim Costa, California
George Miller, California
Mark Udall, Colorado
Joe Baca, California
Hilda L. Solis, California
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio)
|
Ken Calvert, California
Dean Heller, Nevada
Doug Lamborn, Colorado
Don Young, Alaska (ex officio)
|
1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington,
DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6065 Fax: (202) 226-1931
_________
MARCH 7, 2007:
We had Victory
for a day.... now the fight is on.....a new bill has just been introduced to
ALLOW slaughter. We must oppose this bill and fight for HR 249 to pass.
To: "NTAR Network " <
ntar_network@yahoogroups.com>
From: "jjpippin" <
jjpippin@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 19:40:15 -0600
Subject: [ntar_network] From Randy Turner: The battle has begun
In case you thought the horse slaughter issue was resolved in
Texas.
__________________________________________________
A bill allowing the slaughter of horses for human consumption
has been filed by Rep. Sid Miller of Stephenville (HB
2476). This is the slaughtering plants' last ditch end-run
around our victory in the Court of Appeals yesterday.
I hope everyone will join THLN to defeat this bill.
We defeated it in the last session but it was a huge battle
and cost us a fortune. We are going to need a
lot
of help from everyone.
Randall E. Turner
1300 South University Dr., Suite 602
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Tel.: 817-348-0925
Fax: 817-926-6697
UPDATES 2007
_________
Update below from John
Holland Wednesday, January 24, 2006.
Hi Folks,
I had hoped for a more complete picture before sending this
out, but given all the speculation I will tell you what I know.
Both Texas plants ceased operations shortly after midnight
this morning. Confirmations have been flooding in that both
plants have stopped accepting horses. I called Beltex and
they confirmed this.
They are both saying they are "temporarily" closed. We
do not have confirmation as to whether they have actually stopped
slaughtering (their own horses) but it appears they have stopped.
This is very different than just not buying and killing off their
feedlots.
There are horses in the pens at Dallas Crown. This is not
normally a slaughter day, but tomorrow is. But interestingly,
there are no shipping containers there!
They are telling their buyers that this is just temporary and that
they have something planned. However, they were sending out
big buy orders on Monday, and the plants were telling their buyers
to "buy everything" at 80 cents per pound!
This is very abrupt and it caused both plants to close at the
same time, so this means some event happened since
Monday. This has caught everyone by surprise as we expected
slaughtering to go on for some time and apparently so did they.
There are several
possible explanations including their lawyers
advising them they
should suspend operations pending some
action. The
injunction was dissolved by the appeals panel, and
they might be
vulnerable to action if they operate during the
period when they are
working for an appeal of some sort. But
none of these explain
the sudden action leaving horses in the
pipeline to the
plants.
The most likely reason
from all we know is that the airlines probably
informed them that
they would not accept any more horse meat.
Many of you may have
seen the press release from HSUS
saying they had
informed the airlines that they were breaking
the law by shipping
the meat.
This appears to be
confirmed by the absence of the ubiquitous
shipping containers.
If it is the airlines, they will have to stay
closed until they
successfully appeal the decision (and their
appeal will be a long
shot).
Whatever the truth is,
and whatever the outcome, this will
save a lot of horses.
This brings up the issue of the horses in
the system now. There
are several thousand at buyers lots
and in the feedlots
like Morton and even standing at Dallas
Crown.
If anyone read my
recent post about what would happen to
the horses in the
pipeline, I said they would normally be
killed off in the
weeks leading up to the end unless the end
came unexpectedly and
suddenly. This may be just what
happened. Some
dealers may offer to sell theirs if the plants
do not promptly
reopen. Even if the plants do not reopen they
may well ship their
horses to Mexico, Cavel, or Canada.
Mexico causes the most
concern because of the way they
treat horses.
Mexico is also
obviously closer, but they can't just dump them
there because it would
be like the Mexican operations trying
to drink from a fire
hydrant. Last year Mexico took only about
200 horses a week on
average. It would take time to build up
capacity even if that
were the plan. The same goes for Cavel
and Canada. Last year
we had average net exports to Canada
of 353 horses a week.
When Cavel burned in
2002 the statistics show that the rate
of slaughter from the
other plants rose only very slightly and
about 50,000 fewer
horses were slaughtered in that year
and a half. This
indicates that there probably is not excess
capacity that can take
up the slack in the short term.
So my guess is that
the buying at auctions will now stop and
the industry will
begin slowly shipping its inventory of horses to
Cavel, Mexico and
Canada. That is, of course, if the shut
down is anything but
very temporary. This of course leaves
the killer buyers with
no income, and it will be hard on the
places like New
Holland.
I will let you know as
soon as we can get a handle on this.
Thanks to all the
folks who fed this information in to us!
And there is more good
news. Cavel reportedly has a new
USDA inspector who
takes her job seriously. We are told
that she actually sent
a horse that arrived dead off for necropsy!
She is said to fully
inspect the horses and records all injuries.
Dealers who repeatedly
bring in injured horses will be in trouble
if this keeps up. The
law is finally being obeyed!
These are great
developments, but without the passage
of the AHSPA they will
all be temporary, so lets resolve
to finish this as soon
as possible.
John Holland
_________
Interesting
update. The Airlines may be operating illegally if they continue to
transport horsemeat overseas.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:21 PM
Subject: FW: American, Delta Airlines Urged to Halt Horsemeat
Shipments After Ruling to Uphold Tex. Ban
This
was issued this morning.
|
 |
|
|
|
American, Delta
Airlines Urged To Halt Horsemeat Shipments After Court Ruling
Declaring Horsemeat Illegal in
Texas
WASHINGTON (Jan. 23, 2007) – Today, The Humane Society of the United
States called on American and Delta airlines to stop engaging in the
illegal business of shipping horsemeat from slaughterhouses in Texas
to Europe and Asia for human consumption. The request comes on the
heels of a federal appeals court ruling last week upholding a 1949
Texas law making the possession of horsemeat for human consumption
illegal in that state.
An HSUS investigation of the inhumane practices involved in the
transport and slaughter of horses in and around the country last
fall documented American and Delta airlines loading horsemeat into
cargo bins outside the Dallas Crown slaughter plant in
Kaufman,
Tex.
The shipment of illegal cargo violates the published shipping
policies of both airlines.
“The foreign-owned horse slaughter
industry is already operating on borrowed time, and we urge American
and Delta to get out of the illegal and grisly business of
slaughtering American horses for human consumption overseas now,”
said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “It’s not just a
matter of steering clear of the moral turbulence associated with
this issue. A federal appellate court upheld the
Texas
statute that forbids possessing, selling, or transporting horsemeat
for human consumption. American and Delta cannot be selective in
obeying the laws of the state of
Texas.”
In a letter sent to the airlines
today, HSUS Vice President for Animal Protection Litigation Jonathan
Lovvorn explained that the United States Court of Appeals for the
Fifth Circuit last week overturned a lower court decision that
invalidated a
Texas
state law banning the sale of horsemeat for human consumption. The
Court also concluded that the plants are in fact violating
Texas
law. The two slaughterhouses in
Texas – Dallas Crown,
Inc., in Kaufman and Beltex in
Fort Worth
– could seek further review of the ruling by the Supreme Court, but
such review is exceedingly rare and is granted in less than 1
percent of cases.
In the letter, Lovvorn pointed out
that the lower court injunction repudiated by the Court of Appeals
only applies to the Tarrant County, Tex., district attorney, and
does not affect the ability of other state prosecutors and local
city attorneys to bring criminal charges against both airlines for
violating
Texas
criminal laws. Additionally, Lovvorn indicated that the “clear
criminal exposure [the airlines] and [their] employees face from
Texas law enforcement officials other than the Tarrant County
district attorney certainly justifies an immediate halt to these
shipments.”
Earlier this month, The HSUS wrote to
American, Delta and Continental airlines asking the companies to end
their involvement with “an illegal, as well as inhumane, business
venture.” Neither American nor Delta has responded to the
organization’s request for a meeting.
Continental Airlines, in contrast,
told an HSUS representative the airline had already voluntarily
stopped shipping horsemeat overseas.
According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 100,800 American horses were slaughtered in three
foreign-owned slaughter houses in 2006. Opponents of the slaughter
ban argue the practice constitutes a humane way to kill old animals,
but investigations by The HSUS show
cruelty and abuse throughout the process.
USDA statistics show that more than 92 percent of horses slaughtered
in the
U.S.
are not old and infirm but in good condition.
The American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act, S. 311/H.R. 503 was introduced Jan. 17 by Sens. Mary
Landrieu (D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.), with 12 original
cosponsors, and Reps. Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.) Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.),
John Spratt (D-S.C.), and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) with 62 original
cosponsors.
Media contact:
Polly Shannon,
pshannon@hsus.org
, 301 721 6440
Editor’s note:
B-roll is available.
For copies of the letters to American, Delta airlines, please click
on the blue buttons at the top left of this release.
-30-
The Humane Society of the
United States
is the nation's largest animal protection organization with nearly
10 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice
for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster
preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine
mammals, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal
welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education,
investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The
nonprofit organization is based in
Washington
and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the
web at
www.humanesociety.org .
|
|
Interested in taking action online to help animals? Then join our online
community and sign up for our Humane Action Network. Go to
www.hsus.org/join .
_________
We're off to a good
start. The bills have been reintroduced!!!
WARNING:
THIS POST HAS GRAPHIC DETAILS IN IT
YOU CAN SCROLL TO POSTS FROM
2006 IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
|
Federal Bill to Ban Horse Slaughter Introduced in Both U.S. House and
Senate
Lawmakers reintroduce legislation with large original cosponsorship
WASHINGTON (Jan. 17, 2007) – Today,
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was introduced in both the
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to ban the slaughter of
American horses for human consumption overseas. The Senate billwas introduced by Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and John Ensign
(R-Nev.), and the House bill, H.R. 503, was introduced by Janice
Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), John Spratt (D-S.C.), and
Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.).
The bill has 61 House original
cosponsors and 11 Senate original cosponsors. Both bills clearly
command majority support in both chambers of Congress, and nearly all
of the leaders in Congress – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Senator Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-Nev.), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) – have
favored the ban on horse slaughter.
This action comes just after 100,800
American horses were slaughtered in the three foreign-owned equine
slaughterhouses in the United States, according to year-end figures
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At least another 33,400 were
exported to Canada, Mexico, and Japan for slaughter. Adding in the
approximately 4,000 horses imported from Canada, the total number of
horses caught in the slaughter pipeline for this time period exceeds
139,000.
“Every day the Congress waits, there
will be more torment and more suffering for America’s horses,” said
Wayne Pacelle, president
and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “The horse is an
American icon, and it is a betrayal of our responsibility to these
animals to treat them like cheap commodities and send them to
foreign-owned companies for slaughter. All we ask of leaders in
Congress is for a fair up or down vote on the issue.”
Despite strong bipartisan support in the
last Congress, including passage in the House in September by a
landslide vote of 263 to 146, the Senate failed to act on the bill
before adjourning, partly because of the obstructionist efforts of
Montana Senator Conrad Burns, who was defeated in his reelection bid.
“The slaughter of horses is both cruel
and inhumane, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it no longer
occurs,” Sen. Landrieu said. “As a lifelong equestrian, I was proud to
cosponsor legislation to ban horse slaughter in the 109th
Congress and I am proud to be the lead sponsor of the legislation in
the 110th.”
Supporters of the slaughter ban reject the claim by the industry that
slaughter is “humane euthanasia.” In fact, The HSUS documented the
cruelty and abuse last fall, when investigators followed “killer
buyers” transporting horses thousands of miles from auctions to
feedlots to interstate highways. They also documented a barbaric
method of slaughter on a kill floor in
Juarez, Mexico. Here, where thousands
of American horses are “stunned” by stabbing with short knives – a
method that leaves them paralyzed and unable to breathe – the animals
are still sensible to pain as they are hoisted up by a chain and their
throats slit.
Footage from domestic plants taken by HSUS investigators also
demonstrates cruelties ranging from harsh conditions that allow for
days of transport with no food, water, or rest before arriving to the
actual killing floor. Once there, a captive bolt gun to the brain is
used to render the skittish animals unconscious, but because this
method is uniquely unsuitable for horses in a frightening situation,
multiple blows may be required. The American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act will bar the slaughter of horses for human consumption
in the U.S. as well as the export of horses for slaughter in other
countries.
“The time has come to put an end to the
practice of slaughtering horses in America,” said Sen. Ensign, one of
two veterinarians in Congress. “Horses have an important role in the
history of our country, particularly the West, and they deserve our
protection. As a senator and a veterinarian, I am committed to doing
what I can for these magnificent animals.”
The HSUS is joined by members of
Congress, the National Show Horse Registry, National Thoroughbred
Racing Association, National Steeplechase Association, Churchill
Downs, and more than 500 endorsing organizations along with the
majority of Americans in support of the American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act.
"From the farms of
Illinois to the blue grass of
Kentucky to the ranches of the West,
horses are an essential, defining part of the American landscape,"
said Rep. Jan Schakowsky. "For too long, our government has allowed
foreign corporations to slaughter tens of thousands of horses each
year so that they can be consumed overseas. The vast majority of
Americans believe that horse slaughter should be outlawed. Joined by
members of both parties and with the support of hundreds of animal
welfare and agricultural organizations, I'm introducing legislation to
ban this shameful practice."
“A significant number of the 100,000
American horses being slaughtered for human consumption every year
were stolen and not “unwanted,” as opponents of this bill claim,” said
Rep. Whitfield, the Republican leader on H.R. 503. “The American
public overwhelmingly opposes horse slaughter, and I urge my
colleagues to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act to
end this cruel and brutal practice once and for all."
Media Contact:
Polly Shannon:
301-721-6440
or 703-283-5104,
pshannon@hsus.org
The Humane Society of the United States
is the nation’s largest animal protection organization with nearly 10
million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for
animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster
preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine
mammals, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal
welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education,
investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The
nonprofit organization is based in
Washington and has field
representatives and offices across the country. On the web at
www.humanesociety.org .
The
Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington,
D.C. 20037
www.hsus.org
Promoting the
Protection of All Animals
|
|
UPDATES 2006
_________
A letter from Willie Nelson...11/28/06
Dear
Friends,
Following passage in the House of Representatives, the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act is pending in the Senate. As you know, the measure
would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and
international transport of live horses or horseflesh for the same purpose.
Efforts
from concerned constituents like us have made all the difference in this fight
please continue to contact your Senators.
We hope the bill will be voted on by the Senate when Congress reconvenes on
December 5th,
but there will be limited time available and only issues seen as essential are
expected to be addressed. We need to be sure Congress recognizes that this
legislation is critical, as approximately 2,000 horses are being hauled to
slaughter and brutally killed with every week this bill awaits action in the
Senate.
Please contact both of your Senators today, urging their co-sponsorship of S.
1915, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 503, and requesting a vote on the
legislation when
they return on
December
5th, which is their last chance to vote.
Thanks,
Willie
Nelson
P.S.
To find your Senators, go to: http://www.compassionindex.org/search.htm
or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be
connected to their offices.
For more information on horse slaughter and how you can help make a difference
for Americas horses, please visit:
http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm
_________
NOVEMBER 27, 2006...........
WILD BURRO HERD IN DANGER
PLEASE MAKE PHONE CALLS
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:45:42 -0800
From: "JENNIFER FOSTER" <pl4pu2@verizon.net>
Subject: Immediate Action Required
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
To All,
We were just informed last week that the EA is
out and available for Comments regarding the last remaining Gather on
Clark Mountain. There is only a handful of burros left out and now they
want them all. We at Public Land for Public Use had sent a request for an
amendment to be done to the NEMO Plan and were denied due to NPS
involvement. We need all the support we can get in calls or written
comments regarding this up coming Gather. To get a copy of the EA you
must call the Needles BLM Office at 760-326-7000 to request a copy. I had
asked if there was an electronic version and was told no. We have 30 days
from November 20th 2006 to get comments in.
The removal of this herd is unnecessary. This
herd is genetically different from all other hers. Research as we speak
is being done on their DNA. Please make calls to BLM Needles and BLM
Wild Horse and Burro in Ridgecrest 760-384-5434. You can even call
Sacramento and speak with Tom Pogacnik at 916-978-4637. We need copies of
all comment to go to Senator Feinstein, Congressman Jerry Lewis,
Congressman Duncan Hunter and the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorn.
There is also a Public Hearing schedule at the
Needles Field Office on December 6th, 2006 at 6pm regarding the issue of
using Helicopters to gather these animals. We need to call Field Manager
Larry Morgan at Needles 760-326-7000 and Tom Pogacnik 916-978-4637 so that
additional Public Hearings can be set up at least out the Southern
California Desert District Office in Moreno Valley and possibly
Ridgecrest. There was not enough time given so that people can make
arrangements to attend in Needles.
Helicopter Gathers are very dangerous for
livestock and just last September 2005 a beautiful Jack was ran to
collapse and then drug by ropes from two mounted wranglers and finally
abused by one of the wranglers ultimately leaving the Jack to die a very
agonizing death over about 14-16 hours.
I apologize for the short notice but that is
what we had to work with. This herd should be left alone and managed
correctly to bring back this bloodline. These burros harm no one or
nothing. They are on their herd management area. Our history is being
destroyed at an unbelievable speed. This historic herd is under the Wild
Horse and Burro Act. The agency is acting on behalf of the Environmental
Powers and the National Park Service Powers, whom's management plans deems
them non-native. BLM has found a loophole to get them off the hook of
protecting these animals. California Department of Fish and Game has
broken their own code 4600 which states the burros are protected under
state law. But CDF&G buckles under to the same powers that BLM does. It is
time that they start answering to the American Public!
Please help us in getting the Gather Plan
stopped in its tracks. People need to speak up about their feelings when
they see wild horses and burros out on open range. To us these animals
just like the Bald Eagle represent American Freedom that has been so
heavily fought for. It will truly be a sad day when these animals cease
to be able to be viewed completely in the wild state.
I have been told that when the wind changes in
DC we may be able to place animals back their Native Ranges. But with
them all removed how is that ever going to happen? Plain and simple IT
WONT. And when they get done with the horses and burros what is
left but the PUBLIC?
We thank you for your time and hope that you
will all comment on this travesty that is going on in our Desert. If
you should need any further information please feel to contact us at
760-244-9157
Thank You.
Ken and Jennifer Foster
Public Land for Public Use
____________________
AMERICAN HORSES ARE IN A RACE FOR THEIR LIVES
and the next weeks will determine if hundreds of thousands
of
them will live, or die horribly in foreign owned slaughter
houses.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
,
which recently passed in the House by a 263 to 146 majority, will have only
the short lame duck session to pass the Senate. If the Senate does not vote on
and pass the bill it will die with the 109th Congress. Your call could be the
one that makes the difference. If you are questioning whether the bill will
truly be good for our horses, read on.
In the View Point section of the October issue of the Virginia Horse
Journal, the AQHA took their familiar role as avid supporters of the horse
slaughter industry. But was this factual
information
or do they have another
motivation?
Is it merely a coincidence that Quarter Horses make up by far the largest
faction of slaughtered horses? Given registration fees from $25 to over $1000
and the 145,000 horses they register per year, one can calculate well upward
of $3.6 million in motivation.
The AQHA seems to believe that it must support horse slaughter as an outlet
for its most egregious over-breeders instead of representing and supporting
the vast majority of responsible breeders and owners. Sadly, the Virginia
Horse Council appears to share this view.
The AQHA further stated that HR 503 "infringes on the rights of all horse
owners." This is yet another red herring. Less than 1% of the horses
slaughtered are sold to slaughter by their owners. The rest are obtained by
"killer buyers" through auctions and from owners who often have no idea that
they are selling their horse to slaughter. The true property rights violation
is to the victims of horse theft that the slaughter industry encourages. Lest
we underestimate this influence, horse theft has dropped by 90% in California
since they eliminated slaughter in 1998.
The AQHA goes on to say "bottom-end, unemployable and unwanted animals will
suffer increased neglect " One can only guess what an "unemployable" horse is,
but given the money involved it is not surprising that the statement sounds
more like it came from a business person than a horse person. Over 93% the
horses being slaughtered are young, healthy and of good temperament.
The only study done on the relationship between cases of abuse and neglect
and the rate of slaughter showed that there is no connection. In fact, on
average, when slaughter went down so did abuse and neglect!
When the demand for horse meat fell and slaughter dropped from 350,000
horses in 1989 to under 50,000 a decade later, the legitimate horse market
simply absorbed the unslaughtered horses.
The AQHA went on to say they "supported the humane transportation and
treatment laws for horses bound for slaughter." This is less than comforting
given the laws allow for horses to be crammed into double decker trailers with
no food, water or rest for up to 28 hours! The USDA recently stated that due
to budget restrictions they could not and would not attempt to enforce even
these pathetic laws. Incidents in recent weeks in Arkansas and Missouri have
exposed just how horrific
transportation is for these horses.
www.horse-protection.org
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention act has the support of over 400
horse organizations and industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of ordinary
horse owners. If you love horses as we do, you know in your heart that horse
slaughter is a betrayal of the trust they give us every day.
The horses need your support now!
Call your senators today and tell them to cosponsor S-1915,
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act:
To call or fax your Senator, use the
numbers below. The phone number is the Senate Switchboard.
Phone 202-224-4024
Fax 202-224-5432
Don't know who your Senators are...
(each state has two):
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
DO NOT DELAY
CALL OR FAX YOUR SENATORS TODAY!
____________________
Now there is a Fox
News poll! This publicity may be just what we need to get S.1915 to a vote!
Look along the
right side and please vote YES!
____________________
AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION
ACT PASSES THE HOUSE WITH AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY!
NOW, ON TO THE SENATE.
Nancy Perry, of the Humane Society of
the United States sent an email with some excellent advice. It is
printed below in it's entirety.
If you are an individual - please hand write a note
and fax it to your senator and tell them why this bill must be passed this
year.
If you are an organization, Nancy
encourages you to go to DC if it's feasible, and to invite your senator to
your farm with press coverage to see first hand why this bill needs to be
passed.
________________________
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 9:18 AM
Subject: RE: Senate vote?
We are
pushing hard for action prior to the election but remember that they are
coming back after the election for a few weeks (or more) of activity. Most
legislation will be moved at that point, once all the election pressure is
off them and they have more freedom to take on topics - it is still part
of the official congressional session. That said, we can't sit back and
relax til then. We need to be pushing as hard as possible to get some
movement on this bill. All efforts should be at full speed ahead right
now. Some horse rescue groups have already contacted me directly to come
to DC and see their Senators. We will help in any way we can -- you can
come work out of our office (5 mins from the senate buildings) and our
lobbyists will go with you on your visits (come to DC!!!). I think that is
a truly important step, for anyone able to do it (it's hard, I know!!).
But, think about organizing any efforts you can back home to get
visibility to this topic. Can you do an event prior to the election to get
this issue in the press? Can you invite your senators to come see your
place and promise there will be press there to cover their visit? Can you
get tables set up in a busy part of town with volunteers collecting
letters that can be faxed in to your Senators' offices? Can you give an
award to your Senator(s) if they have already cosponsored S. 1915 (or your
Rep, if they voted the right way) and invite the press to a ceremony where
you hand the award to the member or their staff? Any press reinforcing the
importance of this issue in your state is key right now. I'm just throwing
out some ideas, but I think it's all got to happen in a groundswell. Keep
calls coming in as fast and intensely as possible to senate offices.
We MUST build
cosponsorship right now (today!) or we won't have the adequate pressure
needed to get this bill to the floor in the coming weeks. And remember,
you can call your senators every day for the next 10 days to ask if
they've cosponsored S. 1915 yet. Repeat calls are fine -- just think of it
as a polite "check-in" with them. If they get the feeling we will not give
up and go away, that helps. As long as we're utterly polite and
constructive in tone. That stuff matters bc they resent being directed or
talked down to (you know how that goes).
Thanks for
all the attention everyone is giving this -- it's wonderful!!! !!!!!!!!! !
I also think
every single person who cares about this should send and email and make a
phone call (both!) to Senator Ensign and Landrieu's offices and thank them
heartily for their leadership on this issue. Tell them what you do and why
this is personally so important to you and then drop a gentle and sweet
note that you hope they will be able to get this bill to the floor before
the session is over.
__________________________
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