Horse Slaughter Debate Continues

(Sorry. I found a lot of stories on horse slaughter this week.)

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On June, 2007 a federal judge refused the request from Cavel to stay open thus closing down the last horse slaughter facility in the United States. With a host of violations for discharging waste water with excessive levels of contamination, the DeKalb plant racked up over $80,000 in fines in one year. The Government Accounting Office ( GAO) the independent non-partisan federal agency that acts as the investigative arm of Congress concluded that horses slaughtered in the United States were being slaughtered alive and while still conscious; a violation of the Humane Care for Animals Act.

Does anyone else find it disgusting that a horse slaughter plant can rack up violations every month, and the only thing that happens is more fines? Let me tell you something. If someone violates a law, receives the punishment, and then does it again. Do you REALLY think it's a good idea to continue with the same punishment every single time?? Why don't you...say...shut the place down.

Illinois State Representative Jim Sacia has reintroduced HB 4812 to repeal the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter and would allow Cavel to resume slaughtering horses. Yesterday the State House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation passed the bill, however Illinois Governor Pat Quinn vows to protect all animals and will not allow any kind of legislation that allows cruelty to animals.

Sacia's bill would also allow horses to be shipped into the state for slaughter for human consumption with no certificates of veterinary inspection and exempt downed, sick, diseased, lame or disabled horses from the requirement of the Humane Care for Animals Act. Humane organizations and animal advocates are shocked at such an egregious bill.

That. Is. Disgusting. If a person's severely sick or disabled we don't just take them out back and shoot them! So why does that make doing it with horses okay?

In Florida, Representatives Luis Garcia (D-Miami) and Senator Victor Crist (R-Tampa) have introduced identical bills (HB765 and SB1708) making it a third degree felony for anyone to illegally kill, maim, mutilate or cause great bodily harm or permanent breeding disability to any equine. The bill would also make it illegal to:

"knowingly transport, distribute, sell, purchase, or possess horsemeat for human consumption that is not clearly stamped, marked, and described as horsemeat for human consumption or horse meat that is not acquired from a licensed slaughterhouse."

"Under Statute 828.125 humane advocates do not want horses to be considered livestock," states Jennifer Swanson, co-founder of Pure Thoughts Foal and Horse Rescue, Loxahatchee. "We are very grateful for the introduction of the new bill, but horses have never been bred or raised as food sources and are generally considered companion animals. And understand this that I think ALL animals should be protected from cruelty. The advocates of horse welfare and the horse industry don't want to go up against the cattlemen. We just want to help keep horses in the State of Florida safe."

Horse slaughter in the United States has been a very contentious issue, and both sides agree there is a national crisis and something must be done to help all horses, however the overwhelming majority of Americans are against the cruelty and inhumanity of horse slaughter. It is a myth that banning horse slaughter has resulted in an increased number of abandoned and unwanted horses. Horse slaughter encourages over breeding for profit.