posted September 21, 2005 02:13 PM         

— Banner Day for Animals in Senate as Amendment Offered by Senators Ensign and Byrd Passes by Overwhelming Vote of 68-29 —

WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) today praised the U.S. Senate for its 68-29 passage of an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill prohibiting the use of any federal taxpayer funds to slaughter horses for food exports. The bipartisan amendment was introduced by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), a veterinarian by profession, and Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), and was cosponsored by Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

"Every year, more than 90,000 American horses – thoroughbreds, family ponies, and others – are slaughtered for human consumption abroad in countries such as France, Belgium, and Japan," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States. "These magnificent creatures have been part of the fabric of American life for centuries. They faithfully plowed our fields, carried our loads, and helped us in war and peace. The House and Senate have both stated decisively that horses deserve better than to be hoisted by a rear leg, cut with a long blade, and bled out for the purpose of being served to foreign gourmands."
"The time has come to put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in America," said Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). "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," Ensign said. "Many of the horses sent to slaughter are perfectly healthy, and turning them over to slaughterhouses is inhumane and unnecessary."

"Killer buyers" (middlemen for slaughterhouses) deliberately purchase horses from well-intentioned families who believe that their horse is going to a good home and frequently have no idea that their beloved companion animal is slated for slaughter. These animals are often transported with no food, water, or rest, frequently for unbearably long distances, crammed together so tightly under low truck ceilings that they cannot even hold their heads upright. Slippery floor surfaces in the transport trucks, coupled with overcrowding, lead to horses slipping, falling, and being trampled. Once they arrive, horses are often improperly stunned, given their biological flight response, and are sometimes completely conscious when hoisted by a rear leg to have their throats cut.

"The market for horsemeat is not an American market," said Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV). "Horsemeat is shipped abroad. The three slaughterhouses in the U.S. are foreign-owned. Thus, American horses are sold to a foreign company, killed for consumption in a foreign market, and foreign-owned companies profit from the export of horsemeat. Many Americans would be shocked to learn that our animals suffer such a fate, all in order to satisfy the tastes of those living in Europe and Asia."

In supporting the ban on horse slaughter, The HSUS is joined by the National Show Horse Registry, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Steeplechase Association, and Churchill Downs, as well as other horse welfare and humane organizations and hundreds of veterinarians across the country.

posted September 25, 2005 03:13 PM         

thanks to goddess for this....