WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Humane Society of theUnited States (HSUS) today praised the U.S. Senate for its 68-29passage of an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations billprohibiting the use of any federal taxpayer funds to slaughter horsesfor food exports. The bipartisan amendment was introduced by Sen.John Ensign (R-Nev.), a veterinarian by profession, and Sen. RobertC. Byrd (D-W.Va.), and was cosponsored by Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.),Dianne Feinstein (D- Calif.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mary Landrieu(D-La.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), and DebbieStabenow (D-Mich.).
"Every year, more than 90,000 American horses -- thoroughbreds,family ponies, and others -- are slaughtered for human consumptionabroad in countries such as France, Belgium, and Japan," said MichaelMarkarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of theUnited States. "These magnificent creatures have been part of thefabric of American life for centuries. They faithfully plowed ourfields, carried our loads, and helped us in war and peace. The Houseand Senate have both stated decisively that horses deserve betterthan to be hoisted by a rear leg, cut with a long blade, and bled outfor the purpose of being served to foreign gourmands."
The Ensign-Byrd amendment is identical to a measure that passedoverwhelmingly by a vote of 269-158 in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives in June, which was led by Reps. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), John Spratt (D-S.C.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), and Ed Whitfield(R-Ky.). It will effectively stop America's horses from being killedin three slaughterhouses in the U.S. that slaughter horses -- two inTexas and one in Illinois -- or from being shipped live toslaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico, so that their meat can befrozen, packed, and exported to foreign countries.
"The time has come to put an end to the practice of slaughteringhorses in America," said Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.). "Horses have animportant role in the history of our country, particularly the West,and they deserve our protection. As a senator and a veterinarian I amcommitted to doing what I can for these magnificent animals," Ensignsaid. "Many of the horses sent to slaughter are perfectly healthy,and turning them over to slaughterhouses is inhumane andunnecessary."
"Killer buyers" (middlemen for slaughterhouses) deliberatelypurchase horses from well-intentioned families who believe that theirhorse is going to a good home and frequently have no idea that theirbeloved companion animal is slated for slaughter. These animals areoften transported with no food, water, or rest, frequently forunbearably long distances, crammed together so tightly under lowtruck ceilings that they cannot even hold their heads upright.Slippery floor surfaces in the transport trucks, coupled withovercrowding, lead to horses slipping, falling, and being trampled.Once they arrive, horses are often improperly stunned, given theirbiological flight response, and are sometimes completely consciouswhen 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-W.Va.). "Horsemeat is shipped abroad. The threeslaughterhouses in the U.S. are foreign-owned. Thus, American horsesare sold to a foreign company, killed for consumption in a foreignmarket, and foreign-owned companies profit from the export ofhorsemeat. Many Americans would be shocked to learn that our animalssuffer such a fate, all in order to satisfy the tastes of thoseliving in Europe and Asia."
In supporting the ban on horse slaughter, The HSUS is joined bythe National Show Horse Registry, National Thoroughbred RacingAssociation, National Steeplechase Association, and Churchill Downs,as well as other horse welfare and humane organizations and hundredsof veterinarians across the country. The HSUS placed full-page adssupporting the amendment in The Washington Times, Roll Call, and TheHill -- a copy of the ad is available at http://www.hsus.org/ web-files/PDF/HorseAd(underscore)RollCall(underscore)091305.pdf
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"We applaud Senators Ensign and Byrd for winning this resoundingvictory for horses," added Markarian. "Senate offices receivedthousands of calls from constituents who love horses, and we thanklawmakers for acting decisively to end the slaughter of theseAmerican icons and trusted companions. The identical language fromthe House and Senate should put this issue to rest and save tens ofthousands of horses from a grim and painful end." The HSUS thankedkey legislative leaders who supported today's Ensign-Byrd amendment,such as Sens. Robert Bennett (R- Utah) and Herbert Kohl (D-Wis.),Chairman and Ranking Member of the Agriculture AppropriationsSubcommittee, and Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee.
The HSUS also applauded the Senate today for approving, by voicevote, two additional animal welfare amendments introduced by Sen.Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). One amendment would ensure that "downedlivestock" -- animals too sick or injured to walk -- are not allowedinto the human food supply by prohibiting USDA inspectors fromapproving meat from such animals. Downers are known to be at higherrisk for transmissible diseases such as BSE (bovine spongiformencephalopathy or "mad cow disease"), E. coli, and salmonella. Thesecond amendment would prohibit tax dollars from being used forresearch facilities that purchase animals from "Class B dealers" whotraffic in family pets for research. Historically, Class B dealershave been notorious for various unsavory practices, such as acquiringdogs from free-to-good home ads under false pretenses, stealing pets,and housing animals under inhumane conditions.
Sen. Akaka noted, regarding the downed animal amendment, "I do notbelieve that now is the time to lower our defenses. Strongerlegislation is needed to ensure that these animals do not enter ourfood chain. My amendment will prevent downed animals from beingapproved for consumption, and will allow USDA and other stakeholderstime to continue working on reducing and potentially eliminating therisk of BSE or any other prions from entering our food chain." On hissecond amendment, he explained, "USDA cannot provide an assurancethat illegal acquired pets are not being sold by Class B dealers. This is a problem that is certain to grow in the aftermath ofhurricane Katrina with the thousands of animals placed in shelters."
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largestanimal protection organization representing more than 9 millionmembers and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstreamvoice for animals, with active programs in companion animals andequine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife andhabitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. TheHSUS protects all animals through education, investigation,litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is basedin Washington and has numerous field representatives across thecountry. On the web at http://www.hsus.org.
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