Guest guest Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST 3/20/09: Stop Horse Slaughter Blitz At State/Federal Levels       LT PHOTO: Foals at slaughter. RT PHOTO: Horse injured on the way to slaughter. Promoting The Humane And Responsible Treatment of Horses, http://www.equineadvocates.com/slaughter5.htm =========================================================== BACKGROUND + FEDERAL & STATE ACTIONS TO TAKE =========================================================== Those in favor of horse slaughter for human consumption claim U.S. slaughter plants are better regulated than kill floors in Mexico and Canada. Opponents of a horse slaughter ban contend abandonment/starvation of horses (because caretakers can't finance their care) is far worse than slaughter. This line of reasoning overlooks: -   Americans don't eat horsemeat and the majority oppose killing horses for meat. -   Horses aren't bred for meat and thus not checked for disease, pathogens prior to slaughter. -   Animal abandonment is illegal. Offenders should be charged, not permitted to profit from killing horses. -   Cow and pig slaughter methods used on horses are inhumane for these long-necked animals. There are too many horses due to overbreeding in industries such as Premarin and Prempro (HRT drugs from mare's urine); carriage horses; riding stables, etc. Rather than study feasibility of new slaughterhouses, proponents ought to question: “Why are so many animals sent to slaughter, starved or abandoned by owners who refuse to take responsibility for their horses' humane care?" http://www.navs.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1 & page=NewsArticle & idw57 State Bills Related To Horse Slaughter To read a state bill, go here: http://www.navs.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1 & page=NewsArticle & idw57 SUPPORT New Jersey A551: Referred to Assembly Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee 1-8. Bans horse slaughter; horseflesh for consumption. SUPPORT New York A3736: Referred to Committee on Agriculture 1-28. Prohibits slaughter of horses for human consumption. SUPPORT Arkansas SCR 11: Read twice by Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development 3-5 Urges horse owners to take responsibility for the humane treatment and care of horses during this time of economic crisis. OPPOSE Arizona SCM 1001: Senate first reading 1-29. Urges Congress to oppose a federal ban on horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Arkansas HCR 1004: Passed House 1-29, read twice by Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development 1-29. Requests congressional support of horse processing facilities. OPPOSE Idaho HJM5: 3rd reading in House 3-12. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation that interferes with a state's ability to direct the transport or processing of horses. OPPOSE Illinois HB 583: Placed on House calendar for second reading and short debate 2-25. Repeals the state ban on the slaughter of horses. OPPOSE Illinois HR 160: In House, referred to Rules Committee 3-10. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Iowa SR 16: Resolution filed, referred to Rules & Administration 3-9. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Kansas HCR 5004: Adopted as amended by Agriculture and Natural Resources 2-17. Resolution urges US Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Minnesota SF 133: Senate refers to Agriculture and Veterans 1-22. Resolution urging Congress to oppose federal legislation banning the slaughter of horses and the transport of horses to slaughter. OPPOSE Minnesota HF 840: House first reading, referred to Agriculture, Rural Economies & Veteran Affairs 2-16. Resolution urges Congress to oppose a federal ban on horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Missouri HCR 19: House pass 3-11. Urges Congress to oppose a federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Missouri SCR 8: Reported to House 3-5. Urges Congress to oppose a federal ban on horse slaughter and transport of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Montana HB 418: Passed 2-18, now in Senate, hearing 3-5. Authorizes investor owned horse slaughter plants. OPPOSE North Dakota SCR 4021: Passed Senate. Urges Congress to recognize the need for regulated horse processing facilities in the United States. OPPOSE North Dakota HB 1496: Introduced 1-19, passed 2-18. Lets Department of Commerce conduct equine processing facility feasibility study. OPPOSE South Carolina SCR 480: Senate referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources 2-25. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation interfering with a state's ability to direct transport/processing of horses. OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 2: Senate adopted 2-3-09, House of Representatives Concurred in Resolution, Passed 2-5-09. Urges reinstatement and funding of a federal inspection program for horse slaughter and euthanasia facilities. OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 4: Passed Senate 2-19, passed House 2-23. Supports transport of horses out of the state and country. OPPOSE South Dakota SCR 10: Senate Adopt Resolution, Passed 3-10. Supports efforts in other states to address need for equine slaughter/processing in U.S. OPPOSE South Dakota SB 114: Senate appropriations deferred, passed 2-5. Provides for study of feasibility of horse slaughter plant in South Dakota. OPPOSE Tennessee HB 1361: Referred to Agriculture 2-19. Eliminates packaging and labeling requirements for horsemeat. OPPOSE Utah HJR 7: Passed House. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation to ban horse slaughter and the export of horses for slaughter. OPPOSE Wyoming HJR 8: Signed into law. Urges Congress to oppose federal legislation that would interfere with a state's authority to direct the transport or processing of horses. ============================================================= CONTACT INFORMATION ============================================================= 1. Below is a sample letter about the FEDERAL (NATIONAL) Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503). You may use letter as written to send to your Representative and Senators in Congress, in Washington D.C. 2. There are also many STATE BILLS to facilitate horse slaughter. Take a minute to see if YOUR STATE is listed above. Modify the sample letter to include the name of the state bill and your argument against it. --  You have CONGRESSIONAL officials who represent you in Washington DC.      These are your FEDERAL LEGISLATORS. --  You also have STATE officials who represent you in your state's capitol.      These are your STATE LEGISLATORS. FIND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOUR FEDERAL & STATE LEGISLATORS HERE: *    http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L *    http://www.votesmart.org/ ============================================================= THIS SAMPLE LETTER IS ABOUT FEDERAL BILL H.R. 503 If writing about a STATE BILL: You must modify letter to include STATE BILL'S NAME and why you oppose/support it. SEE STATE BILLS ABOVE. ============================================================= Dear Representative and Senators: The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503) is back on the legislative calendar, after moving through the Judiciary Committee with bipartisan approval in the last Congressional session. Please help pass this measure to ban the possession, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering or receiving of a horse or horseflesh for human consumption. I am counting on you to support H.R. 503, reintroduced 1/14/09 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. and Rep. Dan Burton. I encourage my Senators to introduce and endorse a companion bill that also activates an export-for-slaughter ban on our nation's horses. In 2007, state courts closed America's last three equine processors in Texas and Illinois. Still, the lack of a federal law let over 100,000 horses go to slaughter in Canada and Mexico in 2008. To reach kill plants, horses are jammed in double-decked cattle trailers that hurt their heads and necks. Food, water and rest are withheld for 24 or more hours. Horses arrive weak and injured. Some are dead by journey's end. Others kept in the over-packed trailers endure hot or cold weather extremes. Horses who collapse are brutally offloaded. Slaughter is excruciating for these easily excitable animals. Horses are goaded into the kill box with fiberglass rods. Workers pummel their faces, necks, backs and legs. The captive bolt pistols used in Canada often don't work on such long-necked animals, and leave them thrashing in pain. In Mexico, killers use a "puntilla knife" to sever a horse's spinal cord. Investigative footage from a San Antonio News-Express expose in 2007 shows alert horses stabbed repeatedly around the withers. When a horse finally falls, he is merely paralyzed while workers dangle him by his hind leg and slit his throat. Some horses even remain sentient when dismembered. Violent slaughter should never be an alternative to rescue, adoption or humane euthanasia. Furthermore, without a federal law horse kill plants may reopen in states where they are not currently banned. As a constituent, I ask my Representative to back the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503). I urge my Senators to initiate similar legislation to end slaughter and domestic/global transport of horses for human consumption. Your feedback is very important to me. Thank you, =========================================================== SOURCE OF INFORMATION / REFERENCE LINKS =========================================================== Proponents of Horse Slaughter Flood State Legislative Agendas http://www.navs.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1 & page=NewsArticle & idw57 Promoting The Humane And Responsible Treatment of Horses http://www.equineadvocates.com/slaughter5.html PREVENTION OF EQUINE CRUELTY ACT http://www.awionline.org/legislation/horse_slaughter/ YOUR SUPPORT LETS US WORK FOR ANIMALS *   DONATE SECURELY ONLINE: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/donation *   DONATE BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER:     Kinship Circle / 7380 Kingsbury Blvd. / St. Louis, MO 63130 ACTION CAMPAIGNS • EDUCATION • ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK info or kinshipcircle http://www.KinshipCircle.org * http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/ KINSHIP CIRCLE is a 501c3 public charity. Donations are tax-deductible. 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