Tax dollars at work: horse slaughter

[CountryLady]

If you really love horses, I think you may want to know our tax dollars have been approved for USDA inspectors to inspect horse meat which means there will be horse slaughter plants coming back to the US!


Cuts to low income mothers, infants and children, cuts to standard USDA inspections for the foods we DO eat !! It's insane !!



Congressional Conference Committee Appropriations bill would require taxpayers to subsidize foreign horse meat industry.


Equine welfare organizations denounce the agricultural appropriations bill that if passed, would make equine slaughter for human consumption legal again in the US and dump horsemeat that is unfit and unsafe on foreign markets.



Washington, D.C. - Last night, November 14, 2011, a Congressional Conference Committee tasked with reconciling differing House and Senate versions of the FY 2012 consolidated appropriations for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science and Transportation, issued a report failing to recommend de-funding of inspections of equines for slaughter for human consumption. This means for the first time since 2006, and in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, Americans would be required to subsidize a foreign owned industry that exports horsemeat served as a delicacy in fine restaurants in some European and other countries.



Americans don’t consume horsemeat. Polls have consistently revealed over 70% of Americans oppose horse slaughter. “It is outrageous,” says Vicki Tobin, vice president of Illinois-based Equine Welfare Alliance, “that American taxpayers would be required to subsidize foreign owned businesses that Americans oppose and that produces meat from animals that are not raised for food”.



Simone Netherlands, founder of Respect4Horses, added, “In this time when the focus of Congress is supposedly on reducing spending and creating jobs it is a ludicrous measure to spend tax dollars in order to reinstate an inherently cruel predatory business, from which Americans stand to gain nothing. Horse slaughter plants operating until 2007 have never created a total of more than 178 jobs.”



And, they are not good jobs, according to Paula Bacon, former mayor of Kaufman, Texas where a horse slaughter facility operated for years. “Horse slaughter means very few, very low wage jobs, meaning workers and their families overtaxed local resources like the hospitals and government services. This so called business brought in virtually no tax revenues and local governments incurred substantial enforcement costs in trying to regulate these facilities. The standard of living dropped during the time horse slaughter facilities operated. Having a horse slaughter facility drove away good businesses.” Equine slaughter has also been found to increase and abet horse theft in areas where facilities are located or horses are held for transport to slaughter.



In addition, American horses are not raised, fed and medicated within the FDA and European Union guidelines established for food animals, making them unfit and unsafe for human consumption. Equines are given many drugs banned in food animals such as pain killers, steroids, de-wormers and ointments throughout their lives.



A 2010 study in the Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal showed a drug given routinely to equines like aspirin, phenylbutazone or Bute, is a carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia in humans. It has no withdrawal period. The FDA bans bute in all food producing animals because of this serious danger to human health. The recent EU FVO reports on U.S. equines exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter show banned drug residues and falsified drug affidavits.

(Horse Slaughter)



The unsubstantiated claims of pro horse slaughter legislators such as Jack Kingston (Georgia) are that it will solve neglect and abandonment. All we have to do is look at Canada to confirm that this is erroneous. They have had the same increases in neglect cases as we have here in the US. The often talked about GAO report states: We cannot rule out the effect of the economy. The demographic of people who hang on to their horses in spite of their inability to care for them, is the kind of demographic that does not want to send their horses to slaughter, therefore horse slaughter is not a solution for that demographic. One could argue that horse slaughter in fact makes people afraid to sell their horses to anyone for fear of them ending up in the slaughter pipeline. Even Kentucky Derby winners such as Ferdinand have ended up on someone’s dinner plate in a foreign country.



In fact, it creates the problems it claims to solve says R.T. Fitch, founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation “As a convenient and lucrative means of disposal, Horse slaughter has created an over-population problem of horses, by enabling irresponsible breeding, and encouraging a quick turn around and dumping of horses. Very much like the housing market and the banking industry, the horse breeding industry is self destructing by saturating the market and horse slaughter is the bail out”.



Equine Slaughter is a grave risk to public health, it is inherently inhumane and it causes the very problems it claims to solve. It is fiscally irresponsible for Congress even to consider re-funding these inspections. The focus should be on stopping the risk altogether by ending the export of American equines for slaughter for human consumption.



“After all, there is a large market for dog and cat meat as well in China and Japan, does that mean that American tax payers should foot the bill to pay for the USDA to start inspecting dog and cat meat?” asks Richard “Kudo” Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission.



These equine welfare groups ask Congress to de-fund horse inspections and also protect the welfare of American equines by taking immediate action to pass the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011:





Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA)

Respect4Horses (R4H)

Animal Law Coalition (ALC)

Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF)

The Cloud Foundation (TCF)

Animal Recovery Mission (ARM)

Americans Against Horse Slaughter (AAHS)

The Celebrate the Horse Network (CTHN)

Animals’ Angels (AA)

Media contact: Simone Netherlands (928) 925-7212 Simone@Respect4Horses.com

 

[Merlin99]

If you really love horses, I think you may want to know our tax dollars have been approved for USDA inspectors to inspect horse meat which means there will be horse slaughter plants coming back to the US!


Cuts to low income mothers, infants and children, cuts to standard USDA inspections for the foods we DO eat !! It's insane !!



Congressional Conference Committee Appropriations bill would require taxpayers to subsidize foreign horse meat industry.


Equine welfare organizations denounce the agricultural appropriations bill that if passed, would make equine slaughter for human consumption legal again in the US and dump horsemeat that is unfit and unsafe on foreign markets.
That's the purpose of the inspectors


Washington, D.C. - Last night, November 14, 2011, a Congressional Conference Committee tasked with reconciling differing House and Senate versions of the FY 2012 consolidated appropriations for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science and Transportation, issued a report failing to recommend de-funding of inspections of equines for slaughter for human consumption. This means for the first time since 2006, and in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, Americans would be required to subsidize a foreign owned industry that exports horsemeat served as a delicacy in fine restaurants in some European and other countries.
It's a legal requirement from the 1967 wholesome meat act.

Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce.

Americans don’t consume horsemeat. Polls have consistently revealed over 70% of Americans oppose horse slaughter. “It is outrageous,” says Vicki Tobin, vice president of Illinois-based Equine Welfare Alliance, “that American taxpayers would be required to subsidize foreign owned businesses that Americans oppose and that produces meat from animals that are not raised for food”.
Some americans do, and some don't only because it isn't commercially available.

Simone Netherlands, founder of Respect4Horses, added, “In this time when the focus of Congress is supposedly on reducing spending and creating jobs it is a ludicrous measure to spend tax dollars in order to reinstate an inherently cruel predatory business, from which Americans stand to gain nothing. Horse slaughter plants operating until 2007 have never created a total of more than 178 jobs.”
How is it any more cruel for a horse to be slaughtered than a cow?

And, they are not good jobs, according to Paula Bacon, former mayor of Kaufman, Texas where a horse slaughter facility operated for years. “Horse slaughter means very few, very low wage jobs, meaning workers and their families overtaxed local resources like the hospitals and government services. This so called business brought in virtually no tax revenues and local governments incurred substantial enforcement costs in trying to regulate these facilities. The standard of living dropped during the time horse slaughter facilities operated. Having a horse slaughter facility drove away good businesses.” Equine slaughter has also been found to increase and abet horse theft in areas where facilities are located or horses are held for transport to slaughter.

I'd like to see some data, this sounds like rhetoric from someone who wants to think of horses as pets.

In addition, American horses are not raised, fed and medicated within the FDA and European Union guidelines established for food animals, making them unfit and unsafe for human consumption. Equines are given many drugs banned in food animals such as pain killers, steroids, de-wormers and ointments throughout their lives.
If the animals are found to have banned drugs in their system the inspectors will not allow them for sale, that's their purpose for being there
A 2010 study in the Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal showed a drug given routinely to equines like aspirin, phenylbutazone or Bute, is a carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia in humans. It has no withdrawal period. The FDA bans bute in all food producing animals because of this serious danger to human health. The recent EU FVO reports on U.S. equines exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter show banned drug residues and falsified drug affidavits.

That's Canada and Mexico's problem, not ours.


The unsubstantiated claims of pro horse slaughter legislators such as Jack Kingston (Georgia) are that it will solve neglect and abandonment. All we have to do is look at Canada to confirm that this is erroneous. They have had the same increases in neglect cases as we have here in the US. The often talked about GAO report states: We cannot rule out the effect of the economy. The demographic of people who hang on to their horses in spite of their inability to care for them, is the kind of demographic that does not want to send their horses to slaughter, therefore horse slaughter is not a solution for that demographic. One could argue that horse slaughter in fact makes people afraid to sell their horses to anyone for fear of them ending up in the slaughter pipeline. Even Kentucky Derby winners such as Ferdinand have ended up on someone’s dinner plate in a foreign country.



In fact, it creates the problems it claims to solve says R.T. Fitch, founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation “As a convenient and lucrative means of disposal, Horse slaughter has created an over-population problem of horses, by enabling irresponsible breeding, and encouraging a quick turn around and dumping of horses. Very much like the housing market and the banking industry, the horse breeding industry is self destructing by saturating the market and horse slaughter is the bail out”.



Equine Slaughter is a grave risk to public health, it is inherently inhumane and it causes the very problems it claims to solve. It is fiscally irresponsible for Congress even to consider re-funding these inspections. The focus should be on stopping the risk altogether by ending the export of American equines for slaughter for human consumption.



“After all, there is a large market for dog and cat meat as well in China and Japan, does that mean that American tax payers should foot the bill to pay for the USDA to start inspecting dog and cat meat?” asks Richard “Kudo” Couto, founder of Animal Recovery Mission.



These equine welfare groups ask Congress to de-fund horse inspections and also protect the welfare of American equines by taking immediate action to pass the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011:

personally I like horse meat and would like it to be more available.

 

[Hoover]

Hopefully this will also free up more funds for the rescues who are trying to save the horses going to the slaughter houses. Many people dont know what happens to racehorses when they are done racing - they go to the slaughter house not a retirement field.

 

[CountryLady]

I think you are missing one of the MAIN points.

We (the tax payers of the US) are funding inspections of a foreign meat commodity while we are allowing cuts to standard USDA inspections for the foods we DO eat.

 

[Merlin99]

I think you are missing one of the MAIN points.

We (the tax payers of the US) are funding inspections of a foreign meat commodity while we are allowing cuts to standard USDA inspections for the foods we DO eat.

I'm not missing the main point, you're trying to hide it. The main point being that you don't want the horses to be eaten and will throw every BS argument you and your cohorts can come up with accomplish it. One horse processing plant will employ approximately 100 people and have as a maximum 5 meat inspectors working. These 105 people will buy houses, pay taxes and in general support the community, without the rendering facility, not so much.
In general I think the anti horse meat people are on par with the anti whaling types, they've got the philosophical high ground without a legal leg to stand on.

 

[aps45819]

If it weren't for people like you romanticising horses, we would have another great food/employment source for our country.

It's a domestic animal, just like a pig, cow or chicken.
Nothing more

 

[devinej]

"issued a report failing to recommend de-funding of inspections of equines for slaughter for human consumption"

i don't see how the above equates to legalizing horse slaughter in the us.....it sounds like they are going to inspect live horses that may leave the country to get slaughtered in canada and mexico and eventually make it to europe or where ever to get eaten. because for serious, horses that are used for meat anywhere should not have years of bute and ivermectin in their system. that's no good for people to eat. and in europe, every horse , whether for slaughter or competition, has a passport that has a record of every drug given to the horse and the passport stays with the horse its whole life, so that if aat some point slaughter were considered, they would have arecord or the drugs involved in its system. the us is moving toward that, which i think is very smart. that would prevent MANY of our horses from going to human consumption.

personally, i think most of the us if completely ignorant on the whole issue of horse slaughter.

chronicle of the horse did a great series of articles on the subject, you shoudl check it out.

please read all 4 parts Part 1: The State Of U.S. Horse Slaughter: Closing The Doors, Opening The Borders | The Chronicle of the Horse

 

[fredsaid2]

Also see the August 2011 edition of the Equiery for an excellent report "Unwanted Horses, Highlights of Findings and Recommendations", page 13-14.

The Equiery - August 2011

It explains that Federal funds are prohibited for use to inspect the condition of horses designated for slaughter. This means all those horses we, the American horseman, bred and dumped cannot be inspected for basic minimum standards of care on their journey out of the U.S. to Canadian and Mexican slaughter houses.

If you really loved horses you might not begrudge them a little care and concern. If you really loved horses you might not have agreed to the closing of American slaughter houses where we could have influenced the process. Instead we've put them on a double decker truck to hell over our borders. Food for thought the next time you consider breeding your mare, you know the one - she's not particularly attractive or athletic, but darn, babies are soooo cute!

 

[devinej]

hmmm tribal horse slaughtering plant? hmm..
Bill pending in Congress could open door to horse slaughtering plants in U.S. - KCPQ

 

[ladyhawk]

I've never had an issue with slaughter houses.

The issues I do have are:
irresponsible breeders, people who pretend to LOVE them and sell or trade them for something better.. Uneducated owners.... I could go on and on but I won't. There are counter arguments to everything but bottom line, these are the primary reasons they end up at slaughter houses to begin with.

And Merlin is right.
How is this any different than slaughtering cattle...? And all drugs, including bute will disapate with time. Ask any recovered alcoholic or drug addict....

Then how are horse and cattle slaughters any different than the euthanizing of millions of dogs and cats? One reason there are so many more dogs and cats might have to do with the fact that they are less expensive to have as a pet. My hat goes off to the Rescues and Shelters because of the burdens that are placed on them daily. They can only save so many, and they to try...

But then if these animals aren't slaughtered, who will continue to take care of them when the "rescues" and "shelters" run out of funding? With our government cutting budgets there will be less funding to help and people who normally donate are donating less because they need more for themselves now than ever before... Be realistic here instead of trying to justify a passion..

I don't like watching any animal suffer but I have also learned that euthanizing is a way to give an animal dignity in death. And euthanizing is not as bad as others have tried to make it out to be.

June
In memory of Sara, Rainbow and Misty

 

[flarenuphope]

It's a necessary evil... sad but true. I thought this article did a pretty good job of depicting when it is necessary.
Abandoned horses on rise in East Texas from drought, weak economy - Longview News-Journal: Local News

 

[KandJ]

Do your research on horse slaughter plants before praising their usefulness and economic benefits. There are a ton of stories about the plant in Texas, here is a recent one :Texas Mayor Paula Bacon Kicks Some Horse Slaughter Tail - Forbes

The economic impact is the main reason several states have outlawed horse slaughter.

 

[Merlin99]

Do your research on horse slaughter plants before praising their usefulness and economic benefits. There are a ton of stories about the plant in Texas, here is a recent one :Texas Mayor Paula Bacon Kicks Some Horse Slaughter Tail - Forbes

The economic impact is the main reason several states have outlawed horse slaughter.

I don't believe them. I think they have a philosophical problem with horses being slaughtered and are demonizing the industry as a way of trying to get them to stop.

 

[KandJ]

The economic and environmental impact are facts easily found by doing any kind of secondary or even primary research. Municipalities of several thousand people closed down plants because of financial cost to the community. The cost of cleanup was the motivating reason for these lawsuits, nothing emotional about being hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red from cleanup.

And yes, horse slaughter is 'demonized' by most (last studies show 90%) Americans which is another reason communities do not want it. The social stigma has negative economic impact. This is one reason race tracks make it illegal for trainers to dispose of horses this way. Societies develop morals about the treatment of animals. America portrays horses as companion animals, pets, and even heroes in books and movies.

If the process of slaughtering a horse does not move you emotionally, I do not care. I do care that lobbying by foreign investors and irresponsible breeders hold sway with politicians. Doing the right thing takes a back seat to political back scratching. Men remembered for greatness (Churchill, Gandhi, Cromwell...) recognized the social responsibility of humane treatment of animals. Politicians who are pro slaughter will not be remembered for greatness.

And as to the bill meaning to protect horses in transport to slaughter. Why not a bill protecting any horse in transport?

 

[fredsaid2]

The economic and environmental impact are facts easily found by doing any kind of secondary or even primary research. Municipalities of several thousand people closed down plants because of financial cost to the community. The cost of cleanup was the motivating reason for these lawsuits, nothing emotional about being hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red from cleanup.

Interesting article you linked. Good points I wasn't aware of. But, in the end we have a problem of overpopulation with taxpayers and private citizens taking on responsibility for breeder's excess.

It's easy to pick your side; yes or no to slaughter.

What is your stand on how to eliminate/control the problem?

There was a forum post on a city's plan to microchip all cats and dogs. Maybe that's a route? Microchip at birth, update at sale, hold last owner responsible? Thoughts??

 

[Merlin99]

The economic and environmental impact are facts easily found by doing any kind of secondary or even primary research. Municipalities of several thousand people closed down plants because of financial cost to the community. The cost of cleanup was the motivating reason for these lawsuits, nothing emotional about being hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red from cleanup.

And yes, horse slaughter is 'demonized' by most (last studies show 90%) Americans which is another reason communities do not want it. The social stigma has negative economic impact. This is one reason race tracks make it illegal for trainers to dispose of horses this way. Societies develop morals about the treatment of animals. America portrays horses as companion animals, pets, and even heroes in books and movies.

If the process of slaughtering a horse does not move you emotionally, I do not care. I do care that lobbying by foreign investors and irresponsible breeders hold sway with politicians. Doing the right thing takes a back seat to political back scratching. Men remembered for greatness (Churchill, Gandhi, Cromwell...) recognized the social responsibility of humane treatment of animals. Politicians who are pro slaughter will not be remembered for greatness.

And as to the bill meaning to protect horses in transport to slaughter. Why not a bill protecting any horse in transport?

Animals slaughtered in the US are required to be dispatched in a humane way, this has been the law for more than half a century. As for the first paragraph, almost every article written covering the subject has folded so many incidental costs into the final cost that the number was huge but meaningless.

 

[Cheeky1]

...These 105 people will buy houses, pay taxes and in general support the community, without the rendering facility, not so much.
In general I think the anti horse meat people are on par with the anti whaling types, they've got the philosophical high ground without a legal leg to stand on...

Philosophically, I'd be against it, but in dire circumstances I could easily resort of slaughtering horses FOR FOOD (survival situation), not money.

Also, the part I bolded. I think you are mistaken. The article states that the jobs created are few, and low wage jobs - not careers. Unless a second/third source of income is present, no low wage earners are going to be buying houses, paying much taxes, and won't have time to support the community either.

:shrug:

 

[Merlin99]

Philosophically, I'd be against it, but in dire circumstances I could easily resort of slaughtering horses FOR FOOD (survival situation), not money.

Also, the part I bolded. I think you are mistaken. The article states that the jobs created are few, and low wage jobs - not careers. Unless a second/third source of income is present, no low wage earners are going to be buying houses, paying much taxes, and won't have time to support the community either.

:shrug:

People working at McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's... have bought houses, why couldn't people working at horse rendering plants? Not everywhere in the country has the wildly inflated housing prices of this area.

 

[ladyhawk]

I read one of the other "horror" stories.

It was about the five year old race horse ending up in a feed lot.
If you have ever been to an auction, these bids are a dollar a pound and anyone can bid on these horses.

I would be wondering about the horses medical history in this case. If the horse was not physically sound, it explains a lot but for emotional reasons the reporter refrains from any hint of a problem and makes the reader believe this was a young and healthy animal that was "secretly" left there?

Come on. If you know anything about racing and the damage it can cause to young developing horses, you at least have to wonder what type of reporter she really is. Her articles are very emotional but she either didn't complete her research or is purposely misleading the reader.

Enough to tell me I wouldn't be able to believe anything else she may write!

June

 

[ladyhawk]

Interesting article you linked. Good points I wasn't aware of. But, in the end we have a problem of overpopulation with taxpayers and private citizens taking on responsibility for breeder's excess.

It's easy to pick your side; yes or no to slaughter.

What is your stand on how to eliminate/control the problem?

There was a forum post on a city's plan to microchip all cats and dogs. Maybe that's a route? Microchip at birth, update at sale, hold last owner responsible? Thoughts??

Now that is an awesome idea. Problem is holding them responsible how? Even now they only get a slap on the wrist. And then the microchip has to be updated by new owner. Some don't?

June