USDA ignores The Law! Plans to Continue Horse Slaughter

[Colorado Blue]

Oh what do we need to do! I'm so upset.

I got this letter from the Humane Society just now.

Please, please take note and pass it along, and join me in doing what we can to stop this alarming situation:

"I am writing to relay some shocking news. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is ignoring Congress and thumbing its nose at all of your hard work to save American horses from slaughter for human consumption. In light of today's outrageous action, the horses need you now, more than ever.

As you know, we had a remarkable year for horses during 2005, winning two bipartisan, landslide votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to prevent the use of tax dollars to fund horse slaughter inspections. President Bush signed the final ban on November 10, 2005, and it is scheduled to take effect on March 10, just a short month away. This was a huge victory for America's horses and those of us who want to protect them from cruelty and abuse. The law meant that horse slaughter would be prohibited for the rest of the year.

People like you across the nation were with us each step of the way during this legislative battle. Your hard work carried the day for horses, and the will of the people prevailed in Congress. Unbelievably, the USDA, with its ties to the livestock industry, says it will not implement this Congressional mandate. These bureaucrats are hell-bent on allowing the slaughter of America's horses!

Tell the USDA to respect the will of Congress and enforce the horse slaughter ban.

It's not every day that animal advocates win a landslide vote in Congress to stop a cruel practice. We are disgusted that this victory is being stolen. This new development means that the tens of thousands of horses -- who were to be spared from slaughter -- may face a grim and bitter passage to slaughter this year, despite Congress's efforts to save them. Take action today to stop the USDA from betraying the horses and subverting the will of Congress and the American people.

1. Take action. Contact the USDA and urge the agency to shut down this illegal and undemocratic scheme to slaughter horses. We need a permanent ban now more than ever. After you contact USDA, you will be prompted to contact your lawmakers so they know we have no time to waste -- we must pass permanent legislation to protect our horses from slaughter. Members of Congress should be as angry as we are that the USDA is circumventing their clear directive. Click here to contact USDA and Congress now.

2. Spread the word. Congress needs to hear about USDA's outrageous actions from as many Americans as possible. Ask your friends and family to contact their elected lawmakers as well. Click here to tell five friends to take action now.

Americans don't eat horsemeat -- there is no domestic demand for it. But last year, more than 90,000 American horses were either killed in one of three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States or shipped to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. Our thoroughbreds, show horses, mustangs, carriage horses, and family ponies are shipped in inhumane conditions and butchered.

Knowing that hundreds of thousands of our loyal companions have already been slaughtered is simply devastating. Please stand with us and do everything you can to spare the lives of our horses. Together, we will stop this horrible practice. I know we can prevail, but all of us must take action.

Sincerely,



Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States




Copyright ©2006 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) | All Rights Reserved.
The Humane Society of the United States | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037
[email protected] | 202-452-1100 | www.hsus.org

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. If we can use cows for meat, why not horses?

:shrug:

[Colorado Blue]

3. I don't eat any meat, any critter. But I think this is because

horses are companion animals, like cats and dogs.

Want to eat your cat?

Also, this is tied into the slaughter of already endangered mustangs - via a bill slipped into a "must pass" appropriations bill at the last second, truly a sleazy tactic. People have been working hard, and successfully, to reverse this catastrophe, which was done at the instigation of the cattle industry.

The cattle industry runs over 4,000,000 cattle on US LAND, your land, and there are only about 20,000 or so mustangs left, yet they want to eradicate the herd if possible; they say the horses (and the eagles, and the wolves, and the bears, and the deer, etc etc etc) interfere with their profits.

Oh help.

[sasha031]

5. this is so sad

:cry:

[Colorado Blue]

7. It is sad. It's terrible. There's a petition you can link to.

I hope people will sign it. I think it's doubly outrageous:

First, it's wrong in the first place, second, they're flouting the law.

Lord amighty. What's the point of living in a democracy if the people speak, the law passes, and the powerful ignore it?

[sasha031]

11. i have signed more petitions on this

and will gladly do more...our government is run by scum! trying to get these thugs to do anything

the government of death and destruction

[Colorado Blue]

24. Right on. This is really maddening on top of everything else.

Also, this particular case reflects a big problem out west, between ranchers and conservationships, who also include hunters.

I'm not into hunting but good hunters do respect animals and they love the land, and seek its preservation.

Also, various extraction industries, natural gas for example, are down on mustangs and other critters, once again because they interfere with their profits.

[sasha031]

28. ya they would love to kill all the animals in the country

do you have any idea how the US is perceived even in Europe? Cruel freaks...

I totally lose it when it comes to our beloved animals, I don't recognize this country any longer:cry:

[Warpy]

17. Dogs are eaten on the rez

One man may wax sentimental over what is just another source of protein to another man.

Instead of this BS, fight for humane conditions for all factory farmed animals.

I don't eat meat, but I can't see the difference between eating one animal or another. They're all living, and they're all sentient, and none of them particularly wants to die to grace our tables.

[sasha031]

4. OH COME ON!

Here we go again, how about kittens and puppies...
what the hell is the matter with people!

[bryant69]

9. Well I suppose their brains work

This is a cultural bias, and has no rational basis. If there is nothing wrong with eating a chicken there is logically nothing wrong with eating a puppy or a kitten. I wouldn't (I wouldn't eat horse either, although I have), but the only arguements I have in my favor are based on sentiment, not logic.

I am not a vegetarian by the way.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Colorado Blue]

13. Yeah, well "SENTIMENT" is the only thing that keeps people

from killing and eating each other.

Gimme some sentiment here already.

And hooray for cultural bias.

Do you have any idea how horrible it is when they round up and kill the mustangs?

[bryant69]

19. Actually there are sound reasons related to health

for not eating Humans. Prions or something like that.

I can't imagine it's any worth than how they kill Chickens or Cows, except, perhaps, because one would identify more with mustangs than with a chicken.

[Colorado Blue]

21. I guess you'd have to have made the acquaintance of some

horses to understand this.

I like all animals, and don't eat any at all; but some are closely linked to people, emotionally and historically.

[sasha031]

8. you must be awful hungry

:puke:

[McKenzie]

12. difficult argument to convey but...

horses have a special bond with mankind as do dogs and cats. We instinctively bond with these animals.

[Colorado Blue]

2. PS, mods, I hope it's ok to republish this in its entirety.

Otherwise, please let me know and I'll snip and include the links below.

HOW CAN THIS BE? HOW CAN THE LAW SIMPLY BE IGNORED?

[McKenzie]

6. I hope you guys can stop this practice

horses are special beasties as far as I'm concerned and highly intelligent; I've ridden horses many times and I know just how smart they are. The thought of killing horses for human consumption is just sickening. As for shipping the terrified creatures in vehicles...just not acceptable, period.

[Colorado Blue]

10. What's maddening is that we managed to overturn this evil

law in the first place, now they're flaunting it.

Horses are indeed special, they're almost psychic. They're very sociable, they form deep attachments with each other, with other creatures and with people.

Also, the mustangs, who were the primary target of this dreadful action by the Senator from Nevada, are a special part of America's heritage. They're wonderful animals, who struggle as it is to survive on the worst of America's range - driven to near extinction primarily by the cattle industry.

[McKenzie]

14. agreed. horses are very savvy creatures

I have watched the ponies in the field above my house playing games and calling out to one another. Beautiful and noble creatures.

[sasha031]

15. no wonder we are on the verge of destruction!

pinheads believe everything is for the taking! greed and blindness has always ruled over balance with the planet.

[madrchsod]

16. we have been fighting these guys in northern illinois for years

and it took the bush overthrow of our government to finally allow this to happen. but i doubt the wealthy horse owners out here will say anything about it as long as he keeps their tax breaks.
it`s a big deal to alot of people about the slaughter of horses.. if you don`t know why you must have had any contact with a horse.

[DemonGoddess]

18. Quite frankly

right now I'm even more concerned with the National Animal Identification System that is trying to be implemented. That one will REALLY hurt horse owners.

[Colorado Blue]

26. Can you tell us more about this?

[DemonGoddess]

29. sure

Here are some links for you. This affects ALL livestock, including horses who are much more companion animals than livestock.

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

It is voluntary now, but it's supposed to be implemented and MANDATORY by 2008.

American Horse Council Press Release
http://www.horsecouncil.org/press%20releases/Equine%20Identifcation%20Update.htm

Equine Species Working Group
http://www.horsecouncil.org/equineid.htm

In a nutshell, the small breeder/farmer (not just of equines)and just plain old "I own my horses for me" type person is going to have much trouble from this. Of course WE are not PRODUCERS. BLECH.

One other link...online petition against it.
http://new.petitiononline.com/nousaip/petition.html

By the way, when I first got wind of this particular waste of tax money, was about 2 years ago. Since then, I've taken every opportunity to try and open people's eyes to this, and just how it's going to impact them.

[Colorado Blue]

30. Thank you! I hope everybody reads this.

And you're right, it's a waste of money besides being intrusive.

[Beaverhausen]

20. K&R

The USDA my ass.

[barb162]

22. All of us should be signing the petition, writing the Prez AND USDA

[barb162]

23. KICK!

[barb162]

25. KICK!

[Colorado Blue]

27. Thanks Barb. They also target burros, the very symbol of

our party.

THAT AIN'T RIGHT.

[barb162]

32. It's terrible

[DemonGoddess]

31. Another thing, the NAIS thing I posted about?

If you think about it, ties into the OP. HORSES are not part of our food chain here. Supposedly, this NAIS program is to protect the food chain. It really doesn't. All it does is set up the small farmer/breeder for large fines if they don't comply with things like premises id, etc. And guess who is going to foot the bill for mandatory microchips? THE FARMER. Doesn't matter if they're already identified by other means either. This will put an unnecessary and unsustainably high expense onto the small farmer.

Give you another example of how intrusive this can potentially be to the average horse owner. Say you want to go for a ride, you're supposed to NOTIFY someone each and every time you do that. Ridiculous.

And here's another thing, since horses are not exempted from this silly program, then all those BLM mustangs that get adopted? This is yet ANOTHER expense for the horse owner who does that. Microchip the animal (BLM mustangs are freezemarked already), pay premises registration, etc. Premises registration is supposed to be an annual thing as well. So, this would then make it so the horse owner who'd consider adopting is going to wonder why they did with all the extra expenses after they've adopted 'em. I'm not talking about your normal horse care expenses. Any one who has an equine knows that it costs money to feed and house your horses, vet them, have the farrier out, etc. My point is, that makes it less likely for someone to even want to adopt, doesn't it?

[DemonGoddess]

34. Did I mention the

HEFTY fines they plan on instituting if one refuses to comply?

[Colorado Blue]

35. Yes, you're right. I don't get it.

You know what else - it's another set of rules in the "Land of the Free."

[barb162]

33. KICK

[peacebaby3]

36. Done. I have signed all of these petitions and will continue to do so. n/t