Montana's Cruel Horse Slaughter Law Stumbles
Reader Comments
horses
there is at least 15 horses in my area that are hungry not cared for they need worming tested etc. my horses are very cared for. 9 here on my place some being borded all tested vacs fed hayed, watered and cleaned up after, Ive had horses come here over through fences that I repair.. I've called animal control which is through the sheriffs department here and the horses are all in the same situation.. where will anyone put these uncared for horses? who can afford their upkeep
just this simple
i dont care if its a cow, pig, rabbit, squirel,or even a horse. i have seen them all killed. they are all animals. they all die the same way. Unless you want to stop eating cow you have no right to tell horse owners what they can or can not do with thier livestock.
Here's My THought
Why isn't it just a federal law to have horse slaughter?
And, if it wasn't for the greed of those who consume
horse flesh there would be no slaughterhouses.
In fact, names of ALL slaughterhouses should be on
roadside billboards so that EVERYONE has access to phone
numbers and addresses of these facilities.
It's as easy as that.
Nothing like having an entire populace show up on
your doorstop to halt the operations.
America should stop being so timid!
Get it done!!
Updates on Foreign Horse Processing
The American Association of Equine Practitioners sent a delegation to Mexico in the fall of 2008 to tour horse processing plants. Read "Horse slaughter conditions in Mexico explored by AAEP group," March 1, 2009, by Malinda Osborne at the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association site:
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/mar09/090301h.asp
Watch a 3-part series on horse processing in Canada entitled, "From Stable to Table," May 2009, produced by GlobalTV Calgary:
http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/calgary/video/index.html?categoryID=1132857376
Horse Slaughter is Undeniably Inhumane
From:http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/622
Ithaca, New York - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a 906-page document revealing for the first time the alarming cruelty that takes place during horse slaughter in the U.S. The documents included almost nine hundred photographs. Information was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request submitted 3 years ago by equine cruelty investigator Julie Caramante. Animals Angels assisted Caramante in obtaining the documents, and they are now working with Animal Law Coalition to assess and disseminate the information.
"I've been an equine cruelty investigator for a number of years," said Caramante, "and I've witnessed many incidents of animal cruelty but nothing could prepare me for these images."
The photographs document significant injuries to horses at the slaughter house. Injuries included conscious dismemberment, open fractures, blinding, and battered faces. It appears some horses were left to bleed out. Other injuries indicated long term abuse and neglect.
"The pain and terror these horses had endured is criminal," said Caramante.
In July, well before release of the documents, Dr. Nicholas Dodman of the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee describing horse slaughter as, " a brutal and predatory business that promotes cruelty and neglect," concluding that as a veterinarian a "rapid end to this wholly brutal and un-American trade" is warranted."
Horse slaughter in the U.S. ended in 2007 after the three remaining plants in Texas and Illinois were closed by state lawmakers and the courts. There is a federal bill pending in Congress that would prevent horse slaughter from resuming in states without laws prohibiting it.
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For anyone who continues to be in denial about the abject cruelty of this horrific industry, please view the photos from the above report (warning - exceptionally graphic) http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/foiaphotos.html
Horse slaughter - a completely unnecessary evil
Re: Horse Slaughter - It is my right!!
Abuse and cruelty are UNAVOIDABLE aspects of the horse slaughter process. Since animal cruelty is a crime, it is therefore not a right. This is one of the bases for the legislation seeking to ban horse slaughter (Equine Cruelty Prevention Act).
Re: Jobs created by horse slaughter industry.
Fact is, KEEPING HORSES ALIVE creates FAR MORE ECONOMIC STIMULUS than the quick bucks made sending horses to slaughter. Also, plants are all foreign-owned and profits go overseas and are NOT SPENT in the US. People need to understand basic economics before making ridiculous claims!!!
Re: Unwanted Horses -
As stated and factually supported earlier, this is not quantifiable. It's true that there is little to no demand for old or lame horses - THESE ARE NOT the horses the slaughter industry wants - and NOT the ones they are bidding on - AGAINST private buyers who would give these horses a good home AND CONTINUE to contribute to the economy!! Just like beef, consumer prefer choice cuts of young, healthy horses.
Horse Slaughter
The people who really care about there horses would not abandon them nor would they abuse them the people doing these horriable acts were not good horse owners in the first place shame on them and I would never take the chance of any of my horses ever even seeing a slaughter truck. I lost my job two years ago but not one day have my horses been hungry. That is a choice. Shame on the person who sends there horse to slaughter. Stop breeding your horses I have seen four foals born in the last month and can't understand why people just don't get it. Why keep reproducing?
Good for Montana
I am very pleased that the state has protected the companies that want to build slaughter houses!
I am a breeder breeding only 2-3 ponies a year. I have seen not only our market drop but the market in general. Yes teh economy has a part to play in it, but the closure of the slaughterhouses in the US caused the majority of drop in market prices.
I am very happy to see that Illinois is also considering reversing its ban on slauughter, as well as many other states.
Lets keep slaughter in the US, for jobs, for the horse industry, for the ability to oversee the handling of the horses going to slaughter. You think it was bad here, look at an unregulated site in Mexico.
A suggestion for those against slaughter because it is inhumane.... perhaps we need to introduce a humane law and have the horses captured in a head holding device like cattle are help when the captive bolt is used. That would alleviate some of the struggle and the missed or repeated bolts.
Names and Places of Abandoned Horses
When I say it's not pretty to watch a horse die a natural death, I do not mean watching a euthanization. Natural is a horse lying on its side, struggling to get up. The action of his hooves and head digging a trench into the earth as it thrashes and attempts to stand. Natural is dying slowly from starvation, dehydration or disease, or being eaten by wolves, coyotes, or dogs.
Yes, increasing numbers of horses are being sent to Mexico and Canada. And, it costs more to transport them outside the U.S., which means buyers are paying less for horses. The horse market is down. As an article in the Portland Press Herald notes, "The only thing harder to sell these days than a house is a horse."
Examples from AMillionHorses.com.
5/3, 2009, Idaho photo. Eomestic horse with broken ankle abandoned fall of 2008 on public lands near the American Falls Reservoir, Pingree
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5/3, 2009, photo from Antioch, Tenn. Individual has been running an ad for 2 weeks trying to find owner of a stallion: "No one has claimed ownership of the pony found running the street & in my hayfield on April 25th. $150 is to cover my fence repair/labor because he went under my fence & chased my mares through it. If not adopted out to a qualified experienced responsible horse person by May 5th, I'll let animal control come & take him---no, they won't put him to sleep but if you want him, you'll have to deal with them."
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4/28, 2009, photos from Arizona. Four horses found dead on State trust land between Maricopa and Casa Grande. "Despite sending these photos to the sheriff, animal control agent, and livestock officers, no one has initiated a formal investigation"
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4/26, 2009, Toledo Blade: Kenny Hetrick, Troy Township, finds horses tied to his barn, the owners speeding away. People know he keeps carnivores. They know their horses won't starve if they leave them with him. He will find homes for them or he will feed them to his lions, tigers, and grizzly bears.
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4/17, 2009, Wyoming photos. Found near Jackson Hole. The state brand inspector suggested this pair be euthanized with "a bullet at the dump." Local brand inspectors say there is a major problem with abandoned horses being left in the forest in the summer; come fall they are starving. The inspector caught these two, advertised them, and when they couldn't give them away, gave them to us to feed. A couple months ago, a BLM official in Lander said the way they catch wild horses now is to shake a grain pan at them. About half the herd will come running, some with shoes still on.
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2/6, 2009, Ag Weekly: Lee Kliman, BLM enforcement ranger, reported 15 dead domestic horses on federal land in southwest Idaho. Brands had been cut from the horses' hides so ownership could not be traced. The article noted: "It’s not the first time domestic horses have been found abandoned on public land. BLM officials say at least 17 domestic horses have been turned out in southwest Idaho in recent weeks
Debunking the "unwanted horse": myth
All of the press releases published online by pro-slaughter PR lobbyists about abandoned horses were PROVEN false. The most visible of these was the article about horses "abandoned" on a strip mine in Kentucky. This story was false just like all of the other stories about abandoned horses. Some articles claimed that law enforcement was contacted but when every law enforcement person cited in the articles was talked with about what they said, it turned out that none of them were contacted or their comments inflated and exaggerated resulting in misleading statements. All of the stories about horses abandoned on public lands are also false.
To JayLyn: Please indicate on this board the names of the people and locations where horses have been abandoned. Investigators are in place to track down all of the claims made by pro-slaughter. We are waiting for people like you to "put your money where your mouth is" and tell us exactly who is letting their horses loose and where. Tell us on this board.
Horse abuse and neglect did decrease in Illinois when Cavel, the horse slaughter house that was operating in Illinois, burned down. All you have to do is review the Illinois statistics. Statistics are much more meaningful than what someone says.
And, yes, I have watched a horse being euthanized. If done properly and owners are informed as to what to expect, there is no problem. If you have a problem with a vet euthanizing your horses, call the AVMA and ask them for a competent vet.
Finally, horse slaughter is STILL an option for horse owners. More horses were sent to slaughter last year (2008) than the year before (2007). It is the ECONOMY that is responsible for the increase in abuse and neglect. And, overbreeding along with the economy are responsible for the poor horse market.
You cannot justify closure of the horse slaughter plants in the US as the reason for the increase in abuse and neglect when more horses were sent to slaughter in Canada and Mexico last year than the year before. This is nonsense.
Horse abuse and neglect have been going on since at least the 19th Century. The ASPCA was established when a horse carriage drive beat his horse mercilessly.
The reason you are seeing more horse abuse and neglect is because horse owners who abuse and neglect their horses have even more problems feeding their horses because of the poor economy and because these types of people don't send their horses to slaughter!
