Re: Stop The Slaughter

"usual suspect" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ANC Webmaster wrote:
> > Many U.S. horses are brutally killed in U.S. slaughterhouses to be served on
> > dinner plates in Europe and Asia. And we are letting it happen, through our
> > silence.
> <snip broken link>
>
> Most of those horses are old, sick, or injured.

'Proponents of HB 1324 claim the vast majority of the horses slaughtered
are old, sick or lame. But in reality, the majority of horses sent to slaughter
are young, healthy horses bought by "killer buyers" who attend horse
auctions where they compete with families and other horse brokers looking
for good, sound horses.   A French horse meat butcher was quoted as saying
"I only buy American meat, which is red and firm.  In butchering terms, we
call it "well structured," the best you can get."

State Rep. Toby Goodman (R-Arlington) called for an amendment to HB 1324
that would require a horse be certified unfit by a veterinarian before it
could be slaughtered.  "If only old, sick or lame horses are going to
slaughter, why did the bill sponsor object so strongly to this amendment?"
he questioned.

Proponents of HB 1324 claim that horse slaughter provides a convenient
and humane way of disposing of unwanted horses, and some have tried to
equate it with euthanasia.

Christopher J. Heyde, policy analyst for the Society for Animal Protective
Legislation, said that horse slaughter is not humane, adding "to claim that
slaughter and euthanasia are similar is irresponsible and false.  The
animals are not always stunned properly, nor do they necessarily remain
unconscious until death."

"I've visited a horse slaughter facility during the slaughter process and I
can assure you that the fear and anticipation experienced by these horses is
unimaginable.  You could smell the fear and see the panic.  The slaughter
process inflicts immeasurable suffering and cruelty on the horses," said
Heyde.
http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/2003-May/000124.html

'Hi, a friend shared the email exchange he had with you, and I
was moved by your words. I am also a horse owner, breeder
and have been showing for 40 years. I am also a 20+ year
Regular Army veteran, and no "bleeding heart". Your views
mirror mine from a few years ago. I also used to believe as you
do, that horse slaughter was a necessary evil. But the more I have
researched horse slaughter in the last 2-3 years, the more I have
realized that pro-slaughter arguments are basically myths and
propaganda. The majority of these horses are not old, lame,
and "unwanted" horses.

America's horses are not slaughtered because they are "unwanted".
They are slaughtered because of the huge profits made by the
foreign-owned companies operating illegally in Texas. The meat is
shipped to developed countries like France, Belguim, Germany and
Japan, where it brings prices close to beef prices there. Yet the US
does not even get tariffs on horsemeat like they do on beef. This
industry is NOT providing us a service, they just like to say they are.

According to the slaughterhouse records in Texas, only 10% of the
horses slaughtered there are old, lame, or otherwise "useless". They
don't even bother with starved skinny horses. The other 90% are
healthy normal horses that were sold at an auction, just the wrong
time and the wrong place. Killer buyers also answer ads placed by
people trying to find another family to love and care for their child's
outgrown pet; they do not have to identify themselves as killer buyers,
and many inexperienced owners have no idea who they are selling to.
Many slaughtered horses are stolen horses, and many are American
mustangs that are supposed to be protected under federal law. After
California banned live horse slaughter, their horse theft rate dropped
by more than 40%. Those are hardly "unwanted" horses.
..
I have purchased several draft horses that were in feedlots and killer
pens at auction where the killer buyer was willing to turn a quick buck
and re-sell a horse. Not one was over the age of 6 years. Not one
was sick, lame, or crazy. .............'
http://www.justsaywhoa.org/opinions/hahn2.asp