Horse meat Sashimi in Japan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Phil Stilton of JT0wn.com
“New Jersey Does NOT Eat Horse Meat”
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Dancer, R-Ocean, Burlington, Mercer and Middlesex and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, D-Bergen and Passaic, banning the sale or slaughter of horse meat for human consumption was approved today by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
The measure, A-2023, comes after a federal ban was lifted last fall that reverses a 2006 congressional ban on the slaughter of horses as it withdrew funding for the government to inspect plants that butchered horses for consumption.
“New Jersey does not eat horse meat,” Dancer said. “We appreciate these magnificent animals for their grace and beauty and do not want them slaughtered in our state, nor permit the sale of horse meat in the Garden State where the State Animal is the horse.”
The bill would prohibit anyone from knowingly slaughtering or selling a horse for human consumption. Violators would be guilty of a disorderly persons offense with penalties up to $100 and 30 days imprisonment plus civil fines between $500 and $1,000 for each horse slaughtered or each carcass or meat product sold. The penalties and fines are consistent with the current state law in effect that bans the slaughter of man’s best friend, the dog, for human consumption of dog meat.
Dancer pointed to the recent incident of a champion horse rider and trainer in Pennsylvania who avoided prison by agreeing to enter a first-offender program after she was charged with selling retired race horses to a slaughter plant after promising their owners she would retrain the animals and find them a new home.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Thank-you Assemblyman Ron Dancer, Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, , for sponsoring this important legislation, it’s one more reason I’m grateful to be a NJ resident!
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Yeah!!!! NJ!! Lets hope that Gov. Christy signs the bll if past. But at least the word is getting out.
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BRAVO, and Thank You New Jersey !!! and all there !!! Letters were sent to Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown Both Senators from OHIO, ……………….Hoping Ohio will also Ban Horse Slaughter here we do not eat our Allies !!!! and our companions….. Ohio Also LOVES OUR HORSES>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. WE DONT WANT HORSE SLAUGHTER Here !!!
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Thank you Dancer and Wagner for being good decision-makers. The horse should be on every state flag–along with the eagle and the bison. (and burros and wolves. etc…) It’s simple. really–just say “No”–as 80% of Americans have done. Thanks to NJ for starting the MOVE in the right direction…49 to go. If there is a problem, slaughter/kill must not be the first solution. We are better than that. Our horses and wildlife deserve better “management” than easy, thoughtless destruction.
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AMEN! to cheer our troops i sent them a drawing of a mustang with our flag in his wings!
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AWESOME, I have always believed the Wild Mustang belongs on our flag !!!!! Would love to see it !!!!
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Great news New Jersey! Congratulations to all who supported this bill. Mr. Dancer and Ms. Wagner are to be commended for their work.
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This is great news!!! I too commend these Legislators for stepping out of the box and protecting our beautiful equine friends. Its too bad this law was not in effect when that idiot sold those race horses for slaughter. How can this woman sleep at night? Perhaps she’s in bed with the Devil. I
agree with all the other posts – Now we just need to bring all the other states aboard..Again, great
work for the Legislators of New Jersey!!! I will get an email off shortly thanking them for their work.
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Dear Gail, There were two involved in this horrific scenario here in Ohio, Edward Anthony and Barbara \Price !!!! RIP Cactus Cafe and Canuki……………….. It was a Senseless awful act !!!!!! They were 4yrs old and 7 yrs old , Rescues offered $1000.00 for each of them and still these two despicable people sent them to Slaughter !!!! They received $50.00 dollars each ??????
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This is wonderful news. BUT I see at the end of the article, that that woman who promised the owners to find a good home for their horses then sold them to slaughter, has escaped jail by entering a “first offenders program” BAH.
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UGH !!!! Criminals find a way out of MURDER dont they !!!!!
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can someone post the phone numbers for Dancer’s and Wagner’s office because as a nearby New Yorker, I would love to thank them.
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Ron Dancer 609-758-0205 Connie Wagner 201-576-9199
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Thank you for the phone numbers. I think showing appreciation is always good.
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Just curious…Will horses still be slaughtered at rendering plants in NJ to feed zoo animals?
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I thought that was over years ago. I’m suprised that they are still ding that!!!
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Actually Animals Angels did some undercover work at Bravo Packing Co. in Carney’s Pt. NJ
(9/29-9/30/2011)…. The Horses that were slaughtered at this rendering facility were not fit for human consumption.. Many were off the track.. You can check out their website for more info. (not going to elaborate on the details here). I first learned about it on this website…
Sickening to say the least….
One step at a time….Anything that helps the horses.
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That’s what is wrong with the Senate bills that do not have the clause, “and for other purposes”. It seems the door is still open to slaughtering horses for zoo animal meat even if not to feed Fido or PussNBoots.
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Thank you to NJ legislators for speaking up. EVERY state needs this. Call or email your governors and tell them to take a stand against horse slaughter in their state. We can do this.
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Thank you NJ legislators for speaking up. Hopefully every state will get on board with you and stop the war on horses in every state CUDOS:)
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FOLKS…
This is great…BUT…it does NOT solve the problem of horses still going to slaughter and suffering horrifically. Because if they use the meat for anything such as zoo animals, dog food, etc., the meat still cannot contain the drugs needed to HUMANELY EUTHANIZE a horse. THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR SOLVING OR ENDING THE PROBLEM. Just another feel good bill because ONCE AGAIN anti-slaughter, pro-horse advocates DID IT WRONG and they focused on the drugs in the meat rather than the horrific inhumanity and injustice to the horse. NOT A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION OR EVEN BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF. More harm than good, IMO because NOW the brainless, gutless politicians actually will point to this as DOING SOMETHING TO HELP HORSES & HUMANS.
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I disagree. This is something. It is a start. It is not ideal in every way, but it sends a message to people who might consider New Jersey with its ports and access to the Netherlands and Europe.
Like many animal welfare laws in place throughout the country, the penalty phase is weak. I understand their rationale comparing horses to dogs, but the penalty is too lenient for either. However, it is important for citizens to have a rationale when they argue for stiffer penalties.
But it is a good start. The legislators did do something. They took a stand. The penalty phase can be amended when the legislature gets more information.
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This might want to be included also, NO SLAUGHTER TRUCKS crossing the States borders in to Each State !!!!!!
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I just sent message to Gov Christie of NJ asking him to make sure the NJ bill becomes law in NJ. You can all send him a message too at: http:/www.state.nj.us/governor Just click Contact Us and you can leave him a message even tho you don’t live in NJ.
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I am trying to send an email to Gov Christie now. Is that the only way … thru his website?
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Aleta, Christie’s website is the way I know, there may be others, but I sent him message on this website yesterday and it worked. Also, you don’t have to be a resident of NJ to leave a message. I’m also now working on getting email info on the MASSACHUSETTS legislators, Creem, O’Flaherty and Brewer so we can email them about SB655 that needs to pass in Mass. to ban horse slaughter. I’ll post them when I can find them.
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This is an awesome step towards an end, I have been a Horse Advocate for 22 yrs , and I can imagine this, all 50States Banning Horse Slaughter , What can they do????????
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I would just like to point out that this bill is EXACTLY what is needed in every state and the sooner the better. This IS a reason for hope and if it passes it will be a reason to celebrate as it will make it more difficult for trucks to haul horses to slaughter by eliminating travel through states with bans therefor making it less profitable, reduce the number of horses stolen, reduce the number of people conned out of their horses and lied to, and it will put the killers on notice that we as individual states are no longer going to sit by and watch them profit from their inhumanity. We submitted a similar bill here in MA 2 years ago and my State Senator submitted it last January in the Senate. It had a public hearing last October and is currently with the joint committee on the judiciary/. The #1 reason we submitted our bill was because it was obvious that the federal bill was not going anywhere (at that time) I thought that if we could get a ban in MA then perhaps it would encourage other states to do likewise and collectively we could essentially block the routes to Canada and Mexico for horses being shipped to slaughter without a Federal ban. These truckers will have to go around the states who have bans making their death ride a more expensive one. It may not SOLVE or END the horror completely until the states that border Mexico and Canada have bans but it sure as heck is better than doing NOTHING! As individual states pass their own bans on the sale and transport of horses to slaughter…just maybe the Feds will finally get the message and PASS the Federal ban. Please feel free to contact me if you would like any info on how to start the procedure in your state. mustangalley@hotmail.com
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Yes, its a great idea to go state by state to block the routes, as long as the Fed Gov. won’t do anything about it. Several ways to skin a cat.
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I would love to see MA get that Ban passed. Here in New York, there is a Bill, but I am not so sure where we are with it. That is why, if NJ can actually get this bill passed, become Law, we in other states that show NJ’s lead in this and make it a domino effect.
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They will just all go to Mexico, like they they do now, where they stab them in the neck (with junta knives) until they fall to the ground (not unconscious), often just in shock and they die horrendously, often just drowning in their own blood in their lungs. But don’t believe me…just check the Humane Society of America website…search ” horse slaughter in Mexco”.
It will not stop the theft of horses. In this economy, with the worst yet to come, they will be butchering them in their paddocks and stalls. There is a black market for them in the U.S. thanks to our lax immigration laws.
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Dear Carol , tried to email you , but for some reason it said error , I have been trying to reach John Barns Jr. here in Ohio he is suppose to call me today…. want to start proceedings to Ban Horse Slaughter here in Ohio… Can you help me with this????? 216-296-9998
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Arlene, will call you in the a.m. what time zone are you in? You can try to email again or PM on FB. I would be more than glad to help in ay way I can. thank you!
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Dear carol, eastern standard time Ohio
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If we can get every State to ban horse slaughter and crossing their borders with the der penalty of law , no horse slaughter right??????????
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Or maybe just the States that surround Mexico and Canada !
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