By: Cheryl Hanna as published on the Examiner
“Almost all of our horse meat is incorrectly certified!”
Voiceless Pawns by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
The temporary shutdown of Canadian horse slaughter early Friday morning still has not produced any definitive reasons as to why American horses were turned away and their brokers, killbuyers, and drivers told to go home. The ban on horse slaughter however was short lived. On Monday, Canada’s horse slaughter plants announced they will be open for business again by Tuesday.
Reports from the European Union (EU), killbuyers, and slaughter plants handed down conflicting reports.
One source allegedly in contact with the an official from the EU stated there was some confusion over paperwork concerning incorrectly certified meat citing a “documentation insufficiency.” Another source revealed that killbuyers reported the slaughter houses closed their doors as a warning to American horse sellers to make sure veterinary records and quarantine requirements were being met.
In July 2013 new health regulations will require horses heading to slaughter for the purpose of human consumption to have “passports” which will certify that the horses have been drug-free for the last six months. Any horses ever treated with phenylbutazone (bute) are banned from slaughter. Phenylbutazone is a common chemical compound given to horses for the treatment of pain; as common as humans taking an aspirin except that bute is a dangerous, carcinogenic substance known to cause aplastic anemia in children.
n an exclusive interview with John Holland, President of the Equine Welfare Alliance,who originally broke the news on Friday of the shut down of the Canadian slaughter houses, Holland stated:
“Today’s lifting of the short-lived EU ban on meat from US horses was at least as confusing as its implementation. An EU official is quoted as saying that it was imposed because of a shipment of ‘incorrectly certified meat from the US,’ and that further investigation showed that not to be the case. A Bouvry plant official gave this explanation as well.”
But this statement forces me to paraphrase Mark Twain: ‘Let’s say I had some horse meat from the US, and let’s say it was incorrectly certified, but then I repeat myself.’ Almost all of our horse meat is incorrectly certified! Secondly, why shut down all the plants because of one shipment?”
So have the slaughterhouses “shot one over the bow” to warn those who are selling horses to be slaughtered in Canada and Mexico not to be selling tainted meat, or is the EU running a dress rehearsal of what kind of reaction may very well occur when better proof of drug histories will need to be presented?
The slaughter houses told the kill buyers yet another story, saying this was to teach the American suppliers a lesson,” continued Holland. This rings truer since the EU has no legal recourse with which to punish the US sellers providing falsified EID documents. But if this is the case, why put out the story about a single shipment that was really just a mistake? The likely answer is that if they told the truth, that they had been totally unable to get the US suppliers to take the drug residue issue seriously, it would be a question which they don’t want to answer. Why would they expect the horses shipped this Tuesday to be any safer than the ones they blocked last Friday?”
None of the reasons seem to make sense for the short reprieve for hundreds of horses who would have been slaughtered on Friday. Instead they will most likely be heading back to Canada or Mexico on Tuesday.
Straight from the Horse’s Heart author and President of the Wild Horse Freedom Federation, R.T. Fitch stated on Monday:
“So, in my humble opinion, this was a dress rehearsal of the REAL day when the evil of predatory horse slaughter comes to an end. And dangling that carrot in front of my nose worked well as it only made me want it more, and I am fully energized to see this thing through.”
Click (HERE) to visit Cheryl Hanna’s Examiner and to Comment
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Well, it does show that it COULD be done, right? Hopefully, EU will realize (if that was the reason) that nothing is going to change the fact the our horses have substances in them that makes them unsafe to EAT!!! How hard is it to understand that?
Seems if the safety of the meat had anything to do with this short closure – they have to know that it is not edible.
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I am devastated by the lifting of the ban….
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“In July 2013 new health regulations will require horses heading to slaughter for the purpose of human consumption to have “passports” which will certify that the horses have been drug-free for the last six months”..Beyond that the Passport must be attached to every individual horse @ the age of 6 months and reflect the entire/complete medical/drug history and be signed/certified by a licensed veterinarian , in order to comply with the new EU requirements, correct?
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Honestly, this supposed new passport system will not do much. There are vets out there who will falsify documents (and do so now for customers that they deal regularly with). Do they think that people in the US will go along with this passport system? And the cattle farmers don’t follow the rules either but that meat is fed to unsuspecting people every day. I finally got an ignorant answer from a cow farmer that I know..he said if it has four legs it’s there to eat.. the mentality in this country is truly diminished….
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just makes me want a permanent ban even more…..keep on fighting for it.
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Everybody is 100 percent behind you R.T. to permanently put a stop to horse slaughter. This only strengthens our resolve to make slaughter a part of Americas past.
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R.T. – I have a question concerning this statement…”In July 2013 new health regulations will require horses heading to slaughter for the purpose of human consumption to have “passports” which will certify that the horses have been drug-free for the last six months. Any horses ever treated with phenylbutazone (bute) are banned from slaughter.”
The first part says drug free for 6 months the second says any horse “ever” treated with Bute. For some reason my mind is telling me according to this one does of Bute takes the horse off the market forever. Am I not understanding something?
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should have said one ‘dose’…oops
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Dear RT the Statement you made above is right on the spot , i agree wholeheartedly !!!!!! I also want it so badly I can now taste it, !!!!!!!
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I JUST READ THE NEW ISSUE OF ANIMAL AGENTS AND IT MAKES ME SICK. TAKE THE PEOPLE IN THE HORSE/BURRO SLAUGHTER BUSINESS PUT THEM ON THE FRONT LINES AND LET OUR MILITARY REST. THIS TYPE OF PEOPLE ARE NOT HUMAN AND THEY CERTAINLY WOULD ENJOY THE KILLING.
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As sad as it is that the ban was lifted I see good really great things that made people rise to the occasion over the weekend. It was feared LOTS of horses were caught with no where to go. People made plans, puts those into action (or were ready to).
I think of it as a dry run for what we will be dealing with. What I saw from the outside was warming to the heart.
Yesterday I read a rant from Suzy. In it she complains about how the ban would stop breeding because horse’s had no where to go. This is EXACTLY what we’ve been talking about. Responsible breeding. One stud, one mare=one foal. None of this crazy embryo transfer stuff which is totally crazy to me. And stopping the amazing 1000 foals for the precious one or two that might meet the breeders standards.
Not sure how to push this one but I think breeders should be getting the same subsidies for NOT breeding for the next several years.
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Margaret…I agree. There were good things that came out of this. As RT has said, this was probably a “test”….which means the end is coming for the murderers.
Not soon enough for me…but it is coming.
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Margaret I too believe ‘responsible’ breeding is a major factor. With that in mind I do not think we should have to pay them subsidies for being a good citizen. That just opens too many cans of worms. The AQHA, APHA, ApHCA, Thoroughbred breeders…all need to learn a new mindset which is you can’t just continue the process over and over hoping for the next Dash for Cash or Secretariat. I have a new slogan for them…YOU BREED IT…YOU FEED IT!
Madeline Pickens said it best when she said “how do you just get rid of something God gave life to?”
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IRS code needs to be changed. They can keep accelerated depreciation if that same horse is allowed to be retired with tax benefits. No retirement?…..NO depreciation! Afterall, we are talking a LIVING BEING, not a tractor.
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What a shame! I thought for a moment that our American Equines were finally going to be safe. I knew it was too good to be true. I just wonder how much money changed hands in this. Do those in the slaughter business in Canada and Mexico really think that they will be getting accurate documentation? What a scam!!!! In a way though this could be a possitive thing. It now will give us a chance to form our network system for the day that this will come. I truly believe it is going to come…I talked with a couple of Legislators who are on board with the closing of the slaughterhouses…However, it can’t come soon enough….I keep praying for that day!
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The entire shut down and then re-opening has made no sense to me. Then, of course, it makes no sense that they have tests showing banned substances in the meat and yet still import it. How many samples do they need? If this was a warning or a test run I’ll fly with that. It is important to note that it could be shut down permanently,just that fast. I was proud that all the advocates immediately started making arrangements to take care of the horses that were in the pipeline. It gave me a heads up that when that time comes we will need emergency money and a lot of it. I personally will be starting a fund for that day and will be ready to contribute to Habit for Horses when it comes. I do expect that the day will come in the not too distant future when I will be taking my fund to the bank and making out a check to rescue horses, those “pipeline” horses.
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Well…Damn!
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Good video by Simone – she sure does have a clown in that first stall!!!
So Sue claims that a ban would STOP breeding??? Well I would hope so. Does she ever think before she opens her mouth – apparently not.
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“… a dress rehearsal for the REAL day… when horse slaughter comes to an end.”
Love that humble opinion!!
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