Horse News

URGENT: Tell Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter Once and for All TODAY!

Wild Horse Freedom Federation partners with the ASPCA and others in a CAll TO ACTION!
Tuesday is National Call-In Day

American Horses trucked to Mexico for slaughterNEW: S. 541/H.R. 1094—The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act

Sponsors:  Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

ASPCA/WHFF Position:  Support

Action Needed:  Call and email your U.S. senators and representative in Washington, D.C., today to ask them to cosponsor the SAFE Act. Please thank them if they are already cosponsors!

Recent revelations that horse meat accidentally entered the food chain overseas have put a media spotlight on the issue of horse slaughter. It seems that horse slaughterers are incapable of preventing horse meat from mingling with their other products. If it can happen there, it can happen here. We’re happy to tell you that Congress is responding.

Just introduced in both chambers of Congress, The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and ban their export abroad for that purpose. This bill will protect our nation’s horses from the predatory horse slaughter industry and protect the public from toxic horse meat.

The cruelties associated with horse slaughter are well-documented. Passage of the SAFE Act will not only ensure that predatory horse slaughterers cannot reopen their doors here in the U.S.—it will also stop the trafficking of horses to slaughterhouses over our borders.

As you know, horse slaughter isn’t a humane end for horses. There is no such thing as a commercial horse slaughter plant that does not inflict cruelty on horses. And horse slaughter is not only bad for horses, it’s also bad for people. Meat from American horses is unsafe for human consumption. Our horses are not raised as food animals; they are raised to be companions, sport competitors or work partners. Horses are routinely given medications and other substances that are toxic to humans and are expressly forbidden by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in animals intended for human consumption.

Enacting a ban on horse slaughter has never been more urgent! The USDA has announced its intention to approve a permit allowing a New Mexico slaughterhouse to begin slaughtering horses. Help us prevent this and any other slaughterhouses from butchering even a single American horse.

What You Can Do

Please take a moment to send a polite email to your federal legislators in Congress and urge them to cosponsor the SAFE Act (S. 541/H.R. 1094), a bill to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption.

We will automatically sort out for you if your legislator is a cosponsor, so you can thank them if they’ve already taken that step.

For even more impact, make a brief, polite phone call to your representative and senators in DC. Calling is fast, easy and the best way to reach your legislators. Look up your legislators’ names and phone numbers here. Don’t be nervous about calling—it’s easy, fast, and by far the most effective thing you can do! You can use this script when speaking with the receptionist:

“Hi, this is _______ and I am your constituent residing in [town and state]. I’m calling today to urge Representative/Senator _______ to support the SAFE Act, legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses and their export for that purpose abroad. Thank you!”

On behalf of our nation’s horses, thank you for your help!

30 replies »

  1. Yes, Yes, Yes – Finally they are listening to us!!! I have been praying for this for years…I will be calling my Legislators again and asking for their support. If it hadn’t been for the scandal in Europe I wonder where we would be..It doesn’t matter now. This could be the nail in the coffin once and for
    all! Like we all have said the supporting documentation does not lie. Several months ago the slaughter pipeline was shut down and people were wondering what would happen to the horses in that got stuck in the pipeline. This could become a reality and now we must work on a solution before this becomes a law. Perhaps now our Wild Horses and Burros placed all over the country will be safe. Our government must realize the rangeland belongs to them. If this bill passes, I see the possibility of another protection bill being put forward for them..Thank you RT for bringing me this good news for today..Thank God for all the “Horse Warriors” out there. May the “Force of the Horse” be with you!

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  2. Senator Bill Nelson D-FL has emailed me his intent to support S.A.F.E. because he is opposed to horse slaughter. Senator Rubio R-FL I understand once tweeted a pic of a cooked wild pig he bought from one of our illegal slaughter farms served up at a party…being Cuban and all I doubt we will get much help from him. Rep. Tom Rooney R-FL 17th has refused to answer any emails about the subject…he hasn’t cosponsored the legislation even though Rep. Vern Buchanan (former Rep. for our area) has. This is one of those Republican redistricting things and Vern and I had a good rapport and I could count on him for any issue involving animal rights. Mr. Rooney so far is a disappointment.

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  3. Done! Senator Barbara Boxer supports but do not know if she has co-sponsored. Senator Diane Feinstein is likely to support but not so likely to co-sponsor. Representative Adam Schiff is likely to do both based on an earlier reply to my email.

    What happened to Vilsack? And how does a felon two times over who committed a felony by not fessing up on his application receive approval?

    We can’t lose this battle again. I have sent this along to everyone I know, horse owner and not. I have written a letter to Secretary Jewell. The more letters to her the better. She can be contacted at feedback@ioa.doi.gov What more?

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    • Paula, could you please make sure the SAFE act legislation is easier for people to research information about it. When I called the young man that took my call had no idea what I was talking about. He then goggled it so he could learn about SAFE and had trouble finding any info….he then added animal to the research and then it came up. He said we need to find a way to make this info more available for public research. Is there anything someone can do to make this happen? Thanks!!

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      • United States Senate
        Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (S. 541)
        Sponsor:
        Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
        Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

        House of Representatives
        Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1094)
        Sponsor:
        Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA)
        Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

        House bill sent to :
        House Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
        Contact Information Majority (Republicans) Minority (Democrats)
        Committee Office: Longworth House Office 1301 Longworth House Office Building 1305
        Committee Phone: 202-225-2171 202-225-0317
        Committee FAX: 202-225-0917 202-225-8510
        Committee Contact Form: AgRepublicanPress@mail.house.gov (Entire Committee)

        Committee WWW Homepage: http://agriculture.house.gov/subcommittees/livestock-dairy-and-poultry (Entire Committee)

        Parent Committee: House Committee on Agriculture

        Like

  4. Horses are not for eating. There ancestors in Europe had knights and kings and queens on there backs. The spainish brought the horses to the United States. I enjoy there beauty and there sweetness. George Washington,Robert E Lee, Grant had them for war and peace. The pioneers had them to explore this country. Then Roy Rogers, Gene Audrey had famous horses. I like them as pets also. My future one is going to be a mini. HORSES ARE NOT FOR EATING.

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  5. Just a little word of advice from an aged citizen lobbyist; I not only call their D.C. office but also any other office that they maintain. Likewise, I follow-up with emails and fax. It’s all about getting the message to them and I will stress that being polite and professional will work heavily in your favor and ultimately, the horse’s.

    Thanks for all you do.

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    • It is smart to follow-up phone calls with emails. From my own experience today when I called Sen Toomey’s office and spoke to an aide, she was polite as was I, she indicated they had received other calls, assured me she’d pass my message onto the senator however she failed to take my personal information such as phone number and email address. I did announce who I was at the beginning however, I felt it was pertinent I follow-up with an email since Sen Toomey has NOT yet announced his support for the SAFE Act. Just sayin; … At the time of Congressman Meehan’s original press release in early April, he advised me there were only 20 supporters – FYI We need to hammer on this campaign and not let up!

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  6. I think it was EWA who sent me a link of who co-sponsored SAFE Act. Weird that one says Congressman Huffman supports/co-sponsored SAFE Act but here it doesn’t say that.

    Guess I should call and get a definite answer…

    BTW please check KPIX (San Francisco). They did a FABULOUS exposé on horse slaughter last night. I’m hoping they will upload the clip to the website.

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  7. The two senators from Oregon, Merkley and Wyden, are both against horse slaughter. The representative for my rural district, Greg Walden, works for corporations, not people, and certainly not for animals. He usually runs unopposed as he receives large corporate contributions, from agri-business, that others cannot match.

    The other representatives in Oregon, especially Blumenauer and De Fazio, are co-sponsors of the SAFE Act in the house. So, other than Walden, Oregon clearly weighs in against horse slaughter on the federal level.

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    • Thanks, Margaret, for your link. Was wondering when Bo Derek would resume her push as she was so active in halting this back in 2007.

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  8. Tell Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter Once and for All TODAY! Please let our wild horses run free, and there should be a law against horses being slaughtered…

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  9. The USDA has announced what???? Unbelievable, they would approve this criminal’s application. Someone must be throwing big money at that application. ugh.

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  10. I had to remember to empahsize the words “bipartisan legislation”. My reps would never support anything democratic.

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  11. I just read where the USDA will be giving the go ahead to open, I am so very upset, but I have e-mailed and called again today and did it in my home state and two othersI have lived in, but oh dear I am not feeling so good right now, BUT I will never give up!!!

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  12. I pretty much am forced to give up contacting my senators in Missouri, as they keep sending out the same exact form letters every single time. Both Sen. Blunt & McCaskill are “against animal abuse & cruelty”, but they feel that horse slaughter in the US is the only “humane thing to do to reduce the population of unwanted, neglected, abandoned, abused, or starving horses”. They think that’s a better option than shipping the horses across our borders. Really!!?? These two are just two more idiots that must have been brought up brainwashed their entire lives! They don’t want to stop or solve the “problem”, but rather they want to hide it under the rug by just disposing of these animals like garbage, like inanimate machines! Sickening!

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    • diogenes11 said, yesterday in another “Straight from the Heart” thread:

      April 30, 2013 at 12:37 AM

      Valerie, IMHO, as a political aficionado, I believe that there is no hope with Senator Blunt. He is clearly an idiot who is deeply set in his views. However, Senator McCaskill may be persuadable.

      I just watched a lovely video on horse euthanasia and it was previewed with some nasty horse slaughter pictures. Both can be found at this link

      http://www.examiner.com/article/a-new-mexico-resident-speaks-out-against-horse-slaughter

      and there are many slaughter videos available on Youtube if you prefer to send opposing videos.

      This euthanasia video of “Sugar” crossing the Rainbow Bridge can also be located at Horse Plus Humane Society

      horsehumane.org

      It is obvious that McCaskill has been sold the pro-slaughter propaganda that horses are being abandoned by the thousands, even millions, and that horse slaughter is humane. She needs to be made to understand that the slaughter of horses is being advocated by greedy private individuals that lie, cheat, and steal in order to profit from an industry that is viciously cruel, polluting, costly to taxpayers, and of no benefit to anyone in the USA, certainly not to the horses.

      I think she is flexible. Good Luck!

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  13. Called Rep Rokita Indiana; and Senators Coats and Donnelly. Rokita is not sure of where he stands on slaughter at thistime… I am hoping that with the encouragement to learn more that he will support the SAFE Act!

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  14. I called and made a statement requesting support of the SAFE act…
    But one thing I did find out during this process was that no one seemed to know what I was talking about when referring to the SAFE act legislation. When the receptionist went to research it on Google it did not come up unless animal was place after it. Some one needs to find a way to make this information more available to the general public. No one knows about it!!! Without the voice of the people this act has not chance of getting passed.

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    • United States Senate
      Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (S. 541) and (HR 1094)
      Sponsor:
      Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
      Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
      House of Representatives
      Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1094)
      Sponsor:
      Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA)
      Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
      House Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit
      Contact Information
      Majority (Republicans) Minority (Democrats)
      Committee Office: Longworth House Office Building 1301 Longworth House Office Building 1305
      Committee Phone: 202-225-2171 202-225-0317
      Committee FAX: 202-225-0917 202-225-8510
      Committee Contact Form: AgRepublicanPress@mail.house.gov (Entire Committee)

      Committee WWW Homepage: http://agriculture.house.gov/subcommittees/livestock-dairy-and-poultry (Entire Committee)

      Parent Committee: House Committee on Agriculture

      Like

  15. It might be better to refer to the bills by their numbers rather than by their title. When contacting a senator, call it “S. 541.” When contacting a Congressional Rep, call it “H.R. 1094.” That way, the staffer that answers your call can go to “thomas.gov” (Library of Congress site), enter the bill-number, and access it right away.

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  16. Please congress I plead to you to stop horrid slaughter. Every creature on earth should have the right to live. Horse meat has pestiside .Deworming horse are chemicals going into humans bodies. Please horse were not born to be eaten. They were born to become companions. I beg you stop horse slaughter.

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  17. There are better management tools to keep the wild horse population under control! Sterilization of colts and older stallions! It can be done and if there is a law standing in the way, change it! These horses represent our past and can stand in our future with the correct management. Sending them to slaughter so several individuals can make a profit is ethically unsound thinking!

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