written by Cheryl Hanna of the West Palm Beach Horse Rescue Examiner
Thoroughbred "Ginerous Legacy" (Harley) rescued from slaughter by Habitat for Horses - Photo by Terry Fitch
Florida Representative Luis Garcia (D-Miami) and Florida Senator Victor Crist (R-Tampa) have filed identical bills to enact legislation making horse slaughter in Florida illegal. HB 765 and SB1708, identical bills for the House and Senate would make it illegal to:
“knowingly transport, distribute, sell, purchase, or possess horsemeat for human consumption that is not clearly stamped, marked, and described as horsemeat for human consumption or horsemeat that is not acquired from a licensed slaughterhouse.”
It would also be a third degree felony for anyone to illegally kill, maim, mutilate, or cause great bodily harm or permanent breeding disability to any equine. The penalty would carry a minimum of one year in prison and a $3500 fine.
The proposed bill is the result of 21+ illegal theft and slaughter of horses in the South Florida area. Most of the illegal slaughter farms are located in the C-9 Basin area near Miami. Black market horse meat is on the rise and can bring up to $40 a pound. In some areas of Miami a horse is worth more dead than alive. A harvest of 300 pounds of horse meat can bring in hefty profits.
In January, Richard “Kudo” Couto, of Animal Recovery Mission helped to organized the task force operation entitled Miss Piggy and Mr. Ed bringing in more than 100 officers and county, state and federal agencies to cite violations and close illegal slaughter farms. So far twenty-two illegal farms have been shut down.
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Categories: Equine Rescue, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
One of my State Senators indicated in a letter to me that is is precisely the punishment portions of the anti-cruelty legislation that is keeping her from supporting it. Of course, this is just her way of promoting horse slaughter. She says she loves animals and supports their welfare, but just doesn’t think criminal charges should be brought against people if they slaughter horses.
My state is definitely what we used to call a “backwater.” However it is a big “ag” state, among the top “ag” states. For this reason, there is a huge fear of and resentment of such people as “animal rights” people throughout the industry. I have even written my state vet school about animal testing as per pharmaceutical $$$$$$ coming in — they staunchly resist any suggestion that taking huge sums of money from pharmaceutical companies and others in any way affects their humane goals. However, if you look into what their oath (vet’s oath) actually says, you will see it leaves the door WIDE OPEN TO MEDICAL TESTING, since they swear to uphold “medicine” (not “veterinary medicine”) and promote public health and commerce, or words to that effect!!!
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RT thanks for writing this, just another facet of the terrible crimes against our horses and one that definitely needs to be exposed to as many as possible. I will be sharing and writing.
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It’s too bad that anyone wouldn’t think horse slaughter wasn’t sufficient to warrant a criminal charges. What’s the use in making anything illegal if the punishment is so light it doesn’t intimidate anyone?
Personally, I think our animal cruelty laws all over the country are woefully inadequate. Animals may be property, but they are certainly not sofas or end tables and the law should reflect that. Good grief! It’s infuriating!
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It’s about time one of our elected officials presented legislation to make horse slaughter a felony with minimum sentencing of at least one year in prison and a $3,500 fine. If I had my way, it would be even more but this is a good start.
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They must be educated that horse slaughter is not THE BE ALL AND END ALL REMEDY for “the unwanted horse.”
I have recently come across an article from 2006 which discusses in great detail (an expose of sorts) of the terrible conditions for WORKERS that already exists in “everyday, regular” slaughterhouse such as those for poultry, swine and cattle. States are reducing the protections for the workers to claim worker’s comp in some cases; slaughterhouses are lowering the temps to the 50’s from the 60’s, exacerbating the older worker’s problems with arthritis, and the management of the companies delay providing timely references to company physicians who could treat and document the maladies.
So, by playing up the terrible conditions for employees, and how the state legislators have chosen to create a better environment for the employers (companies) than the employees in this industry, a strong case could be made against all slaughter plant environments, not just horse slaughtering plants!
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Just got this via e-mail news letter from The Horse magazine http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15903
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ILLINOIS SLAUGHTER BILL UP FOR VOTE – POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS TOMORROW!
Link to 3/10/10 Chicago Sun-Times article by Michael Sneed: “Run horse run…”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/2094149,CST-NWS-SNEED10.article
Couldn’t find a slaughter post specific to Illinois.
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I AM A VERY BIG HORSE LOVER AND I WILL BE FOR LIFE HORSES
THEY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME IT IS JUST SO HEART BREAKING TO SEE
LITTLE BABY HORSES ONLY DAYS OLD GOING FROM THE AUCTION HOUSE
TO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE FOR KNOW GOOD REASON I PRAY FOR THE HORSES HOPEING THAT THEY WILL GET VERY NICE HOME BUT IT IS
SAD TO SAY THAT IF WE DONT SHUT SLUAUGHTER PLANT AND PEOPLE DO STOP KILLING ARE HORSES WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE HORSES LEFT IN THE US I GLAD TO SAY THAT I DO HALFT WORK IN KNOW KILL PLANT IT IS JUST SO RONG TO DO THIS TO ARE
HORSES I THANK ALL THE PAINE KNOWING THAT THEY ARE KNOW GETING LOVEING HOME
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I’m vegan… I don’t like the needless killing of any animals — But I certainly don’t want “horse slaughter” in my state! The way my reps vote on this is very critical to my vote on them next time I’m in the booth!
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please keep posting your thoughts on all the news stories and sending those same thoughts to the officials.
The spread of disease from trucks of sick horses is a good issue to point-out at this time too. We know truckloads of ‘old-sick’ horses will be coming to that slaughterhouse..”old-sick horses for euth.”as the pro-slaughter always say.
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Just my opinion, This bill, in no way, prevents establishment of government approved and inspected horse slaughter facilities.
“knowingly transport, distribute, sell, purchase, or possess horsemeat for human consumption that is not clearly stamped, marked, and described as horsemeat for human consumption or horsemeat that is not acquired from a licensed slaughterhouse.”
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I saw this on tv south florida slaughter I sent letters out to help stop this. horrifying . why cant someone take those horses from the slaughter villians. offer them money I wish I could.
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