Action Call by Vicki Tobin, VP of Equine Welfare Alliance
Call your Senators on the Senate Appropriations Bill
This is extremely critical and one of the most important calls you will make. We have heard from several legislators that they are not hearing from us. We are down to the wire. We hear there will be a full senate vote this week so this is not the time to procrastinate.
Please call your senators and tell them you do not want funding for horse inspections. The senate bill should mirror the house bill by removing inspections for horses.
Since this is a financial bill, please stick to the economics – not the humane issues surrounding slaughter. While we are concerned with the humane issues, they are perceived as “emotional” and don’t help, especially with financial bills. Comments should be factual and to the point. We will address humane issues with the legislation to end horse slaughter – S 1176.
Here are the 3 key messages we should send:
- The government should not be wasting valuable tax dollars to inspect animals that are not regulated as food animals. Slaughter is for food production and not the place to send excess or “unwanted” animals of any species. The limited funding dollars available for inspectors should be used to inspect our own food supply. (If they bring up the slaughter plants paying for their own inspections, remind them that this has already been challenged and the federal court ruled that it is a violation of the federal meat inspection act.)
- Every industry and business in our country has been impacted by the worst economy since the Great Depression. Horses are not an exception. The same number of horses are being slaughtered as when the plants were open proving there is no correlation between increases in neglect or a drop in horse prices and the availability of horse slaughter.
- The GAO report failed to take into account the simple economics of supply and demand. Horse slaughter encourages production of excess horses that continuously feeds the slaughter pipeline. The horse industry does not produce meat and the insignificant revenue from horse slaughter that represents 3 cents on every $100 earned, did not and will not take down the horse industry.
For more talking points on the GAO report:
Summary: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/GAO_Exec_Summary-final.pdf
Full Analysis: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/GAO_Response-final.pdf
Locate your senators (HERE).
Let us know if you need any additional information.
Related articles
- GAO Follows Horse Slaughter Lobby Down the Rabbit Hole (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Critical Week In Stopping the Flow of Cross Border Horse Slaughter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- For Horse Lovers Everywhere: The Truth About Horse Slaughter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Letter to Horseback Online: EWA Official Calls Wallis Facebook Information Bogus (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- EWA Calls Out Welfare Ranching Publication (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Animal Law Coalition Responds to GAO Horse Slaughter Report (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- The Way Forward on Horse Welfare (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- GAO Releases Alleged Leaked Horse Slaughter Report (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I was told yesterdy we are losing because pro slaughter activist are so well organized, calling with one point, money and using a zip code in that state for each Senator they call (dirty politics as usual). Which is what this is all about and all our Senators are concerned with in our economy, money. It is vital that we stick to the points listed above & show no emotion about the inhumanity being served upon our horses. We can take that issue up later with SB1176. We need to stay on this folks! They need to be reminded that it is illegal for pro slaughter to pay for their own inspections and that it is foreign interest that will run these plants, violating every environmental ordinance we have, leaving the tax payer to foot the legal bills to try and enforce our laws! There are much needed inspections here for our own food & food shipped in from abroad that tax dollars should be used for. Not satisfying the pallets of foreigners! Thank you folks for all your hard work & dedication in keeping us streamlined and on point!
LikeLike
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Find your senators here. Don’t put this off. Do it today.
LikeLike
Food poisoning from salmonella and other bacteria seem to be occurring with more and more frequency. People are becoming sick and dying from the products that the inspectors already are inspecting. They admit there inspectors are overworked and to my mind ineffective. Now is not the time to add to the burden of an agency barely functioning to keep our own food safe. You can bet I will be calling once again. And faxing and emailing….
LikeLike
I am having trouble finding out who I need to call to tell them not to waste our tax dollars on inspections of horse meat…please if anyone knows the Tx. phone number or e-mail addresses I would be happy to send my objections.. thank you
LikeLike
Here you go Carlene; these are the Texas Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=TX
LikeLike
My call is in!!! And I have shared your website. Let’s hope this can help. We just keep trying!!!
LikeLike
Got my comments in to the Alabama senators. If you keep this page pulled up on your computer so you can see the three key points above, it really helps keep you focused when your’re making your calls.
LikeLike
ASPCA Petition!!! I haven’t been able to find signature tracking, but this isn’t just for their 1,000,000 members. Anyone can sign!
http://www.capwiz.com/aspca/issues/alert/?alertid=53486856&type=CO
R.T., maybe you write a short post about this.
LikeLike
Brainfreeze … “maybe you could write”.
LikeLike
Advocates…this is REALLY important. The Senate needs to contacted, educated and we must follow the guideline points on topic.
This is about money; a living equine generates more local and US income than a slaughtered for human consumption equine not raised as a food animal….BIG AND LONG TIME!
LikeLike
You can find your senators here! http://www.opencongress.org/people/senators
LikeLike
Sorry…there were several broken links in that post, including the one to find your Senators. I discovered the error on my own so please, do not hesitate to let me know, personally, if there is a link or serious editing problem. We will be more than happy to make the correction as quickly as possible.
LikeLike
Got my calls in. Such a huge waste of tax dollars! Can’t believe it is even being considered. Thanks for the heads up on this!
LikeLike
Called, faxed and emailed
LikeLike
Beverly’s post is right on target. This is a financial bill so please don’t wander off topic. Stay focused!
Most importantly, don’t make statements that you can’t back up with facts.
If they ask what they’ll do with all those horses, turn it back on them and ask them what they do with their animals that weren’t raised as food animals. It doesn’t matter what spcies – if they aren’t raised as food animals, they should NEVER enter the food chain. Period.
LikeLike
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/support-ban-horse-slaughter/q30gJg1k
You must register for your voice to be heard! We still need over 2000 signatures and there is a dead line on this. Pro slaughter also has a petition. We need your voice, you families voices, your neighbors voice! Please join, sign & share! The passing of this bill would at least ensure our Mustangs are no longer shipped to slaughter. May God be with our horses in this battle!
LikeLike