By Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
Predatory Business Breeds Corruption and Crime
Charges filed against a Chester County woman for posing as a rescuer of horses while sending them to slaughter have prompted a new round of calls in Congress to end the killing of horses for meat in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan (R., Pa.) on Thursday urged his colleagues in the House and Senate to pass legislation to halt horse slaughter after reading a report in The Inquirer that Kelsey Lefever of Honeybrook was allegedly selling animals for slaughter in Canada under false pretenses.
“This is a tragic example of why we need federal law to prohibit the transportation and sale of horses for slaughter in the first place,” said Meehan, one of 150 cosponsors of anti-slaughter legislation in the House. “Horses are not raised for human consumption, and their slaughter for sale overseas is a cruel and inhumane practice that is not consistent with our values here in Pennsylvania.”
In November, state police charged Lefever, a 24-year-old horse trainer, with multiple counts of fraud connected to an alleged scheme involving ex-race horses.
Lefever duped thoroughbred owners at a central Pennsylvania racetrack into believing she would find homes for their retired racehorses and instead sold them to kill-buyers at a Lancaster auction, according to charging documents.
Horse slaughter effectively ended in the United States in 2008, when the last plant closed after federal funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors was withdrawn. Since then, an estimated 140,000 U.S. horses have been transported to abattoirs in Canada and Mexico.
With funding for USDA inspectors restored in a budget bill President Obama signed late last year, slaughter plants could again legally operate in the United States.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This is awesome, Kudos to Rep. Patrick Meehan, I say Patrick Meehan for President ~~~~~~~
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I hope he’s running for president cause I’ll vote for him he’s awesome.
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now in 2015 people are seeing the horse slaughter through biologists and advocates on the range posting to social media. it is a nightmare! it is a wipeout to genocide. period. if you want to ask yr rep to stop this and return to the original safe act of 71 then logged calls are taken here 202 225 3121 get to yr rps and ask for it we need a million americans to show their calls mean business. this has gone too far way too far. it is sick they are not livestock! but they are slaughtered in the same or worse way than a factory animal is and we all have seen those horrors. pls call they will listen.This is the end of all wild ones. this is imoral a complete fail for our sweet horses. they are to be protected not slaughtered for being a few let free blm lies horses die. blm is a rogue agency so is fws. horses do not destroy habitat and are not overpopulated except in pens they were helicoptered into causing death of many huge gashes in their heads. foals die they drop dead they die in heat they die separated from mamas they die all damn dday and it IS for meat to othr countries who then infuse burger with horsemeat. burger king admits it. many have admitted it and if u see hamburger or other ground meat and the lable says product of mex canada austrial. its horsemeat. those that think it is ok to treat out EQuines tis way are uninformed or sociopaths. call yr reps we are working very hard on and off th range to save what few are left. kill pens are the worst and kill uyers shouldnt be allowed to take our animals for profit. call if you care educate yrselves if you dont.
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Many thanks to Rep. Meehan for standing up for the horses.
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Now is the time to really work on our Senators and reps on the slaughter issue–here is a guide to communicating with them and this recent ugly incident is just the tip of the iceberg-
This is the “compassion idex” guide to congress–go get “em–
http://capwiz.com/compassionindex/issues/basics/?style=comm
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Great stuff Barbara Steele Thank You !!!!!!!
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STOP “HORSE SLAUGHTER ” !!! STOP “TRANSPORT THEM TO OTHER COUNTRIES “!!! STOP “THE ROUNDUPS” !!! STOP “MAKING THIS SHAME TO OUR COUNTRY, THE USA ” !!! lets get CIVILIZED. The wild Horses are part of the AMERICAN History. They live with their families peacefully on the land, given to them long time ago. We have NO RIGHT to capture them, and have them SLAUGHTERED for consumption in other countries. What is the matter with OBAMA, our PRESIDENT, who promissed to do the RIGHT things for us, for HIS, OUR Country.. What will he tell his wife and children, “That he agrees?, to have our Horses beeing butchered, slaughtered, [ in the most Inhumane ways], for Humane Consuption”? And we have no say on all this?? We, the American people, we have no voice?? Then WHY do we have a President??Again, Stop the Slaughter of our beautiful wild, and domestic Horses. We will fight for them, until they are safe again. Solvejg Zaferes.
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Amen and Amen! Thank you for helping the horses!
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PAT MEEHAN IS AN ANGEL …GOD BLESS YOU PAT AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUR HORSES FROM A HORRIBLE ..I OWN 6 HORSES AND I LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY HEART , THEY ARE SO LOVING…KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
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Thank you Mr. Meehan! Let this be the end of the slaughter of our horses domestic and wild.
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The original language of that law would limit and give oversight of ALL horse transportation to the feds. You’d need a permit (with fee?) to trail ride, go to a barrel race, show, or hack. Don’t over react because one person is despicable. Yes, we need more options for unwanted and abandoned horses, but don’t give power to the government you will regret later.
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Em, you must mean dont give our tax dollars to support a foreign owned cruel industry at our expense right?
Its not one person that is despicable it is the entire industry.
Horse transportation is already ruled by the feds, nothing would change except horse slaughter trucks would be stopped at the borders.
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Trucker tells chilling account of driving horses to slaughter. http://www.wsmv.com/video
A few days ago there was a wreck in Nashville Tn. The rig was hauling 38 horses, 3 of which had to be put down due to injuries. This is the slaughter business people. Please support S1176/HR2966 You may as well inform your reps of this happening as well since it is the face of slaughter. Fatigued drivers hauling too many horses in cattle trailers, falling asleep on the road…. If slaughter plants open here, we will see more of this type of thing happening. Next time it could be your family that gets hurt. Call, write, fax your reps today.
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Makes me want to live in his state! So thankful!
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i thanked Mr. Meehan on his facebook page and am so greatful for those few standing up to the many in Congress on this issue.
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Horses all over the world. ALL OVER THE WORLD…should be free to live a good life. LIKE a person. Given a chance and just not killed and canned. SO SO SO much pain in the world. And so so so happy when something good is in favor of giving our creatures who have NO VOICE the fair and just treatment that God put them here for. AMEN. Rosalyn Burkett
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Dear Rosalyn, I have read a lot of your posts here and everywhere , you are a Beautiful Lady , with many Beautiful thoughts……………………………………………
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I think this is crazy. I have showed and owned horses all my life and I am FOR horse slaughter! I went to an auction and the horse sale was 15 hours long! I talked to some people and they said if they didn’t sell their horse they would tie the horse to someone eldest trailer so they would have to take them home or set them loose on the highway to get hot by a semi. How the heck is this humane?!
Horse slaughter tis something that is
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Mikayla
If they cannot afford to feed them, then do not own them in the first place.I have owned horses all my life and horse slaughter is a predatory industry motivated by human greed and lack of moral responsibility. Euthanasia administered by a vet is humane and the least someone owes their horse. Horse slaughter WILL BE OUTLAWED because it is the right thing to do.
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Are you nuts? Why, I say Why should a horse, through no fault of its own, be subjected to the irresponsible and callous behavior of its owner. That’s why people abandon their children, their dogs and cats, their parents and God knows what else because they have no conscience, no compassion, always pushing their troubles and responsibilities on society. So you say….lets just give these people an easy way out of their problems. Ha! Are you nuts?
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Mikayla:
Some of the horses showing up at the auctions don’t belong there. There are far too
many taking or purchasing horses, ponies and other equines under false pretenses. Just
ask me and I will tell you about my experience. Did the people you talk to have horses
at the auction or were they just mad about the latest action to finally end the slaughter
and transportation of our equines? We had a trailer wreck in my state carrying 59 horses to Canada. The driver crashed the double decker trailer and ran away from the accident. Of the
59 horses, 19 were either killed or had to be euthanized. The other 40 were adopted
by caring horse owners. If an owner becomes unable to keep their horses, there are
networks and people to call. There is no reason to set the horse(s) loose on a hightway
unless one deliberately wants the horse(s) to be killed.
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This is really sad coming from a person that has admittedly owned and shown horses all their life. You have been to an auction, but have you actually been to a slaughter house to see the inhuman way possibly your and many other breeders horses have to suffer and die.
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mikayla! horse slaughter is humane? it crushes them in hot tansport it tears them apart some arrive doa. babies sent on ships 60000 animals drowned going to japan for pony sushi these are innocents. killing them on the range penning in filth fo rs and yrs then stabbing them in mexico shooting their eyes out. thats humane? euth is humane. the sale was 15 hrs u poor thing the animals have been there with painfaces defeat depresssion they trust ppl and work for people then they are thrown away families taken. sometimes after the long hot haul to slaughter across our open borders they have their feet stuck in cement and ppl pay for beastiality they are then axed in the head many times they dont die then they are dismembered and skinned alive. this is humane to you? you havent paid atention at all this is a mafia meat market not overpopulation. They are to be protected. and domestic racehorses that stop performing after running their hearts out are treated no better.now it is 2015, a fed judge told blm they are breaking the law. left unenforced they are on a rampage to kill them all.You do not know what you are talking about. And yes getting hit by a semi would be more humane and its still sick that people promote it overbreed throw them away to be murdered in the most horrible long process ever. now i is in your hamburger truth! this is a mafia meat biz. If you take your show horse to slaughter you need to know how you have betrayed your friend. You nee to know they have feelings and they feel sheer terror! they even refuse shade as they do a shade study on our dime too. they drop dead in feedlots they are sold to kill buyers. do you know how long they have been standing at these auctions?? yrs and rs of being penned and neglected. poor u have to wait 15 hrs. rescurers do a gr8 job adopting and saving them and when the last wild one has died I for one will be very sad. they deserve better than what you think is humane look it up. look at the horrific pictures the faces of slaughterbound horses and the last of americas symbols of freedom for them and lil buros. will you care at all. i doubt it. you should never own any horse. domestics like yours die a horrfying death. you and your ilk make me so sick. they gave 3 million lives in our wars they obey you they die for you. You have not got the heart of a horse but the mind of a woman seeking profit from pain I think you need to investigate the damn truth if u think killing 5000 a week is ok
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Wild and domestic horses parks of America for our horses. Its time to change the laws to stop the BLM round ups and change the laws to stop the overbreeders of America who continue to send 200K wild and domestic horses and burros to a horrific death. Real American’s don’t eat horses. Thearaputic riding centers across America for the horses made homeless by the BLM and the overbreeders of America.
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Okay for us folk out of state and his district– do we snail mail a thank you card? or what? a lot of times you can’t email the rep if you aren’t in there district.
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You are right, Margaret !–Anyone have Rep. Meehan’s snail mail address ?
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Thank You Sir. As a PA resident just… thank you.
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Thank you so much Rep. Meehan !! this is a blessing !!!–
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Thank you so much! Horses have been recognized as wonderful partners in equine-assisted therapeutic programs for children with autism, veterans afflicted with PTSD, cancer and depressed patients, as well as in rehab programs such as those for prisoners and at-risk kids (e.g. Philadelphia). Providing horse a second or third or xth chance through promoting these kinds of programs could not only save horse lives but also benefit the society, lower crime, and last but not least, create jobs! Why not proposing grants for further development of such programs or even tax breaks (despite the economic timing) for valid businesses adopting horses otherwise bound to the slaughterhouse for the purpose of supporting licensed therapy, rehabilitation, or crime prevention?
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Thank you Rep Meehan:) Hope you can get everyone on board and stop the slaughter and transportation of horses to Canada and Mexico!!! American that I have talked to do not eat horsemeat nor do they want too they are not raised to eat!!!
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Thank you Pat Meehan for always being the stand up lawman I know you to be as a former resident of Delaware County. I was not surprised you were first in our state to speak out for an end to Horse Slaughter, I am very proud of you.
Sadly, this is now happening in my own backyard.
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Thank you, Patrick Meehan!! Go for it!
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Thank you and the Horses thank you. Please push through the S1176 and HR2966 Thank you again.
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I want to thank Rep. Patrick Meehan for standing up for the horses. They need somebody to stick up for them.
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Representative Meehan, you are a hero in the horse community! We can’t thank you enough for coming to the aid of these beautiful, but defenseless creatures. Horsemeat is not American!
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I couldn’t have said it any better…. Many heart felt thank yous go out to Rep. Patrick Meehan for standing by what we believe is only right….
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Thank you Representative Meehan for taking this position. We must finally keep our equine
friends safe!
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Congressman Patrick Meehan
WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
513 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
SPRINGFIELD OFFICE
940 Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
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Representative Meehan….Thank you so much for your position on this matter. Please, please do all you can to stop horse slaughter. Not only is this wrong, but it would only be the beginning of killing another breed of animal that is totally unnecessary.
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OK you got me! I clicked on it only to find the news about about U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan. This is a far cry from,”Congress Considering Ending Horse Slaughter Once And For All” is it not? Congress has done nothing and all petitions are still collecting dust in some committee’s bin. Yes, I have posted praise to Patrick Meehan and I am happy to see everyone posted on his Facebook page as well but … am I missing something? How does this mean all of congress is in considerations of anything?
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Yep! Empty speak…where are his efforts to contact his Congressional partners, introduce effective, coordinated change? Hit the committees, keep the folks informed?
PR moment and I don’t question his position….I question his resolve.
Pelosi, Reid, McConnell and Boehner (sp?) are special interest STINK! Why? Because they control the legislative process and Obama has no concept of Fed politics. He ain’t NO Washington, Truman, Roosevelt or Lincoln. It is killing us and the equines.
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Just an FYI, the D’s mentioned are opposed to slaughter and the R’s mentioned are not. You can also ad Eric Cantor to the pro list. Obama has been stated to be against slaughter. Yes, the ban was lifted via thieves in the night and signed via auto pen while the President was out of the country but, IMO, if an R gets in the White House, our horses are as good as dead! Big business is more important and less regulation is their deal. That is my belief. I respect yours as well of course because I know we are on the same team.
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Could the horses really be this lucky? I prey so!
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WOW!! This would be wonderful news, if it really happens. It’s the only way to stop greedy people from sending horses across borders to be slaughtered there. The horse slaughter “business” should be permanently banned everywhere, especially on the North, Central & South American continents! You changed your look too, kind of confusing, but, I like it.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH US REP PATRICK MEEHAN FOR BEING THE VOICES OF THE HORSES THAT DON’T HAVE ONE:) you are a special person:)
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