Unified press release from EWA, R4H and WHFF
Horses slaughtered is determined by the demand of horse meat abroad, not by the number of “unwanted” horses
On Thursday Oct 11th the European Commission published a report, which evaluates the operation of controls over the production of horsemeat for export to the European Union. This is the report:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/fvo/rep_details_en.cfm?rep_inspection_ref=2012-6340
On Friday Oct 12th Canadian and Mexican horse slaughter plants temporarily shut down, reportedly because of failure of compliance with these European food safety standards on one or more shipments that arrived in France.
Horse welfare organizations were cautiously hopeful that this was a permanent situation and that an end had finally come to the cruel and fraudulent foreign horse slaughter industry that is preying on our American horses. They began to assess the situation with the goal of rescuing the horses caught in the pipeline.
On Monday morning Oct 15th it became apparent that horse slaughter plants were opening their doors once again to American horses trucked across our borders.
The European commission report of Oct 11th sites deficiencies in the validity and authenticity of the affidavits for horses for human consumption, as well as a lack of a system to verify these declarations accompanying the horses as well as a deficiency in post-mortem examinations of the meat. The US has no system in place to meet EU standards for food safety standards of traceability.
Horse welfare organizations have said for a long time that the EID forms (Equine Identification Documents) accompanying horses for slaughter for human consumption are fraudulent and are being filled out by kill buyers themselves. Kill buyers routinely fill out these forms only a short time after buying the horse, claiming they have identified the horse over 6 months ago and that the horse has not received any banned substances such as phenylbutazone (a carcinogen) and clenbuterol (a bronchodilator/bulking agent) for that entire period of time.
According to the USDA 92 percent of all horses slaughtered are healthy and in the prime of their life. Horse welfare organizations explain that horse slaughter is NOT a service business designed to help dispose of old and abused horses, but simply a for profit demand driven business just like any other business and the number of horses slaughtered is determined by the demand of horse meat abroad, not by the number of “unwanted” horses.
“Regardless of the instrument that prompted the EU to issue an unprecedented mandate to suspend the import of American horse flesh into Europe, and then reverse itself, the action has now made it glaringly obvious to the global community that the U.S. Congress and Senate must step up to the plate and pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.” said R.T. Fitch, volunteer president/co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation.
“How is knowingly shipping these contaminated horses off for foreigners to eat, any less a scandal than China shipping baby food intentionally contaminated with melamine?” asks EWA’s John Holland, “For our government to tolerate and even support this exploitation puts all our exports in a bad light.”
Horse welfare organizations are urging breed associations to take responsibility and restrict breeding policies. “For example, states Simone Netherlands of Respect4Horses, if they truly cared, they could turn some of those breed incentives into funds for euthanasia, funds for gelding and funds for horse rescues.”
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act ( S.1176 and HR.2966) currently has the co-sponsorship of half the house and a quarter of the senate. Horse welfare organizations stand united in urging congress to pass the Act without delay.
The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 250 member organizations and over 1,000 individual members worldwide in 18 countries.The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.
Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with federal 501(c)3 status. WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands.
Respect4Horses (R4H) is a horse welfare organization who’s goals include providing information and documentation to educate the public, the media and legislators in order to promote changes in legislation in regards to current horse welfare issues such as horse slaughter and the roundups of our last remaining wild horses and burros.
Related articles
- ASPCA recognizes boy’s efforts in opposing horse slaughter (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Confusion Reins As Canadian Slaughter Plants Halt Import of Us Horses (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Update: Horse Slaughter Grinds to a Halt (rtfitchauthor.com)
- For The Love of Horses: No Horse Slaughter Plant Yet For Missouri As Antagonists Continue Opposition (rtfitchauthor.com)
- DRF: Canada Stops Accepting U.S. Horses for Slaughter (rtfitchauthor.com)
- What Happened to Horse Slaughter? (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Business as Usual for Slaughtering American Horses in Canada Begins Again (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Pro-Horse/Anti-Slaughter Super PACs Popping Up Like Petunias (rtfitchauthor.com)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Excellent information – as usual. I already have the video on Golden Days. Think I’ll share the text too. It’s incredible to me the pros still deny that anything is going to change and are not using this episode as a preview of what really is coming by July 31. Being in denial is one thing, but this…..
The thing that bothers me is that their complacency is because they know something we don’t. Something like how they’ve been planning to farm horses for slaughter all along, knowing the exporting of road kill wasn’t going to last forever. They HAD to know the days were numbered, I mean, there’s dumb and there’s too impaired to tie your own shoelaces. I’m afraid they have a plan and I don’t see anything we can do about it.
Hoping I’m wrong.
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That’s something to think about..
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Good to get the word out wide and far..That seems to be what the other side has been doing.
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You are likely right, Suzanne. And other undercurrents run deep.
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It seems that the largest number of horses are being taken to the border crossings in TX and according to the spread sheet that was attached to the email from EWA. So most of the horses are originating in the Western states because its closer for the Kill buyers.Nobody from the East coast is going to drive to TX. But I’m wondering if the kill buyers find less hassle to use the Mexico crossings and it would also be easier for them to dump horses in the desert that was turned back.
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From what I’ve read, the Mexican plants are actually trying to follow the regs, which accounts for all the rejected and abandoned horses that are being seeing seen in the desert southwest. You’re right about how much easier it is to dump rejects off in the vast, unpopulated desert.
When the plants were closed to our horses last week, Leroy Baker himself said it was the tightened regulations that had driven the price of auction horses down, and he had seen the complete closure “coming.” He thinks by the end of the year. Now, if he sees that, surely he isn’t the only one. They may still be spouting the same old pro-slaughter mantra, but the have to know that the end of our shipping adulterated meat IS coming.
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I just don’t understand WHY the corrupted Congress and the Executive Branch doesn’t comprehend the impact of selling dirty horsemeat to humans DOESN’T compromise ALL US exports.
Many in Congress scream obscenities about adulterated imported ingredients and food products, unfair competition (remember the pet food massacre courtesy of China?), but do NOTHING about US horsemeat and don’t bat an eyelash about the cruelty and abuse to our equines….WILD and domestic.
Hypocrites!
Thanks EWA, et al…keep getting the facts, publishing them and fighting for truth and justice.
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Is it possible that many inside the Beltway actually don’t KNOW the facts? Have they actually been suckered by the “unwanted horses” crap or the “every drug has a withdrawal period” lunacy? Since I don’t think they ever even LOOK at what we write trying to give them the facts, maybe they are actually fooled – a truly terrifying thought in itself. Corrupt AND dumb as a post. Lord have mercy!
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Well…depends on to whom the Corrupt Congress allows access to themselves, screening of constituents and comments by staffers, contributions (thanks Citizens United…that really aren’t) and moral compass.
When you have an misogynistic troll like Aiken running for US Senate in Missouri and yet a Dem like McCasskill…what really is the difference in the looney state of “Don’t show me $H*T” (as opposed to the “Show Me State” motto…advocates…she ain’t an equines friend…or puppies, kitties, swine, poultry)? But maybe she gets the true “rape” infertility when it comes to women.
You can look at Wal$h, Karzya$$King, Blunt, to see how these jerks put their heads in the sand (or should that be “butt” in the sand?) and actually REPEAT $H*T like DUMBA$$ Joe over on Horseback.
No…they don’t care to know and if they do….they lie.
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For educational purposes, please go to this link and EDUCATE “Joe”:
http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/18699/comment-page-1#comment-18676
This is a Horseback post of this post….please comment and notice the idiocy of Joe with all the big fat f’in lies he is allowed to post without documentation or verification while we have it (facts) coming out of every possible orifice. I’m all for the First Amendment, but Joe’s posts are akin to yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.
Read what he/she/it says about the orgs, Simone, rescues, Dr Marini, et al.
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Yeah, Denise, unfortunately, Joe didn’t blow. Did you catch his crack to me in the “HumaneWatch” post about not “thinking like someone from the South.” He does hate Southerners, y’all.
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Suzanne…he is such an idiot that I could hardly care less what he/she/it says save for banging him/her/it on factual inaccuracies.
However, I believe he/she/it is part of the community of righteous indignation (not officially) that believes if you say a LIE long enough…it becomes true….which in logic and philosophy NEVER happens….it is still a lie.
But we have them on the ropes, and this situation will change. If the governments of the US don’t get behind making this situation right…..they will JEOPARDIZE ALL US FOOD EXPORTS AND US CONSUMER CONFIDENCE. You monitoring Cargill, et al? Pay attention…you keep defending and sponsoring the likes of $uey….your products are next. IDIOTS!
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Suzanne…btw, what this moron hates (and his/her/it many pseudonyms) is that WE disagree with a ton of science and popular opinion behind our position. That just kills them!
The killers are use to people “Talkin’ Back”!
Can’t wait till the day they die their monetary deaths.
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Ooops…” The Killers AREN’T use…”
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What would help is if everyone in all states get rid of the congressman and senators that don’t care about animal welfare and rights VOTE THEM OUT. We need people in there that care and not worry about how much $$$$$ they can get. Americans love horses and won’t be eating them for dinner anytime soon or ever!!! They need to pass The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act instead of sitting on it to stop the war on horses!!!!
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Good video, Simone, but you should correct the discrepancy between what you said the bill number was and what was written on the screen. The horse closest to you was very enthusiastic about your speech! Seriously, though your message must be heeded, and all of our messages. We must no longer be ignored. There is a better way of life that will allow us to live and let live with the horses, etc.
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I have entered a similar comment to the EU in facebook and hope others will do the same. Make the people there aware of the poisions they are swallowing eating horse meat from the US. Great report!
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