Horse News

Obama Moves to Block Horse Slaughter

By on • ( 69 Comments )

By as published in the New York Times

Horse-Eaters Duquette and Wallis’ Panties in a Wad
Could become a friend of the horses?

Could he become a friend of the horses?

The Obama administration has included a proposal in its 2014 budget that would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Technically, the proposal would prevent money from being spent on inspection of horse slaughtering facilities. Without inspections, facilities could not legally operate. The proposal was greeted enthusiastically by horse lovers and animal advocacy groups.

“This administration is wise to reject that path and to embrace the idea, even indirectly, that horses belong in the stable and not on the table,” said Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, which contends that horses are given medicines that would be detrimental to humans who consume them.

But it was met with dismay by those who have been working to get slaughtering facilities up and running again…(CONTINUED)

Click (HERE) to read Duquette’s uneducated, unprofessional and uncertified whining.

USDA Budget 4-10-13

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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs

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69 replies »

  5. “All this means is more debate and more hardship for my clients because they’ve made these investments to modify their plant already.”

    Duh. How did this guy graduate Law School? Any dummy could see this coming. And even if he wins the fight against US Government, the FDA and 80% of the American public, then he’ll have to take on the EU. I think the money that’s been wasted, has been the money paid to him by his clients.

    On the other hand, his clients are more than welcome to spend their money until they are completely bankrupt. Then we won’t have to hear from them again.

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  6. Yes, this is great news…until Obama sees how much $$$ can be made from this slaughter business and then he will go back to the other side. Just watch and see. This still DOES not change my opinion of that man either! grrrrr…

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    • B.S. Horse slaughter is a “losing” proposition, especially now that the illegal co-mingling market in Europe is drying up thanks to the scandal, so that argument just doesn’t make sense. Obama stated in 2008 he wanted to make horse slaughter permanently illegal. You may dislike him for other reasons, but be honest, he is not “on the side” of slaughterers.

      So what happen? If you read Vickery Eckhoff’s 12/21/11 article in Forbes, “How Many Congressmen Does It Take To Screw A Horse” it only took 3. These were Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) – still in office and on the Ag. Appropriations Committee – and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), also Monsanto’s best friend. Because of the obstructionist nature of our current government, these 3 used a closed-door trick and held up the bill to strip it of the 2006 ban. In order to get the federal budget passed, Obama erroneously signed all the included appropriations bills as presented.

      So why is it important to know the real truth instead of the smears? BECAUSE IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN! These politicians need to be watched. More people – especially media – need to stay on the alert to these last minute riders and attachments that alter bills after they have been read and passed, but before they have been signed into law.

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    • If you followed what happened to the original ban for USDA funding on horse slaughter plants in 2006, 3 congressmen, Sen Herb Kohl (D-WI), Rep Jack Kingston (R-GA) – still on the Ag Appropriations committee – and Sen Roy Blunt (R-MO) Monsanto’s best friend, used a close-door trick to attach a rider lifting the 2006 ban AFTER the Ag Appropriations bill was passed, but before the federal budget was signed in 2011. So few knew this happened, even the press!

      THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN – so be aware! Horses are not safe until this budget is signed with the ban intact. Even then, it is only for a year. Let’s use this momentum to get the SAFE Act passed.

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      • Yep, Judy, right again! We’ve had “no inspections” for years but it hasn’t stopped the slaughter. We need to stop the transport and slaughter…PERIOD!!! And, as you pointed out, it took only 3 asshats to reverse the decision — behind closed doors, of course!

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      • That’s why I don’t shop at Kohl’s. I believe Senator Kohl’s family sold the chain off but it carries his name and that’s good enough for me to boycott the store.

        Senator Kingston–this AG-GAG stuff is really getting to much. I’ve come to have a better grasp of what it means by being here and being introduced to this subject. This AG-GAG stuff would make it illegal for those that got McConnell abusing that horse–it would make it illegal to film it much less turn it over etc.

        Thankfully people here have been so patient explaining this and that to me. I don’t profess to understand everything. But I understand more.

        Abuse is abuse. I don’t give a rat’s rear end what any pro slaughter advocate has to say. This isn’t about private property rights. Hot shots in the face. 10-12 lb weights on the feet. By the way their either nailed in or screwed into the hoof. There is no escaping the weight. All in the name of a blue ribbon.

        Senator Blunt. Thankfully I have another friend who has helped me understand Monsanto. I first read about them here. As I’ve become more in tuned with the world I understand my choices more.

        I refuse to use Monsanto products in my garden. Not so good about food choices–since a lot of my food is tvp for now. But I make that choice with more transparency. For me, I think I have choice–go with my tvp and boycott beef, chicken and turkey. Or go back to being an omnivore. I like my more meat free diet.

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    • He won’t do it.. and if he knows better.. could use that money elsewhere.. he’s so big on cutting spending to reduce the deficit (HA! feel free to laugh) horse slaughtering’s no money to be made because there is no market for it. we don’t want the meat and UK and Mexico and Canada are becoming wise to whats in our horses too! That being said.. I think i’ll give ol Combo breaker a break on this one.. brownie points are brownie points.. Spending money to inspect tainted meat is a fools work. It’s not worth it. He knows it.. he’s probably been briefed more then we realize on it.. an he has possibly heard the advocacy of ending horse abuse. So hey! Take this in stride and call it a win 🙂

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    • I think he knows about the money that can be made, that is why it took awhile for the Obama administration to look more deeply into this issue. The American people do not want horse slaughter, it’s not the right thing to do…so how could he support horse slaughter as a commercial business in this country? It’s not going to work. It will be a thorn in everyone’s side until it’s totally outlawed. It is not the American way!!

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  7. I was super mad at the President for not stepping up and making this issue disappear forever, but with that said, really grateful that he has put this back into his agenda and hoping that it will finally go away for good.

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  9. Again with the Band-Aid. Stopping the inspections doesn’t prohibit them from being shipped to Canada and Mexico or overseas on ships and even planes. The S.A.F.E. Act will!

    Obama’s budget has many flaws some of which are near and dear to my pocketbook. In 2010 and 2011 there were no Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for social security/disability recipients because Congress wanted to save money (gave themselves a raise in 2009). In 2012 they tried to make up for the lost revenue by giving a 3.6% increase which for the average recipient averaged $41.00 a month. In 2013 we were given a 1.7% cost of living increase or about $20.00 a month.

    Now with this budget he wants to reduce COLA’s even more. Just to give you an example 2 years ago I could go to Walmart and buy a box of soda crackers for $0.88 and now that same box is $1.24…a 41% increase. 41% vs 2 to 3%…and the President gave the 2012 Congress a raise…the most ‘do nothing’ Congress in history.

    Back to the horses…

    I for one an willing to compromise…if it costs me a COLA or two to stop the slaughter of horses in this country I will gladly give them up freely!

    I abhor what the people of this nation have become when it comes to animals, guns, and worst of all the treatment of our neighbors and others around us. It’s all about violence.

    At lease Obama has shown his colors on this issue…now we have to push our legislators for the S.A.F.E. Act to be passed and finish this insanity forever.

    PS: Dave Duquette, Sue Wallis, Rick de los Santos…OH BOO HOO!

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  11. Wow – thank goodness! Thank you, Mr. President! This entire thing was brought about by Congressional trickery anyway, as was the wolf delisting. (I love the picture you chose to accompany the article too.) 🙂

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  13. Sounds encouraging but i’ll believe it when its signed into law…how many times have we seen Obama sign laws with nasty riders put in or important stuff taken out because, like Lando Calrisian, “[He] had no choice.” For all we know he could have stuck that in there as a “thorw-away” to be used as a bargaining chip that he can negotiate away for something else… I can spit farther than i trust Barack Obama….Regards from “Another 100% disabled, service connected American veteran about to be screwed over by Obama’s new chained-cost-of-living-calculation”

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    • Yes, it does sound encouraging…I too will believe it only when it’s signed into law. It sounds almost too good to be true, the fight is not over!!

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  14. Obama is the one who signed the horse slaughter bill in November of 2011 H2112 which dropped the probation on inspectors so now he gets credit for blocking the inspectors??? Why not ban export horses for slaughter, that would be more meaningful.

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  15. Even if it is tiny baby steps….it is a step in the right direction for America’s horses. Now we need to get rid of the BLM and prosecute those THUGS for what they have intentionally done to our wild herds. Keep writing your politicians, keep calling your representatives, keep helping to raise money for the Anti-slaughter bill boards….keep educating the general public to these atrocities that are happening TODAY to our horses, donkeys, mules, ponies, mini’s and our wild herds. You are making a difference with every person you tell.

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    • We don’t need to get rid of the BLM.. but tighter reins do need to be applied.. heavier sanctions and people with actual common sense. “We’re running out of water” is BS for our wild horses.. they aren’t cows who stay in one place and have to be moved they’re nomadic.. they graze.. drink and move on. they’re less a detriment on the land then the common cow.. We need to get this Ag thing down too with these ranchers.. if anything they need to have a limit on how many head of cattle they keep a year and need heavy sanctions and fines if they do not comply. i’d like to say a tight but manageable number..

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  16. Wonderful Awesome New! With that thought I still have the question of “What can they do today to get the horses back to their beloved homes as soon as possible?” I don’t think they should have to wait any longer. It would be a Win Win for Everybody! The cattlemen are just a bunch of bullies. Remember the sheep hurders? Time for cattlepeople to grow up & stop being so greedy!!!

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  17. Esquire Dunn says: “All this means is more debate and more hardship for my clients because they’ve made these investments to modify their plant already.”

    Isn’t that interesting that his clients will lose money. Investors know that and take the risk anyway. No sympathy for these bozos. Now hopefully, the Sec. Vilsack recommendation does go through on the 2014 budget. There will be fights but let’s savor this for a few minutes.

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  18. Thank you President Obama ! Glad to see I voted for the right man. May God bless you for helping His creations.
    LuAnne

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  19. From the article:

    “A. Blair Dunn, a lawyer who represents the owners of a New Mexico facility that was hoping to begin slaughtering horses for human consumption sometime this summer, said his clients were disappointed that the Obama administration had been swayed by horse advocates.”

    Sadly, Mr. Dunn, we don’t really care how Mr. Obama was ‘swayed’ – by horse advocates or by an outraged Public. But it’s worth remembering how the ‘funding’ language ended up in 2011’s Appropriations in the first place – snuck in the back door, like ALL foolish and unpopular agendas, in such a fashion that the entire budget was held hostage until it was signed, with re-funding for horse slaughter inspectors left intact.

    At least when advocates advocate for a cause, we do it above board – loud, logical, in the harsh light of day and in yer face.

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  20. Great news for the horses when the President will now pay attention to the slaughter house monsters. Attorney Dum how can you believe that the American people would stand for horse slaughter in the first place. Horse slaughter is a disgrace to our country. When these horse slaughter people wake up and know that the American Public are on to them.

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  22. So this will mean the horses will merely be TRANSPORTED (often get broken bones and gouged out eyes) and slaughtered by MEXICO – I seen videos of them doing it – they go after live horses with hack saws and cut them up still fully conscious.

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    • If our horses are not going to Mexico, Canada or the US to be slaughter then we have to come up with new ways to handle this issue of too many unwanted horses. It’s not going to go away either by slaughtering or not slaughtering. The horses slaughtered are not the old and sick, it’s mostly young and still useful horses that end up in commercial slaughter houses. Why do you think so many end up there?? Look at this picture. They go because too many are irresponsibly bred thus leading to a surplus, or they are bread for a specific purpose and don’t preform to specifications so are sent off to the meat market. It’s too easy to sell a unwanted horse for a few dollars and send them off to have their throats cut while still continuous. Whether hear , Mexico or Canada it’s still happening. We have to come up with new ways, we can’t allow this mass cruel Killings of our horses. They are not for meat!!
      I don’t want them to go to Mexico either, you are right with what you mentioned. We have to work towards a better way, but first we have to stop the commercial slaughter…then we take the next step.

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  23. I think this is the first time I’ve seen Obama actually do something for the plight of animals in this country. Maybe this will pique his interest about the other atrocities that are standard practice already. That would be good for all of us.

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  24. Thank You – Thank You – Thank You. I cannot believe that I am reading this. This is great, I’m speechless ….. now we need to get the banning of moving them (horses) to Mexico & Canada.

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  25. Keep contacting Vilsack and ask him to contact Obama and ask him to use a executive order to stop US horses from being shipped out of the country for slaughter and to permanently put a stop to US horses ever being slaughtered in this country again. It was Vilsack that wanted to stop the horses being slaughtered not Obama. If Vilsack has enough influence over Obama to encourage him put a stop to the carnage, it would be to Obama’s own best interests to do just that. Obama would be remembered as the only US President that finally brought the killing of US horses to a end.

    I know that Wallis and her insane followers read these comments as do many other horse killers, this is the only way I can get it across to everyone what can possibly be done. Don’t count on the bills being passed. The one in the House will pass but the one in the Senate will not. If enough requests for a executive order is sent in just maybe it will get through to the right people.

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  26. Ok I am going to finger-point at the elephant in the room…the New Mexico attorney should have advised his client NOT to make adjustments to the business or invest any money until they have the complete law change in effect. Simple if they say you can sell apples on the corner, but they have to approve the area first and you pick your apples and wait two weeks, then they decide you cant sell apples at all, you have rotten apples and you cant blame them because you picked the apples. Yup, us stooped horse folks watchin flicka already knew that, (writing say Dave can read it). Not to mention you don’t entice investors without having contractual legal documents that actually have the details of the project clearly stated and without the USDA approval the investors mean nothing-they are NOT legitimate until the USDA says yes there are inspectors and this project could proceed, so whatever they did prior to that is NOT the responsibility of the Government, nor the USDA. As for the inexperienced attorney-this is not just about killing horses and now his reputation is tarnished for taking the side of a company who shows no concerns for human health. They have not once addressed any health concerns and ignored whats happened in EU and Europe itself. So that really doesn’t show that he really comprehends the nature of what he is suing the government about, this is no longer an actual debate over a private party opening a small business to make jobs and earn a living-he has not come to that conclusion. We are sitting in a position to see this from every angle and we do so understanding that these people have no basis to be angry, frustrated, or to fight for this to go through to re-open. Sadly they are still seeing dollar signs and have some delusion that the country is behind them. It’s actually the opposite, people who were suppressed or scared of the pro-slaughter people are starting to speak up against it. And in reality the pro-slaughter people have been pushing to keep the regular horse people’s voices out of the conversation the entire time, however, no one should live in fear of retaliation because they spoke up to protect an animal. I see that they are not even educated enough to articulate the real reason behind all of this and just come out and give the argument for themselves, so they hide behind a plethora of lies and concocted stories. They keep telling people this is just a way to control people and their animals. So here’s my take, my animals are well cared for, and if it takes people checking to see whose are and whose are not, then if you have nothing to fear, if you are NOT abusive, neglectful, or cheat to train or show then you have nothing to fear of losing rights-there’s a fine line between abuse and training in horses for many trainers and their fear is they will get caught and their lives will be ruined. If its for the good of the animals then so be it. The only ones who hide from the light ARE the ones who have something they do not want seen..

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  27. Yesterday I celebrated this good news. No we aren’t there yet. I knew that yesterday. But I choose to think of it as like those Sundays when you have little good news to share. So yesterday in that way was a Sunday–a feast for those times when your spirit needs a huge boost.

    I consider this a step. An important step. More still needs to be done. We have to get a permanent ban on slaughter or this could come back to bite us. This defunding I believe is only for one year. We have to get the SAFE Act passed. And this is where I see where the huge dilemma. The SAFE Act isn’t the problem. the House isn’t really a problem. Harry Reid HE’S A HUGE PROBLEM. Anything horse related gets shoved under everything. He refuses to bring anything to the floor to be debated, to be voted on. How do we get around this road block?

    As far as I know of my Rep and Senator’s are already on board with the SAFE Act.

    Guess its time to write the Pres again…

    PS–in the past week I’ve been hearing an animal gobbling in my neighborhood. I recently moved more out into the country so I think we might have a wild turkey nearby! For this city dweller this is so AWESOMELY COOL! And no way would I shoot it or hunt it… I enjoy the gobbling sounds too much!

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    • These are the rudest most self-centered people! I used to go to the Strawtown fleamarket and horse sales to look around and I gotta say, they gave me the heebie jeebies before finding this out. Their attitude about animals was really really bad…go figure, auction people that don’t care about animals. What makes me really angry is someone had to know before it got this out of hand, but according to the story on video they lived in an outbuilding with the animals dead around them. If there was any question about the type of people it takes to kill a horse, this is a good start to understanding the type. Trust me, that’s how killer buyers treat horses they retain for the next load to go to the plant…..

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  29. Obama cosigned the anti horse slaughter bill when he was a congressman for Illinois (HR503). I believe he would sign the bill to end horse slaughter and transport to slaughter if he is in the position to do so. He may not act fast but he will act if he can. Also the funding for horse slaughter was a rudder in the big Ag bill, slipped . He signed the Ag bill under pressure but he did not sign the rider.. I wonder if it was an oversight. The main thing is that we do have to keep pushing for the SAFE ACT and nit give up on it. Even if we need to call for an executive order to be signed. We can not stop trying. This is the ONLY way or horses will be safe, not to mention our food!!!

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  30. Yaah!!! I am sooooo pleased to hear this. I am not for alot of things the President has done & is currently doing ….but this, I am thrilled about!!!

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  31. Better late, than never! Let’s see you follow through Mr. Obama! Will you make believers out of us? Or, is this just more of your propaganda type speech?

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