2014: No Horse Slaughter in the United States
The specter of commercial horse slaughter returning to the U.S. was dealt a death blow Friday as President Barack Obama signed a budget measure that withholds funds for required federal inspections of horse slaughter operations.
Toxic horse meat contamination entered the European human food chain one year ago this month and EU authorities are still attempting to deal with the fall-out. Horse meat was found in everything from Ikea meatballs to Taco Bell burritos and it is hoped that none of these tainted products made it to the United States where the commercial slaughter of horses for food is now rendered as illegal.
The verbiage for the defunding appears on page 89 of the 1582-page Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014:
In a nutshell that means several things; the government is forbidden from paying for the inspection of horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and it also cannot implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations. That section says “an official establishment that wishes to slaughter horses can apply for voluntary ante-mortem inspection.”
That means anybody wanting to slaughter a horse and sell its drug laden flesh to U.S. consumers is just flat out of luck.
The president’s action came as a New Mexico judge granted a preliminary injunction against a Roswell NM company from moving forward with its plans to start slaughtering horses.
A ruling by state District Judge Matthew Wilson will keep alive a lawsuit by Attorney General Gary King, who’s seeking to permanently block horse slaughter in New Mexico. The lawsuit, if won, could serve as a possible insurance plan in case the federal government provides inspection funding in the future.
“This is the first major hurdle that needed to happen so that a complete federal ban on horse slaughter can now be passed,” said Equine Advocates President, Susan Wagner, “I know I speak for most Americans when I say that horse slaughter is wrong and has no place in our culture.”
“A clear and certain message has been sent by our Law Makers to the miniscule few who want to butcher American horses for an over-seas market,” added R.T. Fitch, president of Wild Horse Freedom Federation, “simply stated, ‘We don’t want your predatory business on American soil!'”
The bi-partisan-sponsored provision to withhold horse slaughter inspection funding was approved by both the House and Senate Ag Appropriations Committees prior to the approval of the president.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
According to a post made by EWA after the House signed on Wednesday, there was a stipulation in the full version of the bill that stated inspections can not be funded until the FDA has determined that horsemeat is safe for humans to consume. I have been trying to find that stipulation but so far can not. Hopefully the full version of that part of the bill with the stipulation attached will be available for all to see.
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Storm Dancer this is in the supporting documents still to be released. I know that EWA will post links as soon as its available. But thank you for your question cause this part caused a HUGE firestorm at another site the other day.
The supporting documents can’t be released till after the bill is signed by the Pres and that happened yesterday. Stay tuned!
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The Animal Legal Defense Fund also stated…
“Today’s enacted spending bill also restored protections for wild horses as well. Using the same funding ban tactic, the bill prohibits the expenditure of Federal funds on “the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros…or for the sale of wild horses and burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products.” This helps fix a 2004 spending amendment that removed 34-year old protections and allowed the Bureau of Land Management to sell wild horses for slaughter if they were over ten years old or had failed to be adopted at least three times.”
I’m no legal eagle but I believe this means the “Burn’s Amendment” is defunded.
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Can someone post the actual language from the bill here about this please?
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This is the exact text cut and pasted from pages 717-718…
“Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care of the Bureau or its contractors or for thesale of wild horses and burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products”
I hope this helps.
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Thanks, Steve! Call me skeptical but it seems this excludes the USFS?
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IcySpots The USFS can use their funds to pay the BLM to conduct the round ups and adopt out the wild ones from USFS lands which mean they would end up in holding facilities and hopefully not in the hands of that jerk in MS.
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So, I see the potential to create real Equine reserves that are paid for by the USFS & BLM to private trusts where Equines can roam free. We can make Wild Horse Preserves a National Treasure for all the world to come and see!
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Storm Dancer (and others) what I was getting at was if the language in this law also prohibits the USFS from directly selling wild horses and burros into slaughter since they do have oversight on USFS lands and as I understand it do not need the permission of the BLM for any management decisions. The BLM is under the Dept. of Interior and the USFS is under the Dept. of Ag.
So is the USFS also restricted in the way the BLM is by the new language?
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This I have not heard of. But if so Holy wow and a half. Victoria if you’re out there is this true?
RT?
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I enthusiastically laud defunding and saving wild horses from any horrible fate is equally important. But BLM always denied selling wild horses to kill buyers. I understood also that the any equines sent to slaughter have to be accompanied by papers and the FDA has to show that they are not toxic. We only have a short time to enjoy this success, as the new budget will ensure another fight. Now if the SAFE Act could be passed, equine safety would be tighter.
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Hello R.T. Fitch! I am so happy about this words cannot describe!! I have one BIG concern & I can’t rest until it is resolved! What about the EXPORT of our horses to Canada & Mexico for Slaughter???? That has continued, to the best of my knowledge, even before 2007. I have nightmares about it after seeing on YouTube.com the Horse Slaughter Houses videos. I am also Very concerned about the wild horses & the BLM!!!
Thank you for ALL you & your wife hard constant work to save our horses!
Sincerely, Stephanie Hundemer 🐎⛅🐴
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:35:34 +0000
To: stephanieshundemer@hotmail.com
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Wow RT. After all the headlines you wrote blaming the President irrationally and untruly ( and his administration) for horse slaughter, I’m surprised for even this tiny bit of recognition. He was no our side all the time.
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Up until this week the Pres has ignored the equines both wild and free. RT has not been unduly irrational or unfair. He’s calling it exactly as he saw it. I called it exactly as I saw it. I admit to calling the Pres less than flattering words on many occasions. I had to write a letter of apology last night and it was the sweetest humble pie I’ve ever had to eat! I hope the Pres is able to see it and accepts my apology cause my apology was and is truly heartfelt.
This doesn’t stop our work. We must unite as one no matter how we feel personally about one another–FOR THE HORSES. No matter our skin color, several orientation (or is it more correct to say preference?), whether we are democrat or republican–together united for the horses we become stronger and a force to be reckoned with!
I may not know the steps to meet with legislators and all of that but I stand ready to help with letter writing campaigns and phone calls. I may be little but I am mighty when my voice is united with so many others!
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You are so wrong. The president and those in his administration came out strongly against horse slaughter and the slander that was heaped on him by this blog and the nasty people that ignorantly said horrible things about him was very crude and disrespectful. I will try to forgive because we all want the best for the horses…but perhaps you will understand that your constant hammering has driven many from this page in favor of EWA where truth rather than political hatred is used.
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Thank you RT for explaining why the lawsuit still pending in NM is important. It’s important that it not be dropped and that AG King is able to prevail. Somehow I missed this vital chunk.
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My son had me write to the President back in January of 2013 asking him to stop them from Slaughtering Horses and the White House answered his pleas by saying they were waiting on the Congress to restore the Defunding and that his Administration was against horse slaughter. The press especially AP had a hay day with the President over the defunding being removed.
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We won the battle but not the war! We have to always keep the pressure on! As Suey Wallis stated, ” If those son sa bitches think we’re going to quit, they got another think coming!” Did an elected official just call the President a son of a bitch?? Hmmmm
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