Congress Just Took One Step in the Wrong Direction

The return of horse slaughter plants in the U.S. moved closer to fruition in yesterday’s committee vote.

The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday (July 12, 2017) to reopen horse slaughter plants in the United States. The committee’s vote removes the Amendment that blocks funding for Agricultural inspectors at horse slaughter facilities from the Fiscal Year 2018 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The current ban is in place until September 30.

Slaughter bound horses transported across the border into Mexico. Photography Courtesy: www.animalsangels.org

Each year more than 100,000 American horses are trucked over our borders to be slaughtered for human consumption. Horses bound for slaughter may include pregnant mares, foals, injured and blind horses. The last three U.S. slaughterhouses (two in Texas and one in Illinois) were closed in 2007. Between 1992 and the 2007 closures approximately 1 to 2% of the U.S. horse population was sent to slaughter or 75,000 to 150,000 horses per year.

This vote is a step in the wrong direction but it is not yet institutionalized. There is an opportunity to re-offer the amendment when the Fiscal year 2018 Agriculture Appropriations Bill is brought to the full House for vote. There is also a horse slaughter defund amendment in the Senate that may impact the final bill before it is sent to the President for signature.

Don’t give up the fight, please contact your Federal elected officials and let your voice be heard.

Contact Info for Your Representatives

U.S. Senators
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

U.S. Representatives
http://www.house.gov/representatives/