Federal Legislation Will Ban Horse Slaughter
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Representative
John Sweeney (R-NY), Chairman of the
Congressional Horse Caucus, and U.S.
Representative John Spratt (D-SC) today reintroduced the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act which will ban the trade in horsemeat and live
horses for human consumption. An identical version of this bill will
soon be introduced in the United States Senate.
"Many horses are hauled to slaughter and killed under
inhumane conditions. Some of the
horses who are killed for this industry have
been stolen or acquired under false pretenses (the families who owned
the horses were told they were going to a good home) and other animals
may be wild horses illegally sold for their meat. The American people
want the cruelty to end and the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
will do that," said Representative Sweeny.
Supporters of the measure include Sir Paul McCartney
and horse industry organizations
including the New York Racing Association, the National
Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the Breeders' Cup. Federal
legislation and the attention it is receiving are helping to bring this
industry out of the shadows it has enjoyed for far too long.
"This bill is necessary because of the cruel treatment
and dubious practices employed by
those engaged in horse slaughter. I've witnessed
first hand the suffering inflicted on horses at every stage of the
process from unloading to death -- it's appalling. Anyone who truly
cares about horses should be supporting this measure,"
said Chris Heyde of the Society for
Animal Protective Legislation.
"Horses are a national treasure and perhaps more than
any other animal, a symbol of the
American pioneer spirit. I am pleased to be a sponsor of
this bill," said Representative Spratt.
"We applaud Representatives Sweeney and Spratt for
introducing the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act. This important bill will end
this atrocious trade for good. It is long overdue, and has our strong
support," said Holly E. Hazard, Executive Director of the Doris Day
Animal League.
The DDAL and SAPL, both based in Washington, D.C., are
national organization lobbying on
behalf of animal protection legislation on the
local, state and federal levels.
Chris Heyde
Society for Animal Protective Legislation, (202)
337-2334
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