Congress Passed One-Year Horse Slaughter Ban in U.S.

On Wednesday, October 26th, the Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee voted to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption for one year, giving animal advocates reason to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who responded to IDA's action alerts on this issue: the hundreds of letters, emails, faxes and phone calls from IDA members really made a difference.

Last year, more than 65,000 American horses - including thoroughbreds, show horses, mustangs, carriage horses, and family ponies - were either killed in one of three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the U.S. or shipped to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. Thanks to the Horse Slaughter Amendment, the lives of just as many horses will be spared in fiscal year 2006 because federal funds can no longer be used to regulate the slaughter of horses for human consumption. This both makes it impossible for horse slaughterhouses to function and prohibits the export of horses intended for human consumption. While the original language of the amendment called for immediate implementation, a compromise agreement was reached that will enact the ban in 120 days. This could spell death for another 25,000 horses, but once the grace period is over, the horse slaughter industry in America is likely to collapse, being completely unable to operate for eight months.

The Horse Slaughter Amendment is also significant because it paves the way for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, an historic piece of legislation that would permanently ban the transport, possession, purchase or sale of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. This legislation was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday as S. 1915. Passage of this bill and its equivalent in the House (H.R. 503) would create a permanent ban on horse slaughter in America. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act already has the support of the vast majority of Americans, as well as many legislators in both the House and Senate. To strengthen this bill's chances of success, animal advocates must once again make their voices heard.

What You Can Do:

Click http://tinyurl.com/7ouoy to find out how your Senators voted on the Horse Slaughter Amendment, and http://tinyurl.com/849sw to see how your Representative voted.
Please thank those who voted in favor of the amendment to end horse slaughter in America for one year, and urge those who voted against the measure to please reconsider their position by cosponsoring the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R.
503 for Representatives, S. 1915 for Senators). Contact information for your elected officials is as follows:

Representative Nancy Pelosi
U.S. House of Representatives
2371 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0001
(202) 225-4965

Senator Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001
(202) 224-3841

Senator Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001
(202) 224-3553