U.S. NEWS
JANUARY 5, 2011
Horse Slaughter Is Reconsidered
Animal-Welfare Groups Are Joining Ranchers in a Push to Revive an Industry That Died in 2007
By STEPHANIE SIMON
Less than four years after the last equine slaughterhouses in the U.S. closed down, an unlikely coalition of ranchers, horse owners and animal-welfare groups is trying to bring them back.
The group, gathering in Las Vegas this week for a conference called Summit of the Horse, aims to map out a strategy for reviving an industry that slaughtered as many as 100,000 horses a year in the U.S. before it was effectively shut down by congressional action in 2007.
Advocates say the slaughterhouses could bring an economic boost to rural areas and give owners who no longer have the means or inclination to care for the horses an economical and humane way to dispose of them.
"We believe that humane processing is absolutely a moral and an ethical choice," said Sue Wallis, a Wyoming state lawmaker who organized the event.
Animal-rights supporters have been lobbying Congress for a ban on exporting horses for slaughter. They've had no success—but even if a ban did pass, some activists say, it would do little to ease suffering, as owners desperate to shed responsibility for their animals might simply abandon them to starve. Hiring a veterinarian to euthanize and dispose of a horse can cost hundreds of dollars. Horse-rescue groups take in some unwanted animals, but they don't have the resources to care for them all.
"Every day, I'm turning horses away. I feel like I'm playing God, because I have to pick and choose," said Whitney Wright, director of Hope for Horses, a rescue group in Asheville, N.C. She worked to shut down slaughterhouses but now would like to see a few reopen under strict guidelines for humane handling.
Read More
There is no doubt that there is an over-abundance of horses in this country. The availability of a domestic harvest facility would greatly reduce the suffering that is currently taking place. The Summit of the Horse is currently taking place where discussions about this very thing are taking place. While animal rights activists like to spend their time mocking those of us who raise livestock and provide food for this country, we are having the serious discussions that need to take place.
Showing posts with label abandoned horses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abandoned horses. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, October 5, 2009
Nebraska Lawmakers Discuss Horse Facility
Published Saturday October 3, 2009
Horse slaughterhouse debated
By Martha StoddardWORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN — Nebraska could rein in neglect and abandonment of horses and spur on economic development by welcoming a horse slaughterhouse to the state, a panel of lawmakers was told Friday.
Such a facility could give horse owners a way to deal with injured, dying or unaffordable animals, members of the Agriculture Committee heard.
“Slaughter is not pretty, but it is a humane, economical way for an owner to dispose of an unwanted horse,” said Debby Brehm, Nebraska director for the American Quarter Horse Association.
Banning horse slaughter has led to greater suffering for horses and to problems with people abandoning horses, she said.
Brehm told of friends who transported two horses to a local sale barn and took them inside, only to find that two other horses had been left in their trailer, abandoned.
Larry Henning, a Gretna veterinarian, said the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association supports humane slaughter and transport because there are few alternatives for unwanted and unusable horses.
“Death is not inhumane,” he said. “Starvation and neglect are.” Read More
As with many other states, Nebraska is dealing with many unwanted horses. Those against harvesting horses will say that it’s still happening as many horses are crossing our borders to be harvested thus proving that it doesn’t help. However, what they fail to comprehend is that that option has become cost prohibitive for many. People wouldn’t be abandoning their horses if they had some monetary value left. Opening a facility in the United States would help with this situation and it would also allow us to make sure that it’s being done correctly.
Horse slaughterhouse debated
By Martha StoddardWORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN — Nebraska could rein in neglect and abandonment of horses and spur on economic development by welcoming a horse slaughterhouse to the state, a panel of lawmakers was told Friday.
Such a facility could give horse owners a way to deal with injured, dying or unaffordable animals, members of the Agriculture Committee heard.
“Slaughter is not pretty, but it is a humane, economical way for an owner to dispose of an unwanted horse,” said Debby Brehm, Nebraska director for the American Quarter Horse Association.
Banning horse slaughter has led to greater suffering for horses and to problems with people abandoning horses, she said.
Brehm told of friends who transported two horses to a local sale barn and took them inside, only to find that two other horses had been left in their trailer, abandoned.
Larry Henning, a Gretna veterinarian, said the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association supports humane slaughter and transport because there are few alternatives for unwanted and unusable horses.
“Death is not inhumane,” he said. “Starvation and neglect are.” Read More
As with many other states, Nebraska is dealing with many unwanted horses. Those against harvesting horses will say that it’s still happening as many horses are crossing our borders to be harvested thus proving that it doesn’t help. However, what they fail to comprehend is that that option has become cost prohibitive for many. People wouldn’t be abandoning their horses if they had some monetary value left. Opening a facility in the United States would help with this situation and it would also allow us to make sure that it’s being done correctly.
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