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“AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E178 on Feb. 15, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT
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HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Chris Smith, Mr. Jones, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Lantos to introduce the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This bill will prevent the cruel and senseless slaughter of American horses simply to satisfy the culinary desires of consumers in Canada, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 55,776 horses were slaughtered in the United States last year for their meat, which was then sent overseas for human consumption. Thousands more were shipped live across the boarders to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there.
The American public is largely unaware that our horses are slaughtered for human consumption, and the three foreign-owned slaughterhouses operating on U.S. soil would like to keep it that way. As Canadian slaughterhouse operator Claude Bouvry said, ``People in the horse-meat industry don't like talking about slaughtering horses for food because of the horse's almost mythical place in Western culture.''
Horses have played an important role in American history, and continue to do so through their use in agriculture, transportation, law enforcement, military service and as companion animals. American culture is peppered with famous equines, including Paul Revere's Brown Beauty, General Robert E. Lee's Traveler, and General George Armstrong Custer's horse, Comanche--the sole surviving member of Custer's 7th Calvary at Little Big Horn. Other cultural icons of the equine persuasion include the Pony Express, the Lone Ranger's faithful mount Silver, Roy Rogers' Trigger, famed Triple Crown winners Citation and Secretariat, Flicka of My Friend Flicka and Mr. Ed, to name a few.
Pet horses, workhorses, thoroughbreds, Premarine foals (who are a byproduct of the female hormone replacement drug industry), old and unwanted horses, horses purchased under false pretences and federally protected wild horses go to slaughter. Most arrive at the slaughterhouse via livestock auctions where, often unknown to the seller, they are bought by middlemen working for the slaughter plants.
These so-called middlemen better known as ``killer buyers'' travel from one auction to the next collecting young, old, sick and healthy animals until their trucks are full. Some are shipped for more than 24 hours at a time without food, water or rest. Increasingly, stolen horses are included on the killer-buyers' trucks. As the article Horse Theft: A Victim's Story so aptly puts it ``Rustling horses is quick, profitable and dirty work. Most horse thieves swiftly unload their stolen animals at auction, where most of the creatures end up at slaughter.''
While the transport of horses to slaughter is itself horrific, callous handling at the slaughterhouse often results in additional suffering. Improper use of stunning equipment, designed to render the animal unconscious, means that horses sometimes endure repeated blows to the head, and remain conscious through the last stages of slaughter, including throat slitting.
There are human health reasons to be concerned about horse slaughter, too. Because they are not raised for food or fiber, the flesh of many horses going to slaughter is likely to be contaminated with medications and other substances unfit for human consumption.
Americans do not eat horses. We do not raise them for food. The vast majority of Americans, when told that our horses are being slaughtered for dinner in Europe, are horrified. In fact, a recent survey indicated that the American public would overwhelmingly support a ban on the slaughter of horses for human consumption.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is a strong bill, which will end the slaughter of our horses for human consumption for good, rather than simply sending the practice over the border. This bill has the support of the American public, the animal protection community, horse owners and prominent members of the horse industry. Mr. Speaker, as we enter the Year of the Horse I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important and long-overdue legislation.
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