California passed laws against horse slaughter, but these laws did not prevent the shipment of live horses to three slaughterhouses that remained elsewhere in the United States and across the borders of Canada and Mexico. Once butchered, the horses' meat was then shipped to Europe and Asia for human consumption.
Until 2007, there were two horse slaughterhouses in Texas and one in Illinois, where most of the horses went for slaughter. Laws were recently passed that have shut them down, but horses are now exported in greater numbers than before to Canada and Mexico, where slaughter methods are even more inhumane than they were in the U.S., and now horses must endure even longer truck transport to their horrific fate.
Rescue groups across the nation are going to auctions in Canada and the U.S. to outbid the "killer buyers," who are cheaply snatching up these unwanted horses for slaughter. Rescues also network with each other to move horses to where there is room and to hopefully rehabilitate them and adopt them out to loving homes. Nevertheless, all the rescue groups combined cannot keep pace with the thousands of surplus horses at risk for auction and slaughter.
Canyon Creek Farm is dedicated to rescuing mares and foals from Canada. These are surplus horses from the PMU industry (pregnant mare's urine) for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' female hormone drug Premarin. When no longer needed, the mares and foals are taken to auction where the killer buyers go to acquire horses for slaughter within Canada. Groups from California and nationwide go to Canada to rescue these unwanted mares and foals or have others transport them to safe haven in the U.S.
This is why you will see rescue farms saving horses from slaughter today in California and throughout the United States. Until the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (currently before Congress) is passed (if it is passed), prohibiting the sale and transport of horses for slaughter, horses continue to be slaughtered for the meat industry.
URGENT LATEST NEWS!!!!!
Horse Slaughter Update!!!
Hearing for the American Horses
Great strides have been taken to prevent the annual slaughter of nearly 100,000 horses in the United States for human consumption abroad -- but we are not there yet. We know we've asked you to take action before, but now we need your help more than ever to permanently move horses beyond the reach of slaughterhouse butchers.
Because the Congressional funding limitation barring the USDA inspections
for horse slaughter expires in September 2007, we need Congress to
pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 and S. 311) to
settle the matter permanently. This legislation will also prohibit the
export of live horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.
PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST YEAR:
March 29, 2007-
A federal district court ordered the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to stop inspecting horsemeat at the Cavel International
slaughter plant, effectively closing the last operating horse slaughtering
operation in the United States.
March 21, 2007 -
A committee of the Illinois legislature approves
legislation to ban horse slaughter by a vote of 8-4.
March 20, 2007 -
The HSUS files a notice of intent to sue the Cavel horse
slaughter house in DeKalb, Ill. for dozens of violations of the Clean Water
Act.
February 14, 2007 -
Legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses
nationwide, S. 311 and H.R. 503, is introduced by Sens. Mary Landrieu
(D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Reps. Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Ed
Whitfield (R-Ky.), John Spratt (D-S.C.) and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.).
January 19, 2007 -
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholds a
1949 Texas state law barring the sale of horsemeat for human consumption in
that state. Appeals from the slaughter houses were rejected on March 5.
September 7, 2006 -
U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 503, the
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, by a vote of 263-146. The 109th
Congress adjourns before the Senate can consider the bill.
February 14, 2006 -
The HSUS and other animal welfare groups and residents
file suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,
challenging the USDA "fee-for-service" rule.
February 7, 2006 -
USDA announces its intention to circumvent the
Congressional funding limitation by implementing a "fee-for-service" rule to
continue inspections of horsemeat.
November 10, 2005 -
President Bush signs the Agriculture Appropriations Bill
for Fiscal Year 2006, including a funding limitation on horsemeat
inspections. The horse slaughter provision is scheduled to take effect 120
days later.
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TAKE ACTION
Please make a short polite phone call to your U.S. Representative today. You can reach your federal legislators by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Making a call is easy. All you need to say is:
"I am a constituent and I am calling to ask that the Representative cosponsor H.R. 503 and vote to support this legislation when it comes to the floor. I am very concerned about American horses and don't want them slaughtered."
