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equine welfare allianceLobby Group Will Urge Congress to Fund Export of Tainted Horse MeatJuly 31, 2010 – CHICAGO, (EWA) – The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) has passed a resolution calling for the reinstatement of USDA inspectors for horse meat. The NCSL is a non-governmental lobbyist organization which serves the nation’s 50 states legislators to advocate and lobby for the interests of states before Congress and federal agencies. The resolutions NCSL passes are not binding and merely allow them to lobby on behalf of the states. Representative Sue Wallis (WY), who is vice chair of the NCSL’s Agriculture and Energy Committee, went on record asking that she be allowed to slaughter horses to feed Wyoming children, the poor and prison inmates without having the meat federally inspected for consumer safety. The Wyoming livestock board responded quickly by stating in no uncertain terms that “horse slaughter is not an option.” The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) strongly opposes the misuse of tax payer dollars to fund inspections for an industry that is not needed or wanted by the overwhelming majority of Americans. How Do You Make 2000 Horses Disappear? Let BLM Manage Them.July 27, 2010 – CHICAGO, (EWA) – As controversy swirls over the aggressive removal of horses from the range by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a more fundamental question has arisen over what is happening to the horses it already has in holding. Over the past several years, equine advocates have been scrutinizing the BLM’s horse population counts. Once again, the numbers don’t add up to their claims. The BLM doesn’t make it easy to track horses being removed from the range or residing in short and long term holding. The taxpayers who pay for the removals and the subsequent care are not allowed to view the horses under the well worn excuse that they are being held on “private property”. Consequently, there are no checks and balances to verify information being reported. It also raises a salient question. With 262 million mostly vacant acres under its control, why on earth is a federal agency such as the BLM wasting taxpayer’s money to lease private property? Second Slaughter Mouthpiece Installed to Head “Unwanted” Horse CoalitionJuly 5, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – The recent appointment of Dr. Douglas Corey to the top spot of the Washington lobby group, The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), has made their loudly proclaimed stance of being neutral on the contentious issue of horse slaughter difficult to swallow. Corey follows Dr. Tom Lenz, former head of American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Both Lenz and Corey pull no punches on their enthusiastic support of horse slaughter. The two veterinarians with close ties to animal agriculture refer to horse slaughter as an end-of-life option that is needed. Regrettably, with the UHC parent group, The American Horse Council, this front for unscrupulous breeders and the meat industry, often has the ear of Congress and is considered a respected and respectable humanitarian organization. The daring hypocrisy of both organizations is stunning and Corey’s own words prove it. Few equine rescue organizations are members of the UHC, shunning the prohibitive cost of membership to join. Rescue groups, dependent upon donations, would prefer to spend their funds on feed and hay. EU & Canada Poised to Accomplish What US Congress Should Have Done: Ban Horse SlaughterJune 29, 2010 – CHICAGO, (EWA) – Since the 107th Congress (2001), equine welfare advocates across the country have been trying to get elected officials to pass legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses. Polls have consistently shown that the legislation has the support of 70% of Americans, but without fail the bills have been stalled, blocked with secret holds, and left off the legislative calendars. Now it appears the European Union (EU) and Canada may stop horse slaughter before Congress. Strict new traceability requirements will go into effect July 31st, for all horses slaughtered for consumption in the EU. Additionally, the EU is poised to require Country of Origin labeling of all meat. And finally, the EU has begun investigating inhumane slaughter practices in Mexico. Despite President Obama’s promise to not allow lobbyists to run the country and his support of a horse slaughter ban when he was in the Senate, the agricultural special interests have continually been allowed to prevent the legislation from moving forward. Public records reveal donations from special interest groups to the legislators blocking the bills. “When it comes to stopping the slaughter of horses, clearly money talks,” commented Equine Welfare Alliance’s (EWA) John Holland. 2010 Not a Good Year for Horse Slaughter ProponentsMay 17, 2010 – CHICAGO, (EWA) – Equine Welfare Alliance and Animal Law Coalition applaud the grass roots efforts in 2010 that have resulted in a series of political defeats for those who want to bring horse slaughter back to the United States. Of course, commercial horse slaughter for human consumption remains illegal in the U.S. and no state law can change that. Nonetheless, proponents of the cruel practice have tried to use state legislatures to try to convince Americans to bring horse slaughter back to the U.S. In Missouri, for example, a bill, H.B. 1747, introduced by state Rep. James Viebrock, purported to allow the state to register and license and even provide inspections for horse slaughter facilities. There was even talk of building a horse slaughter plant in a small town in the state. Hardin Montana Says No Thanks to Horse Slaughter PlantApril 26, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – Montana Representative Ed Butcher’s plan of building a horse slaughter plant in Hardin, MT has ended. The city of Hardin unanimously passed Ordinance No. 2010-01 that amends the current zoning ordinance to prohibit the slaughter of more than 25 animals in a seven day period. The action effectively bars the building of a slaughter plant in Hardin. Mayor Kimberly A. Hammond provided the following statement to Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA). “I have no deluded thoughts or feelings about the need for proper disposal or care of unwanted horses. As Mayor of a small city, it is my responsibility to make information available to our public, especially when it concerns public safety, health, and how their tax dollars are being spent. European Horse Meat Imports Crumbling under Continuing RevelationsApril 20, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – After years of operating in the shadows, EU horse meat importers have recently been caught in the glare of a seemingly endless series of investigative stories. The most recent blow came with the release of a report issued by GAIA, a respected Belgium animal welfare organization in partnership with Animals’ Angels USA. Aired by three major news stations, the report began with a question; “Do they [consumers] really know where it comes from?” The industry has long marketed both North American and South American horse meat as a “healthy alternative” to beef and pork. The ads and websites claim the horses were raised on pristine pastures and lived stress free lives. The GAIA report revealed the real origin of the horses and the treatment they receive. The undercover footage followed horses from farm to slaughter plant, documenting their torment at every stage. At one point a horse jammed into an overcrowded trailer has its leg caught in the tailgate as the truck pulls away. In the Spirit of Compromise: Equine Advocate Drops LawsuitApril 15, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – Laura Leigh, artist, wild horse advocate and Subject Matter Expert for the Equine Welfare Alliance, in a gesture of support for the concept of cooperative dialogue, dropped her lawsuit against Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) last week. “Conversations with both Gene Seidlitz of the BLM’s Winnemucca district and Paul Steblein of Sheldon NWR lead me to the decision to show my support for the type of dialogue possible here and drop my legal action. I do however expect to have continued contact with both of these individuals as this process moves from theory to reality.” Leigh’s attorney, Gordan Cowan of Reno, Nevada, said, “This was a ‘feel good,’ heartfelt issue that made me proud to have followed it through on a pro bono basis.” Leading Horse Slaughter Proponent Calls Undercover Video a FabricationApril 9, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) recently released hidden camera footage from an investigation that took place at the two largest horse slaughter plants in Canada, Bouvry Exports and Viande Richelieu. So horrific are the conditions depicted at both plants that they have prompted Bill desBarres, Chairman of the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC) and a long time proponent of horse slaughter, to declare he believes the footage was fabricated by groups opposed to “any animal agriculture”. Bill desBarres and his organization have repeatedly praised the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and its inspectors for their diligence in assuring that horses are treated humanely at the slaughter plants and his organization lists the CFIA as a “resource partner” on their web site. The Horse Welfare Alliance appears to be nothing more than a front for the horse slaughter industry. Contaminated Horse Meat a Health Risk, According to StudyApril 2, 2010 – CHICAGO (EWA) – A peer reviewed scientific study tracing race horses sent to slaughter for human consumption has found that 100% of the horses in the study group had been administered phenylbutazone, a banned carcinogen that can also fatally damage the bone marrow of humans. The findings appear to validate the European Union’s recent tightening of traceability requirements on horse meat from third countries. The paper, titled Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, appeared in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology and calls into question the reliability of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) testing programs which have consistently failed to detect the substance. The manuscript[1], which was authored by Drs. Nicholas Dodman[2], Nicolas Blondeau[3] and Ann M. Marini[4], followed eighteen Thoroughbred (TB) race horses that were identified by matching their registered name to their race track drug record over a five year period and were given phenylbutazone (PBZ, Bute) on race day and were subsequently sent to slaughter for human consumption. |
