(Washington, DC) – The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to welcome television sports personality and NBA insider Bonnie-Jill Laflin to AWI’s campaign to end horse slaughter. Bonnie-Jill — a member of the LA Lakers front office and the NBA’s first and only female scout — has been actively involved in the horse community her entire life. She will help AWI expand its efforts to educate the American public and Members of Congress about the continuing cruelty of horse slaughter.
”It is hard to fathom that we still permit the slaughter of American horses,” said Bonnie-Jill. “Horses are powerful and intelligent, and a symbol of American freedom and spirit — they deserve more respect. I’m anxious to partner with AWI to build support for protecting these graceful and amazing athletes.”
AWI began the national campaign to end horse slaughter in 2001, after witnessing the abuse of horses collected by killer-buyers at a livestock auction in Pennsylvania. Over the past decade, AWI has documented inhumane conditions at horse slaughter facilities and during horse transport throughout the U.S. and across the border. Although horse slaughter plants — operating in the U.S. as recently as 2007 — are dormant for now, the same numbers of American horses are being slaughtered. Sadly, the only thing that has changed is the location of the slaughterhouses — now across the border in Canada and Mexico.