Tag Archives: Animal Welfare Institute

Rescue/Protection Sources

Taking Action and Important Petition to White House against Horse Slaughter

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There are a number of ways for you to voice your opposition to horse slaughter and register your support for a permanent ban on this practice, including responding to AWI eAlerts, taking action through AWI’s Compassion Index at www.compassionindex.org and calling the offices of your Members of Congress.

I wanted to let you know that the Obama administration has created a new petition website where citizens can communicate with the White House on issues that matter to them.  If a petition gets 5,000 signatures within a month of being posted, White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue a formal response.

The petition, https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/support-ban-horse-slaughter/q30gJg1k, was posted on September 23, 2011 asking for the Administration’s support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which was recently introduced in the Senate, S. 1176, and the House, H.R. 2966.  In order for the White House to respond, 5,000 signatures are needed by October 23, 2011.

Supporters of horse slaughter have also posted their own petition so it’s important that we speak up to protect our horses from this torturous treatment by those who seek to profit from their misery.  Thank you for taking action on their behalf.

CHRISTOPHER J. HEYDE
Deputy Director, Government and Legal Affairs
ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
T: (202) 446-2142 ~ F: (202) 446-2131
www.awionline.org
www.compassionindex.org

The Animal Welfare Institute has been working to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by humans since 1951.

Please join us in our work to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI eAlerts: www.awionline.org.

Rescue/Protection Sources

Protect America’s Horses and Promote Responsible Government!

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Please tell your Senators to Support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Turn on the news and much of what you will hear from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. is “cut federal spending,” “stop wasteful federal programs,” or “decrease federal regulation.”  For those truly interested in cutting waste, we have a winning issue: banning horse slaughter.  Not only does the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176) help end the abuse of over 100,000 American horses being hauled to and slaughtered in Mexico and Canada for human consumption, but this bill would also eliminate a federal program while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year.

Amazingly, however, while some in Congress talk about cuts, a few of the same politicians are quietly trying to restore a USDA program that was eliminated six years ago.  At the time Congress shut this program down, it was costing taxpayers $5 million a year, almost exclusively for the benefit of foreign interests.  Restoring it now would cost much more — and require an increase in federal bureaucracy to boot.  It is time for the American people to stand up for horses while taking  a stand against those in Congress working both sides of the issue when it comes to federal spending.

Contact your Senators TODAY in support of S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.  For more background on the issue and the legislation, please visit www.awionline.org/horseslaughter.

What You Can Do:
Call both of your Senators today and urge them to help end horse slaughter, while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year, by cosponsoring S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Continue reading Protect America’s Horses and Promote Responsible Government! →

Breeds, Rescue/Protection Sources

Managing for Extinction: Shortcomings of BLM’s National Wild Horse & Burro Program Available

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The Animal Welfare Institute’s updated report on the state of America’s wild horses is now available. If you would like a copy you can click on the link below or if you would like to order a large number of the booklets please email directly with your request.

http://www.awionline.org/ht/d/ContentDetails/id/2646/pid/2456

Managing for Extinction: Shortcomings of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Program

An overview of the BLM’s failure to properly manage these symbols of the American West, 2011, 30 pages.

Executive Summary

A government program biased against the very animals it is designed to protect threatens today’s wild horses and burros. Our national Wild Horse and Burro Program and related federal lands management policies are so flawed that the long-term survival of these animals is in serious jeopardy, as is the health of public lands on which they reside. The federal agencies assigned management authority for the program, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the US Department of the Interior and the US Forest Service (USFS) in the US Department of Agriculture, have lost sight of their legal mandate to “protect” wild horses and burros. Instead, agency officials have focused almost exclusively on accommodating livestock and other commercial uses – at the expense of the welfare of wild horses and burros. This report will demonstrate that:

Continue reading Managing for Extinction: Shortcomings of BLM’s National Wild Horse & Burro Program Available →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Senator Kirk Introduces Bill to End Inhumane Transport of Horses on Double Deck Trailers

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Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2011) – Late Monday night, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 (S. 1281) to ban double deck trailer transportation of horses in the United States. Senator Kirk has worked to end the use of double deck transports for hauling horses since serving in the House of Representatives, following a horrific double deck trailer accident that took place in his state.

“Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is elated that Senator Kirk has chosen to reassert his strong commitment to the issue since his election to the Senate last year,” said Christine Sequenzia, federal policy advisor at AWI. “Humane horse transportation is one of our top priorities and we felt that committee passage of a standalone bill during the 111th Congress was an important step forward.  We now look forward to seeing the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 signed into law.”

Double deck livestock trailers on the road today were built to meet the specific design and engineering requirements of short-necked livestock species, like cattle, sheep, and swine.  Unfortunately, a few irresponsible haulers have used these trailers against manufacturer intent to transport horses, leading to inhumane travel conditions for equines and unsafe roadways for drivers.  The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the National Agriculture Safety Database (NASD) have recommended ceiling heights no lower than 7’-8’ to transport horses safely, while average double deck trailer ceiling heights range from 4’7”-5‘11”.  The U.S. Department of Transportation only requires bridges to have a vertical clearance of 14′ in both rural and urban areas, making it impractical to build or modify a trailer large enough to transport equines on two levels.

“Besides being an inhumane way to transport horses, double-deck trailers pose a major safety threat to the drivers of the imbalanced, oversized vehicles, as well as to other motorists,” said Senator Kirk. “Unfortunately, crashes due to these factors have occurred, and the results of the accidents are devastating. Following an accident in 2007 in Wadsworth, Ill., authorities worked for five hours before they were able to free the horses from the wreckage.”

Continue reading Senator Kirk Introduces Bill to End Inhumane Transport of Horses on Double Deck Trailers →

Rescue/Protection Sources

GAO Study Wastes Time and Tax Dollars

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Washington, D.C. (June 27, 2011) – After almost two years and tens of thousands of tax dollars, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its report, HORSE WELFARE:  Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter with two conflicting conclusions: restore horse slaughter or ban horse slaughter.  Really?

The GAO was given the responsibility of assessing horse welfare from 2007 forward following the closure of the last three foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in the U.S.  However, and vital to understanding horse welfare, the GAO was not asked to consider the impact slaughter had on America’s horses while plants were operating in the U.S. or what it would be like for the horses if restored. In the end, one of two contradictory recommendations was to ban slaughter in the U.S. and the export of horses for the same purposes (what the Animal Welfare Institute has said for years).

In addition to this being the best alternative for the horses, this will also virtually eliminate any regulatory burden whatsoever to the USDA.  In this time of economic strife, it is ludicrous to expend taxpayer dollars to benefit a few foreign investors (whether the plants are located in the U.S. or abroad).  The only way to stop the abuse inflicted on American horses by the slaughter industry is for Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, banning horse slaughter domestically and prohibiting the export of horses to Mexico and Canada.

Continue reading GAO Study Wastes Time and Tax Dollars →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Act Now to Stop American Horses from Being Slaughtered in the U.S. and Abroad!

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Contact Your Senator Today!

On June 9, 2011, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reintroduced S. 1176, the “American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011” that would end the slaughter of American horses here and – most urgently – would stop these horses from being exported for slaughter. The sponsors, who have long championed the cause, have bipartisan support from 16 colleagues who are co-sponsoring the bill. This bill is identical to the version that passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee in 2009.

Click here <http://capwiz.com/compassionindex/issues/alert/?alertid=50698776> to send an email to you Senators urging them to support this important bill.

Thanks for your continued commitment to America’s horses!

CHRIS HEYDE
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003

www.awionline.org ~ www.compassionindex.org

Facebook: <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Welfare-Institute/11601155278> ~ Twitter: <http://twitter.com/AWIOnline>

The Animal Welfare Institute has been working to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by humans since 1951.

Please join us in our work to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI eAlerts: www.awionline.org.

Rescue/Protection Sources

Amendment to Restore Horse Slaughter Not Considered by Full House

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Earlier today on the House floor, Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) offered an amendment to strike the prohibition on fee-for-service in the defund language.  This would have allowed for slaughterhouses to pay the USDA for part of their inspections and resume operation.  She claimed people should be able to pay for their own inspections and it wouldn’t cost taxpayers anything.  Of course, that isn’t true.  Individuals wouldn’t be paying for these inspections, the foreign owned plants would.  Furthermore, even a fee-for-service program costs federal tax dollars.  The slaughterhouses would only pay a small portion of the USDA inspector’s salary.  The taxpayer would pay most of their salary, benefits, training, etc…  As horse welfare champion Representative Jim Moran noted in his speech in opposition to the amendment on the floor, it would also pull critical inspectors away from our own food safety oversight. Fee-for-service is basically another taxpayer subsidy for corporations.

After debate on her amendment was concluded, Representative Lummis withdrew it from consideration and the House moved on to the next item on the agenda. We can be assured horse slaughter proponents are not going away on this issue.  Their arguments persist and have become very emotional therefore horse owners and those concerned about the welfare of America’s horses must continue to contact their legislators in support of a permanent ban on horse slaughter.

Thankfully, Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN) were on the floor to talk about overwhelming support for the full ban.  AWI commends them for their continued leadership on this important issue.

To view this eAlert online, please visit: http://www.awionline.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/42301/pid/11187.

Sincerely,
Chris Heyde
Deputy Director, Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute
www.awionline.org

Rescue/Protection Sources

URGENT eALERT: Calls Needed TODAY in Support of Keeping Federal Government Out of Horse Slaughter Business!

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June 13, 2011 – This week, the House of Representatives will decide whether or not to save taxpayer dollars and protect horses from slaughter for human consumption.

On May 30th, the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill that prevents your tax dollars from being used to fund inspections of horse slaughter facilities.  This bipartisan language has been included in every Agriculture Appropriations bill since 2005.  Without this important provision, foreign investors will be able to reestablish horse slaughter in the U.S. at the expense of taxpayers, our own food safety, and the welfare of horses.

At a time when Congress is dramatically cutting back federal spending and eliminating wasteful federal programs, it is disappointing that some in Congress want to allow the reestablishment of a taxpayer-subsidized federal program that existed solely to support foreign-owned horse slaughter facilities that inflicted tremendous suffering on American horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The full House of Representatives will vote on the FY12 Agriculture Appropriations bill this Wednesday, June 15.  An amendment may be offered to remove the Committee-approved language prohibiting the USDA from spending your tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities.  Maintaining the USDA language defunding inspections of horse slaughter facilities as currently included is vital to protecting our horses.  It is critical that you call TODAY and urge your legislator to strongly OPPOSE ANY amendment to restore horse slaughter.

Continue reading URGENT eALERT: Calls Needed TODAY in Support of Keeping Federal Government Out of Horse Slaughter Business! →

Rescue/Protection Sources

Senate Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Ban Horse Slaughter

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Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2011) – A bill to ban horse slaughter was reintroduced in the United States Senate today. Sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the “American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011″ will end the slaughter of American horses here and, most urgently, will stop these horses from being exported abroad for slaughter. The sponsors, who have long championed the cause, have the bipartisan support of 14 colleagues who are co-sponsoring the bill.

“As a lifelong horse lover and rider, this practice is appalling to me, and more importantly, the majority of Americans oppose it.  We raise and train horses to trust us, perform for us, and allow us on their backs, and as such, they deserve to be treated with human compassion.  When horse owners are faced with the sad reality of having to put their animals down, it should be by humane euthanasia,” said Senator Landrieu. “I intend to work with Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and my other colleagues to get this bill passed and permanently end the slaughter of our American horses.”

The legislation comes at a time when horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil, but each year approximately 100,000 American horses are hauled to Canada, Mexico and beyond. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious. This country’s three remaining horse slaughter plants – two in Texas and one in Illinois – were shut down in 2007 under state law.

Continue reading Senate Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Ban Horse Slaughter →

Rescue/Protection Sources

House Appropriations Committee Approves Amendment Blocking Tax Dollars from Being Used to Continue Horse Slaughter

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Washington, D.C. (May 31, 2011) — In yet another resounding victory for America’s horses, the House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of language sponsored by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) prohibiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture from spending tax dollars on inspecting horse slaughter facilities. The language, originally passed into law back in 2005, has halted horse slaughter operations for years, but for some reason, was not included in the current Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations bill approved by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee late last week.

“The Animal Welfare Institute commends Representative Jim Moran for his introduction of the amendment restoring this important language before the full Committee,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI.  “Representative Moran and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) spoke strongly about the need for this amendment while pointing out now is not the time to start spending tax dollars to prop up a foreign owned and driven industry that prays on the suffering of American horses.”

While the amendment was approved by the House Appropriations Committee, AWI will remain vigilant to ensure horse slaughter proponents do not try other tactics to have it removed as the bill makes its way to the full House for a vote or even in the Senate when the time comes.

For more information:
Chris Heyde, 202-446-2142