Call for the immediate closure of Canada’s horse slaughter plants
March 29, 2010
In late February 2010, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) received hidden camera footage of horse slaughter practices at Quebecs Viandes Richelieu and Albertas Bouvry Exports – the latter known as North Americas largest exporter of horsemeat.
The CHDC has asked a panel of veterinarians, the BC SPCA and the World Society for the Protection of Animals to review the footage, which contains numerous instances of improper stunning and horses showing signs of returning consciousness.
Early audit results of the footage show automatic failures of both facilities.
As there are only two government-approved methods of stunning horses in Canada – captive bolt gun and rifle – and both methods have been shown to cause prolonged suffering in numerous horses, we conclude that these animals cannot be slaughtered humanely in todays slaughterhouse assembly lines.
The CHDC therefore calls for the immediate closure of Canada’s horse slaughter plants.
WARNING this is very graphic and contains content that is inappropriate for some users.
Richelieu: 3 part series on YouTube Hidden camera footage of horse slaughter practices at Quebecs Viandes Richelieu and Albertas Bouvry Exports
These videos are especially to the people who think slaughter is the best choice for all the “unwanted horses.” If you can watch this, or maybe not, you will understand the need to help these “unwanted horses.” We can not stand by while horses must face this type of torture everyday, horses that are beautiful, talented, wanted somewhere by someone loving, and that if we can help in even some little way we will.
Help Keep Horse Slaughter Out of the US
June 1, 2009
In 2007, a hard-earned victory for horses in the U.S. was achieved: state-level legislation succeeded in shutting down the nation’s last three horse slaughterhouses. These foreign-owned businesses, located in Texas and Illinois, were economically draining, environmentally damaging and treated animals with exceptional cruelty. The owners paid no export taxes and little in income taxes.
Unfortunately, pro-horse slaughter legislation is on the rise. State governments all over the country are considering offering special protections, tax breaks and other incentives for horse meat processing plants to open.
Pro-slaughter legislation introduced this year includes:
- Montana: In early May, MT passed a law to allow investor-owned horse slaughter plants to operate and prohibit courts from granting injunctions to stop or delay their construction.
- Tennessee: State Rep. Frank S. Niceley has proposed amending a bill that has nothing to do with horse slaughter with language to pave the way for the construction of a horse slaughterhouse.
- North Dakota: The Legislature and Governor Hoeven have approved a bill to spend $50,000 of taxpayer money to study the feasibility of opening a horse slaughter facility.
You can help keep horse slaughter out of the U.S. for good by urging Congress to vote for the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. This federal bill will criminalize the purchase, sale, delivery, or export of horses and horse meat intended for human consumption. If passed, it will override any state efforts to legalize horse slaughter for human consumption. Please help us fight for passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.
NEWS FLASH
All three slaughter plants have closed in the U.S., however, more horses than ever are being shipped across the borders to Canada and Mexico. Mexico slaughter is up over 383%!! Please help pass the laws to end the transportation of U.S. horses across the borders!!!!
New Congress Begins with New Opportunities to Help Horses Legislators Must Act Quickly on Reintroduced Bills
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Reintroduced
January 17, 2007
Dear Humanitarian:
Following tremendous momentum on the movement to ban horse slaughter achieved in the House last session, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) has been reintroduced in both chambers of the new 110th Congress.
Giving the House a chance to renew its support for the only legislation that will ban all horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States and the transport of horses abroad to meet the same fate, Representative Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Representative John Spratt (D-SC) have again introduced the bill as H.R. 503. Additionally, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator and veterinarian John Ensign (R-NV) have reintroduced the AHSPA in the Senate (the bill number will be posted on the SAPL website when it becomes available), with the support of many of their colleagues from both parties. Last summer, the House approved the AHSPA overwhelmingly, but the session ended before the Senate could vote on the measure.
The AHSPA sponsors have worked tirelessly toward the bill’s enactment and are moving quickly to ensure it receives a vote as soon as possible. The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have consistently demonstrated strong, bipartisan support for putting an end to the cruel horse slaughter industry in our country. In fact, legislators have voted five times on measures to end the slaughter of wild and domestic horses.
Just last year, over 100,000 American horses were killed in the three remaining foreign-owned US slaughterhouses and shipped abroad to Europe and Japan for human consumption. Every week Congress fails to act on this important bill means that thousands of American horses will continue to suffer terribly.
Chairman of House Natural Resources Committee Steps up for Wild Horses
In addition, we are pushing for a vote on a bill to stop the commercial exploitation and slaughter of wild horses. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rahall and Representative Whitfield have reintroduced H.R. 249 – first considered in the last session – to repeal the 2004 “Burns rider” and restore the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act to its original language.
The American public and over 500 organizations from the humane community, a majority of horse industry organizations and veterinarians all back support our effort to end to the slaughter of America’s horses. We will continue to fight for horses until they are all protected.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please call, fax or email your Representative and both Senators today, urging their co-sponsorship of the AHSPA (H.R. 503/Senate bill number to be announced soon). Ask your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 249 at the same time.
To find your legislators, please visit www.compassionindex.org. For facts and additional information on both bills to include in your calls and letters, please visit www.awionline.org/content/horses.
Additionally, please share this eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their Representatives, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!
Sincerely, Cathy Liss Legislative Director www.saplonline.org www.compassionindex.org
Please urge your Representatives to cosponsor these bills. (Find a Senator www.capitol.state.tx.us/Members/Members.aspx?Chamber=S, find a Representative http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/).
H.R. 503 – The Purpose of the Act
- Prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption
- Prohibit the sale, possession and trade of horse flesh for human consumption
- Prohibit the sale, possession and trade of live horses for slaughter for human consumption (to read more on the bill http://thomas.loc.gov)
Cavel has now opened a new slaughter plant in Canada!!
About Cavel International Cavel Int’l is a subsidiary of the Belgian company Velda Group, burned down in 2002 and in spite of the strong nationwide opposition to the reopening of this slaughterhouse, as of June 9th, 2004 its doors opened for business. Their goal is to slaughter 100 horses a day. The bill to ban horse slaughter in Illinois sponsored by Rep. Bob Molaro (D-Chicago) failed after Cavel lobbyists successfully persuaded Representatives that were supporting the bill to back out at the last minute and vote for the reopening of the Cavel slaughterhouse. I personally wonder how many thousands of dollars it took to convince those Representatives to betray the wishes of the people and to betray our horses.
Has Cavel Int’l paved the road for this one to open next? Central Nebraska Packing North Platte NE 1
Who is betraying the horses?
AQHA is pro slaughter! “AQHA is not just a breed registry; it’s an organization that connects people with American Quarter Horses so they can build a lifestyle around their horses. Everyone’s American Quarter Horse lifestyle is different because of the activities of disciplines in which they participate with their horse. Those lifestyles and the diverse abilities of the American Quarter Horse are what America’s Horse highlight…”
When the AQHA speaks of “everyone’s lifestyle as being different because of the activities and disciplines in which they participate” does this also include horse slaughter? A question asked by Lydia F. Gray, DVM Executive Director for Hooved Animal Humane Society, and a question we should all ask ourselves.
Other groups supporting horse slaughter American Horse Council – ACH AAEP American Veterinary Medical Association American Quarter Horse Association
More letters: Under www.kaufmanzoning.net/horsemeat/RoanokeTimes08192004.htm
…back to the main Horse Slaughter page.
