Purpose: This bill would prohibit the trade and transport of live horses intended for human consumption as well as banning the actual slaughter of horses for human consumption.
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Status: Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Committee hearings held.
Action: SUPPORT. Please contact your Representative and urge him/her to support H.R. 503. Tell your Representative that horses are companion animals that have shaped American history and they should be protected from slaughter. Horses sent to slaughter are treated with extreme cruelty, which can include transportation over long distances in double-deck trailers. In addition, because horses are not raised as food animals, their meat can contain chemicals that are dangerous for humans to consume.
Talking Points for your letter:
- If enacted into law, H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption as well as the trade and transport of horseflesh and live horses intended for human consumption.
- Today in the United States many horses, whether former companion animals or racing horses, face the agony of slaughter for food. It is estimated that the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry has slaughtered and exported for human consumption 3 million American horses during the last two decades. Some of the horses slaughtered in these plants have been hauled more than one thousand miles over several days, contrary to acceptable non-slaughter standards for water, food, and rest. Horses sent to slaughter often are shipped on crowded double-deck trailers designed for shorter-necked species such as pigs, cattle and sheep. As a result, horses transported in this manner are forced to travel in a bent position, which can result in suffering and injury.
- At the slaughterhouse, horses can endure repeated blows to the head with stunning equipment that does not render the animals unconscious. Some horses proceed while they are still conscious through the remaining stages of slaughter.
- In addition to the animal welfare concerns, there are human health concerns associated with horse slaughter. Because horses in America are not raised as food animals, veterinarians prescribe and treat horses with potent drugs that may reside in the horseflesh. These drugs could be dangerous if consumed by humans.
- Horses have played a significant role in the history and culture of the United States. As companion and recreational animals, horses should be protected from slaughter.