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(LMA this week received the following update on the horse slaughter issue from the Common Horse Sense coalition. The coalition is composed of dozens of industry groups, and others, fighting attempts to ban horse slaughter in the U.S. The update indicates the action you can take to join in the battle.)

Many of you have written to us over the past few weeks requesting an update on the state of the horse processing industry and to ask us what you can do to help. Look no further than this e-mail. We’re going to bring you up to speed and ask you to take action — so read on.

Several events during the early part of this year have contributed to a halt in operations at the three horse processing plants in the U.S: Dallas Crown, Inc. (Kaufman, TX), Beltex Corp. (Fort Worth, TX) and Cavel International (Dekalb, IL).

Update:

1. Texas: 5th circuit ruling, appeal & state legislation
2. Illinois: Humane Society of the United States intent to file suit & state legislation
3. Federal: U.S. Congress & U.S. Court of Appeals Ruling

1. Texas

In January, an opinion issued by a panel of three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals halted operations at the two Texas-based horse processing plants. The court ruled that a 1949 Texas law, which banned the slaughter of horses for human consumption illegal, was still in effect.

The plants appealed the ruling on the basis of the difference between the intent of that law, and the way it was being misapplied by animal rights groups in Washington today. At the time the law was created, packing houses in Texas were being accused of adulterating beef products with horse meat.

The 5th circuit rejected the appeal, but the fight is far from over. The plants still have the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court. In addition, with the support of an alliance of agriculture groups in Texas, state legislators have introduced a bill in Texas that would amend the 1949 law in a way that would allow the plants to continue operating.

2. Illinois

While Texas agriculture groups are backing a bill that would allow the plants in that state to continue operations, animal rights groups in Illinois are busy pushing legislation that would ban horse slaughter in Illinois. If successful, the legislation would force Cavel International, based in Dekalb Illinois, out of business. The legislation has already passed in the House and is pending in the Senate.

3. Federal: U.S. Congress & U.S. Court of Appeals Ruling

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act [H.R. 503 and S. 311] (S. 1915 last year in the 109th Congress) was reintroduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (the 110th Congress) earlier this year. Last year, the bill passed in the House but did not come up for a vote in the Senate. So now animal rights groups are focusing their efforts on pressuring the Senate to act. We anticipate some Senate action on this bill in the coming days and weeks. It will be important for all of us to contact our Senators and Representatives on this issue ASAP. For more information on specific steps on how you can help, read on.

In late March, a federal appeals court blocked USDA from providing horsemeat inspections for a fee. Because all meat for human consumption must be inspected by USDA, the ruling shut down the last operational horse processing plant (the two in Texas had already halted operations because of the ruling on the Texas state law).

We know that many of you have different reasons for opposing a ban on horse slaughter, but the primary question being asked in Washington is “What’s really best for horse welfare?” Our adversaries try to use that argument against us, but in reality, we have the upper hand. Without the option for federally supervised humane euthanasia that the plants provide for unwanted horses, local municipalities are already beginning to see horses being abandoned and increased reports in horse neglect. In addition, the number of horses being exported to Mexico for slaughter has MORE THAN DOUBLED during the first three months of this year as compared to the same time period last year. If the horse processing plants continue to be barred from operating, things are only going to get worse for the nation’s unwanted horses. But with your help, we hope to make this only a temporary disturbance — not a permanent ban.

TAKE ACTION!

Write or call your legislators – your Representatives and your Senators. Here are links to help you quickly reach them:
Representatives: www.house.gov/writerep
Senators: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

• PRIORITY: Members of the Senate Committee on Science, Commerce & Transportation especially need to hear from you. We expect this committee will turn its attention to S. 311 later this month. Even if your home district isn’t represented by one of the members on this committee, they still need to hear from you! Click here for information on contacting this committee: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
• Be explicit in indicating your stance on the issue. Correspondence from some Members of Congress suggests they don’t understand that their constituents are AGAINST legislation that would ban horse slaughter. State up front in your letters and emails “Vote ‘NO’ on HR 503 OR S 311,” or “I urge you to vote AGAINST The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.” Then tell them why you believe it’s bad legislation (we’ve provided some points below if you want help getting started).
• Encourage any organizations or clubs you’re involved with to write to Congress as well. Although many coalition organizations and individuals sent letters last year, the new Congress needs to hear from everyone again.
• Please copy us on all your correspondence efforts to legislators at info@commonhorsesense.com. It helps us keep track of our progress and where we need to focus efforts in the future.

Ask your representatives to consider the following…

1. Horse slaughter is an important issue, and I urge you to vote AGAINST H.R. 503 and S. 311, for many reasons. But I also do not want this issue on any legislative agenda until some of our country’s other priorities have been debated and addressed – especially the War in Iraq and the War on Terror. Don’t you think it’s more important to generate new policies right now that stop the killing of Americans… first… before addressing horse slaughter?
2. If this legislation passes, tens of thousands of horses will suffer. Our local animal shelters and municipalities can’t handle an influx of 100,000 unwanted horses annually.
3. Why isn’t the current system of horse processing OK? It is the only federally supervised and humane end-of-life option available to horse owners. By eliminating this option, horse neglect will increase; many horses will be abandoned by their owners because they don’t have the financial resources or inclination to properly dispose of their horses.
4. If the current government-supervised horse processing industry is eliminated, there are no alternative plans for the unwanted animals. Only about 6,000 spaces are available at current horse rescue and retirement facilities, and those are mostly full. What are we going to do with 90,000 additional horses PER YEAR?
5. This legislation will eliminate a system that has built-in safeguards to protect horses during the steps of processing. Why is Congress trying to “fix” a problem that doesn’t exist? Please vote “NO” on H.R. 503 and S. 311.

Thank you for your continued support. Much more information on the issue is available at the recently renovated www.commonhorsesense.com, including fact sheets, materials you can hand out, sample letters, and other tools to help you tell our government why it is critical that the current, federally supervised horse processing system remain intact, and that the plants that run the system resume operations.

--The staff at CommonHorseSense.com
info@commonhorsesense.com