Horse Slaughter Banned In U.S.

(AP)  The state with United States' last operating horse slaughterhouse made it illegal to kill the animals for human consumption.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he was proud to sign the law Thursday, calling it "past time to stop slaughtering horses in Illinois."

A slaughterhouse in DeKalb has been shipping horse meat overseas, where it is sold for people to eat. American horse meat is sold mostly in France, Belgium and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy.

The practice has outraged people who feel horses are more like pets than livestock.

A phone call to Cavel International's plant went unanswered Thursday evening.

Two other horse slaughter plants in Texas were shut down this year.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called on the federal government to ban the export of horses for slaughter.

"Thousands of horses face grueling trips to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico unless Congress acts now to protect them," Pacelle said in a statement.

He said federal statistics show that 100,800 horses were slaughtered in the United States in 2006. Another 30,000 were sent to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.

Illinois lawmakers passed the ban after an appeal from actress Bo Derek. In a statement today, she applauded the end of the "cruel, bloody trade in horsemeat."

Opponents of the new law say there's no reason to treat horses differently from cattle or other farm animals. They say that horses are killed humanely and that the slaughterhouse creates jobs.

[SamThornton]

Well, there goes the Memorial Day barbecue. Or maybe not. Here Spot. Here Spot.

[equinevoice]

EQUINES ARE OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE.THEY DESERVE MUCH KINDER,GENTLE TREATMENT THAN BEING BUTCHERED BY A BELGIUM OWNED SLAUGHTER/BUTCHERSHOP.WE REVERE OUR HORSES BECAUSE WE LOVE,ADORE AND ADMIRE THEM FOR ALLOWING HUMANS TO BE TRUSTED AND BEFRIENDED.HORSES ARE COMPANION ANIMALS, BELOVED PETS, NOT A HUMAN FOOD SOURCE.AS A LONG TIME EQUINE OWNER AND 501(C)3 FEDERAL NONPROFIT EQUINE RESCUER, WE HAVE SAVED WELL OVER 4500 HORSES IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILTY AS EQUINE OWNERS TO PROVIDE FRESH WATER,GRAIN,HAY AND PASTURE, A FRESH CLEAN STALL AT NIGHT AND CARE FOR THESE BLESSED CREATURES WELL UNTIL THEIR TIME COMES TO BE CALLED TO THE RAINBOW BRIDGE.WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBLITY TO "HUMANELY EUTHANIZE OUR HORSES" BY A LICENSED DVM.TOSSING AWAY," PRECIOUS" BECAUSE HE IS OLD,INFIRMED IS WRONG.HUMANS CREATE THE MONSTERS AND BRING OUT THE BEAST IN ANY ANIMAL.HORSES ARE REGAL,MAJESTIC MAMMALS THAT DESERVE TO DIE WITH DIGNITY, NOT BY A CATTLE STUN GUN PISTOL AT AN EQUINE BUTCHERSHOP.THE EQUINES SKULL IS NOT DESIGNED FOR SUCH BRUTALITY.AND WHY ARE WE GIVING JOB"S TO ILLEGAL ALIENS AT THE EQUINE BUTCHERSHOPS??"UNTIL ALL AMERICAN HORSES ARE SAFE FROM THE KILLING OF FOREIGN OWNED BUTCHERS"

[swp1231]

My point was that we will not be losing American jobs when the slaughterhouses close down.

[swp1231]

Fido, Fluffy and Flicka, all part of America's protected species by virtue of our hearts. Is there something wrong with protecting these particular species since Americans in general have loved them so dearly? Americans have horse parks and dog parks. Our horse shows and dog shows never suggest we eat them later or sell them for butchering, but they do that for the cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. We have a right to expect a special place for horses since that's the way we want it to be. Americans do NOT eat horse, why let foreign owned corporations spill thier blood on our soil and take their flesh and run? Who's killing on the lines, Americans? Not many if any, do you speak Spanish? If you're outside the slaughterhouse you see who works there.

[barb_az]

Horses SUFFER before and during their treatment from the auction to the captive bolt gun, which was designed for COWS, not HORSES. We will NOT tolerate this treatment of our American horses. Horses who have served us for many years, or even a few years, or, in the case of the unborn foal, who have never had a chance to serve us, are rewarded by suffering. This is UNACCEPTABLE. HORSES ARE NOT RAISED FOR FOOD. Wealthy (NOT POOR!) Europeans are eating carcinogens, unaware that they are even doing so!
Horse owners have other alternatives. Euthanasia is a HUMANE death, and a dignified one. THIS should be the option the horse owner chooses, if there is no other option.
Horse slaughter does NOT help the American economy in ANY way.
I can%u2019t think of ONE reason to support this barbaric practice. Polls show that approximately 66-82% of Americans want this to STOP.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND END HORSE SLAUGHTER NOW.
Support legislation HR 503 and S 311 and End this NOW.

[factchecker1]

It is astounding that the people who are defending horse slaughter have obviously not even read the legislation in Congress to ban it. They have apparently not read the other comments on this site, either.

To state a personal opinion, uninformed and unsupported by facts, is every citizen's right. To expect anyone to believe overly emotional arguments, based on no hard data, documents, statistics, or the lessons of the past is beyond reason.

The majority of Americans want horse slaughter to be banned and are calling their Rep. to vote FOR HR 503 and their Senators to vote FOR SB 311. Perhaps they've done an internet search on 'horse slaughter' and learned the facts instead of relying on anyone's personal opinion.

[achadog]

Another reason not to like the French...horse eatters...Giddy up La'horsie

[lmatte]

The difference is Americans raise chickens, cows and pigs to eat. Americans do not eat horses they ride them, show them, race them, etc. get the picture?

[sy2502]

Ok, when I hear comments like "murdering horses" or "if we eat horses why not eat each other" I start to wonder about the mental sanity of some people. When did a horse stop being an animal and become a person? I wasn't notified of that. Also, you seem to get your panties in a bunch about how cruel horse slaughter is, but where do you think your burgers come from? Trees? You get all emotional about the poor horse, how about the poor sheep, the poor chicken, the poor cow? You don't loose your sleep over them, I understand. Humm, are we maybe a wee bit hypocritical there?
If you have a horse as a pet, you don't HAVE to get it slaughtered and eaten, there are people that keep pigs and rabbits as pets, and don't end up eating them, but we don't pass laws against pork or rabbit meat do we?
As somebody said, soon enough, emotions will run so wild that for real we'll all be forced to become vegetarian, we will smuggle steaks, and those who eat them will be called murderers. Can't wait for that to happen... NOT!

[barakababy]

More emotion that thought in some comments.
Slaughter is not an over-population issue- it is a supply and demand issue. is being run like that as business.
When illegal, breeders will quit overbreeding -voila, no over pop.
Some horses, various reasons, homeless, abused, will be cared for by rescues-plenty room.
Perhaps 1 yr. overlap of 2 many during 1st yr. then perhaps breeders will go back to cattle and real food livestock.