WASHINGTON (March 1, 2013) – The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Front Range Equine Rescue and Animal Protection of New Mexico strongly criticized a decision by the Obama administration to process an application for inspecting horse slaughter at a New Mexico facility on the grounds that killing horses for human consumption is inhumane and creates a serious health risk to consumers.
If the application is approved, Valley Meat Company LLC will be the first facility in the U.S. to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007, when the few remaining plants closed after Congress chose to eliminate funding for horse meat inspections. This surprising move toward reopening a horse slaughter plant plays out against a scandal unfolding in the European Union, where consumers have been alarmed by the discovery in prepared food products of horse meat mislabeled as beef. The federal government could potentially spend its resources to open new horse slaughter plants at a time when the sequestration is looming and spending cuts could affect food safety inspections for U.S. meat products.
Legitimate concerns about the health risks associated with consuming the meat of horses that are often treated with drugs that are prohibited for use in animals slaughtered for food, as well as the discovery of these drugs in horse meat exported from Canada and Mexico, have prompted The HSUS and Humane Society International to call for a moratorium on the sale in the EU of the meat of horses of U.S. origin.
“Slaughtering horses for human consumption is archaic, inhumane, and unsafe, given the medicine chest of drugs often administered to horses and prohibited for human consumption,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “It is astonishing that we may see the resumption of horse slaughter on U.S. soil while Europe is still reeling from a horse meat scandal. Have we not learned anything about the industry’s deception in Europe and the turmoil it has caused?”
“If the USDA moves forward with allowing the cruel and toxic horse slaughter industry to enter our country, this administration is leading our nation in precisely the wrong direction,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. “Recent polling shows that 80 percent of the American public overwhelmingly opposes the slaughtering of horses for human consumption, and given the current firestorm of concern and outrage over horse meat entering the food supply in Europe, it is time for Congress to prevent even one more American horse from suffering this terrible fate and stop horse slaughter in the U.S. once and for all.”
“The slaughter of American horses for meat is an unnecessary and tragic end for these icons of our nation’s history,” said Hilary Wood, president of Front Range Equine Rescue. “American horses will suffer cruel deaths in New Mexico and will continue to be slaughtered abroad. Horse slaughter also brings a potentially toxic environmental threat to the state, with horses’ lives ending with a terrifying death, to be turned into an expensive and possibly toxic dinner.”
“New Mexicans have repeatedly rejected the idea of a horse slaughter plant in our state,” said Lisa Jennings, executive director of Animal Protection of New Mexico. “Horses are a valuable part of our heritage, and we’re determined to develop a robust safety net for them, not condemn them to slaughter.”
“I still oppose the opening of a horse slaughtering plant in New Mexico, and I am concerned about the impact it would have on local consumers,” said New Mexico’s Attorney General, Gary K. King. “The horse meat scandal in Europe has raised concerns about human health risks associated with consuming the meat of U.S. horses. Many horses may have been treated with drugs prohibited by U.S. and European regulations from ever being administered to animals that enter the food chain. A horse slaughtering plant in our state that produces meat for human consumption is still a bad idea.”
“As a veterinarian, natural resource manager, and someone who has had the great good fortune to grow up with and around horses, I am very concerned about their health and safety. If a horse is hurt, terminally ill, or has no chance to find a loving home, then humane euthanasia is an important option,” said New Mexico State Land Commissioner Ray Powell, D.V.M. “I am told the United States Department of Agriculture is considering the proposal to open a horse slaughtering facility in our state. Since we do not have enough unwanted horses in New Mexico to make this economically viable, it means horses would be trucked in from across the nation. We do not have the safeguards and oversight in place to ensure their humane handling, transport, and euthanasia. New Mexico can do much better by these intelligent and gentle creatures and I strongly oppose this ill-conceived proposal.”
Horses are not raised for slaughter in the U.S. and are often treated with a variety of drugs that are prohibited for use in animals slaughtered for human consumption. There is no system in the U.S. to track medications given to horses to ensure that horse meat is safe for human consumption. The HSUS and Front Range Equine Rescue have petitioned the USDA and Food and Drug Administration to declare American horse meat unfit for human consumption because of this food safety issue. The FDA and USDA have not yet responded to the petitions.
The HSUS and Front Range Equine Rescue have already announced their intention to file suit if USDA approves Valley Meat’s application.
When Valley Meat sued the USDA to speed up the processing of its application to slaughter horses for human consumption, groups in the U.S. beef industry intervened in support of Valley Meat. With beef sales waning in Europe in the wake of the horse meat scandal, it is surprising that beef producers are willing to risk consumer confidence in the entire U.S. meat industry just to prop up a marginalized horse slaughter trade.
This decision by USDA adds further to the burden on U.S. taxpayers – already apprehensive under the looming threat of spending cuts to meat inspection programs as a result of sequestration – who will be forced to fund inspections at the horse slaughter facility even though Americans do not consume horse meat and oppose the slaughter of American horses. The HSUS, ASPCA, FRER and APNM urge Congress to reintroduce and swiftly pass legislation to outlaw horse slaughter in the U.S. and ban the export of live horses across our borders to be slaughtered.
Well- every other plant that has tried to spring up- never made it due to the voices of horse lovers every where being raised/ Let’s do it again. Spread the word- post this link to your FB page or twitter.
Patrick, Denver, CO
Just another example of our Government and specifically the Obama administration not listening to the American people. Horse slaughter is in humane, even our government calls them companion animals and as such they are not subjected to the same standards and guidelines as animals raised for food. Horses are also often given powerful drugs that have no withdrawal period so those drugs can and do make their way into the food chain! Why do you think everyone in Europe is in such an uproar! Stop the madness and keep the ban on horse slaughter in place! Please.
I am just disgusted with this country and all of its corruption, this gesture of opening horse slaughter plant is another self centered plan of congress, how can anyone in their right mind be so corrupt, when people start getting sick and dying from all the toxic meat, then maybe someone will listen, I am truly ashamed of what this country has become, not to mention the total betrayel of our freedom icon, do unto others as you would have done to you, it will come back around, always does
Thank you Sidelines for a thoroughly accurate accounting of the situation, including the perils of horse slaughter for our equine partners, horse meat consumers, and the American host communities for processing plants.
It is refreshing to see the real facts instead of the humanewashed propaganda claiming slaughter plants are good for equine welfare. Note that Animal People, an organization that tracks equines abandoned and seized for neglect each year has seen those numbers range from about 1,300 to 2,300 per year. Not even enough to keep Valley Meats in business for a month! And those horses typically go to humane organizations that do not send the horses to auction once recovered. As further proof, one of the highest years for equine neglect was 1996, when we were slaughtering record numbers of horses in the U.S. Horse slaughter has simply never been proven to impact neglect or starvation. It is however, the most significant cause of suffering to equines in the U.S., and needs to finally be made illegal both domestically, and for export.
Thank you for reporting on the distressing topic of horse slaughter; I am against horse slaughter or the transport of horses to slaughter. I do not understand why anyone wants to pursue the resumption of horse slaughter in the United States; it is a pariah economically, environmentally, ethically and healthwise.
I am bewildered why the legislators of both Oklahoma and New Mexico are even perusing opening up a slaughter plant in their states. The horse slaughter mess in Europe is a huge red flag for the USA. If horsemeat is being masqueraded as beef , there must be a glut of it over in Europe.. Horsemeat does not only come from the USA , but Poland , England and other countries. obviously the horse meat from North America (USA) has been deemed to be unfit for human consumption. No one is inspecting this meat, and horses with lifetimes of veterinary medicines are being slaughtered without concern for the safety for the public. The horses are healthy, bought at kill buyers auctions, and many are throwaways from racetracks or stolen from their owners. Transportation of the horses and the slaughter process is hellish and inhumane .
The whole slaughter business stinks. taxpayers in these days of fiscal cliffs and sequestion and federal cutbacks, the goverment can ill afford to throw our money on slaughtering horses for meat Europe doesn’t want , and Americans don’t want to eat either.
The pursuit of opening up a horse slaughter plant is insane, and is an an insult to the role of horses in American history.
Thank you for making the effort to a well-researched and well written article about horse slaughter. Kudos to Sidelines!
Thank you so much for speaking about this issue. too many times the subjct of horse slaughter is quietly transacted, transporting in the middle of the night, at remote auction sites, and the plants off the beaten path. This issue must be openly debated and finally shut down as most americans are deeply opposed to the slaughter of these animals. Thank you for taking the time and devoting the space to communiating in such a precise and well researched manner. Let’s hope we can protect the horses with such efforts.
It’s about time i started hearing more about this issue then just on blogs. Horse slaughter has been kept quiet about as much aborition is ignored and treated as a political issue. You know what would be a good thing to see happen next? Yes there should be a law suit.. and the people who have been robbed of their horses replaced. Also i would like to see a televised debate between our activists and their house, and let the people decide. After all. Congress works for us. It’s time they are reminded of that little detail in their job description..
Thank you very much for publishing this very correct article.