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I received a letter today from Senator Robert C. Byrd (of WV) concerning the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Robert Byrd wrote that he is a cosponsor of the S. 1915/H.R. 503 Act and he included an article with a cop of his remarks on horse slaughter which appeared in the Congressional Record on Sept. 20, 2005. I wanted to share just a few of his remarks on this issue:
"Winston Churchill said, 'when you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have.' Indeed, throughout the ages, the horse has carried mankind across continents, helped forge civilizations, and has been that beloved beast of burden that has borne the human race on its back..."
"But each year, 65,000 horses are slaughtered in this country for human consumption in Europe and Asia..."
"These horses suffer unnecessarily while in transit to slaughterhouses. Horses can be shipped for more than 24 hours without food, water, or rest. They can be transported with broken legs, missing eyes, or while heavily pregnant. The horses are kept in cramped conditions, in trucks with ceilings so low that they prevent the horses from holding their heads in a normal, upright position. The cramped nature of their transport often results in trampling, with some horses arriving at the slaughterhouses seriously injured or dead."
"Even more cruel than the suffering these animals endure while in transit is their often injurious end. Improper use of stunning equipment at the slaughterhouse can result in the animal having to endure repeated blows to the head, meaning that horses sometime remain conscious throughout the slaughter process."
"Senator Ensign and I have offered an amendment to stop the slaughter of horses for human consumption by preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to inspect the horses intended for slaughter. Without these inspections, which are paid for by the American taxpayer, it would be impossible for these companies to slaughter horses in the US, or to transport horses abroad for slaughter."
"I ask my colleagues to support the Ensign-Byrd amendment to end the slaughter of one of the most precious American symbols."
An obvious concern has been what will become of these horses if they are no longer slaughtered...My question is this...If taxpayer dollars are no longer used for inspection of the horses meant for slaughter, could those funds not be allocated instead toward rescue organizations or farms/ranches that can take on the horses and care for them properly?
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Desert Tag Arabians
Small Breeders of Quality Straight Egyptian Arabians
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Desert Tag Arabians
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Nov 25 2006, 02:56 PM
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