Keep Horse Slaughter Out of Maine
- by: Alicia Graef
- recipient: Maine Legislature
In 2007, slaughtering horses on U.S. soil came to an end when the last slaughterhouses in Texas and Illinois were closed for good. Now, with the passage of a new law that will fund USDA inspections of horse meat, there is an effort underway to once again open the doors to this barbaric practice in states that do not have a ban in place.
Maine is now considering bipartisan legislation that will keep this brutal and predatory industry out of the state.
L.D. 1286 will ban the sale and transport of horses for human consumption from and through Maine, closing off a route to Canadian slaughterhouses, in addition to ensuring that slaughterhouses can't open up shop in the state.
Despite what proponents say, slaughter is not a solution to dealing with unwanted or neglected horses and it's certainly not humane.
Please sign the petition urging Maine's legislature to pass this important piece of legislation to keep horses and communities safe.
As someone who is concerned with equine welfare, I was thrilled to learn that Maine is considering legislation (L.D. 1286) that will ban the slaughter, sale and transport of horses from and through your state for human consumption.
Not only are the transport and slaughter procedures used for horses considered inhumane by citizens, industry professionals, animal protection groups and a number of professional organizations, including Veterinarians for Equine Welfare, but perpetuating this cruelty at the expense of the taxpayer is reprehensible.
Banning slaughter will not only help horses, but will also protect communities from environmental problems, legal action and crime - all of which have been problems for communities that have allowed this barbaric practice.
Additionally, horses are not raised for human consumption in the U.S. and regularly receive a host of drugs that are prohibited for use in food animals, hundreds of which are considered toxic for humans by the Food and Drug Administration. A study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology highlights the fact that at least one of the drugs regularly given to horses, Phenylbutazone (bute), is not only toxic to humans, but a known carcinogen. There is currently no way to trace whether or not horses that end up in the slaughter pipeline have been given these drugs.
Since President Obama signed the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill with no provision preventing the USDA from inspecting horse meat, Americans have continued to stand against this barbaric industry wherever attempts to revive it surface and we will continue to do so.
Despite what proponents say, slaughter is not a solution and it's certainly not humane. I sincerely hope you will stand behind the vast majority of Americans who oppose horse slaughter by supporting legislation that will keep this gruesome and predatory industry out of Maine.
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