A Legislative Proposal to Help Horses & Rescues

As some of you may know, there are two bills in Congress right now
that would end the slaughter of our American Horses and would prohibit their exportation abroad for the same purpose. The bills,  HR 305 & 503,  
are  popular with the American Public as well as with some well respected politicians. However, despite the bills' general overall popularity,  there is a small but influential contingency of "special-interest" groups and lobbiests in Congress that oppose them and are doing everything in their power to kill the bills and to bring horse-slaughter back in the USA.  

The issue of horse slaughter is a long-standing subject of much debate, but polls taken over the years consistantly show that the majority of Americans are against it. 

Anti-Horse Slaughter bills have been trying to push their way through Congress since the mid 1990's. It  is an important issue that should be decided once and for all, and soon. It has  been lingering much too long and meanwhile, horses in America are in crisis no matter how you look at it, ....slaughter or no. The down-turn in the economy is severely effecting horse-owners of modest income, and the rescues arent doing much better. Every other day it seems it is reported that another so badly-needed rescue is going broke and has to close its doors. Its other rescues that usually take these horses, but just lately, because of the down-turn in the economy, the rescues are full and are on the brink of going broke themselves. There is no doubt about it. Companion pets and horses are the first to go in troubling financial times. The expense of keeping only just one horse is enough to drain a wallet of monies needed for other things. You  can imagine the expenses even a modest sized  rescue can rack up, even tending to nothing but healthy horses. More rescues are definatey needed and the existing ones are in dire need of help. That is what this petition is all about,....helping the needy horses, the owners who love them and the rescues that care about them both. 

Recently, the state of New Mexico addressed the problem of the high cost of euthansia and delema of the states strained and financialy drained rescues.  With support of the govenor of New Mexico, a "Horse Protection"  bill was put together and introduced in the State Legislature that would create a fund to provide low-cost euthanisa for those owners in need and/or having a desire to humanely euthanise their horses they can no longer keep or afford. It would also create a fund to help the struggling rescues.

Below is a link to a pdf file where you can read the full text of New Mexico's "Horse Protection" bill;      

http://www.apvnm.org/legislation/2009/Final-EquineProtectionFundFacts.pdf

We think New Mexicos "Horse Protection Bill" is a great idea and we are hoping to compel Congress on a National level and every state legislature to follow New Mexicos example in their own home states.    

Therefore we are writing this proposal to the above mentioned targets, in hopes of compelling at least one of them to embrace our idea and get busy on it. We cannot do it without them. Whats more, we cannot do it with you, the horse lovers and protectors, rescuers and advocates throughout the United States who agree that EVERY state should have a Horse Protection Act like New Mexico's, as well as a National one enacted thru Congress. We will collect both federal and state monies to take care of our respective wards. 

We can use all the money we can get for the horses and their cause. In these tough economic times, we dont forsee anyother way of getting any except to ask our state and federal governments for a "bail-out" to prevent the equine industry from collapsing. We simply MUST do this. The industry is too big to fail!  Sound familiar? lol  Lets get'er done!

Together, WE CAN make a Difference!
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Dear Sirs & Madams;

We are writing to you as concerned horse owners, rescuers, protectors and advocates regarding the crisis our American Horses are facing today. In todays failing economy, most all owners of modest means and nearly all the rescues are under a terrible strain to make ends meet. Lots of people who love their horses are finding  they no longer can afford to keep them. Many cannot even afford to have them humanely euthanized, and some have a problem with carcass disposal,  but still they would never think of sending their beloved horses to slaughter. Slaughter, they know, is a horribe ordeal for any animal and is not "humane euthansia." What are these people to do? They are "stuck" with a horse or horses that they love dearly but can no longer afford, the horses arent cared for properly, you cant sell them, you cant even give them away cause nobody can afford them. The rescues are full and  financially drained  themselves. Still, slaughter is not an option for those consciencious owners who refuse to use it, and there are plently of them. I am sure you have heard about the rise in neglect & abandonment cases that has occurred since the economy started to its downward trend.  The problem of so many "unwanted" horses today is an economic one. People simply cannot afford their horses but are absolutely against sending them off to slaughter , even though it would be to their financial gain. As bad as things are for these people, they draw the line at selling their beloved animals at meat-market auction or slaughter. Re-opening the slaughter plants in the USA will not fix the problem for these people, and their are thousands of them. So whether or not the equine slaughterhouses re-open in the USA,....there will still be a dire need for the thousands of financially strapped horse-owners who have to "get rid" of (we call "re-home") their horses,  but for whom slaughter is out of the question for moral reasons.  As for the rescues, there is and always will be rescues in need as long as breed registeries like the AQHA keep urging their members to "breed baby breed."  http://unnecessaryevils.blogspot.com/2008/09/aqha-worries-about-horse-shortage-tells.html

The AHC is also urging its members to take advantage of tax-incentives in the Farm Bill and yes even in the New Economic Stimulus Act,.... encouraging them to "breed more quality horses." 
http://www.horsecouncil.org/pressreleases/2009_BenefitinStimAct4HI.php

 Well sirs and madams, the industry may need horse-slaughter but we, the American Horse Loving Community do not. (Thank you very much anyways, but no, we much prefer real humane euthansia.) We believe that slaughter is not the answer for use as a population control. We also believe that there is no such  thing as an unwanted horse, just unlucky ones.

Recently, the state of New Mexico addressed the problem of the high cost of euthansia and delema of the strained, financialy drained rescues.  A "Horse Protection"  bill was put together and introduced in the State Legislature that would create a fund to provide low-cost euthanisa for those owners in need and/or a desire to humanely euthanise their horses they can no longer keep or afford. It would also create a fund to help the struggling rescues.

Below is a link to a pdf file where you can read the full text of New Mexico's "Horse Protection" bill;      

http://www.apvnm.org/legislation/2009/Final-EquineProtectionFundFacts.pdf

We think this bill is a great idea and we are hoping to compel Congress on a National level and every state legislature to follow Arizonas example in their own state legislatures.   

By now you may be asking yourself, "who is to pay for such a fund?
Where will the money come from?" Our answer to you then would be
this; from the website of The American Horse Council
http://www.horsecouncil.org/nationaleconomics.php

*The horse industry is a very large and important part of our national, state and local economies. It is diverse, involving agriculture, business, sport, gaming, entertainment and recreation.

*4.6 million Americans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. Tens of millions more participate as spectators.

*The horse industry has a direct economic effect on the U.S.of $39 billion annually. 

*4.6 million people are involved in the horse industry in some way, either as owners, employees, service providers or volunteers. This includes 2 million horse owners, of which 238,000 are involved in breeding, 481,000 in competing, 1.1 million involved in other activities, 119,000 service providers and 702,000 employees, full- and part-time and 2 million family members and volunteers. That means that 1 out of every 63 Americans is involved with horses.

*Specifically, the number of horses by activity is:

Racing - 844,531
Showing - 2,718,954
Recreation - 3,906,923
Other - 1,752,439
Total - 9,222,847
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Surley, with 39 billion dollars generated annually in the equine industry, there must be some way to glean even a small percentage of it for the benefit of the needy horses and the rescues who help them, that is, without hurting anyone too much.  Anyone who profits off of or enjoys the industry should be made to pay into this fund. Think of it as a "luxury tax" to benefit the horse. After all, it is all about the welfare of the horse, is it not? This means not only owner/breeders and breed associations would have to contribute, but also the patrons & spectators of any equine events; rodeos, horse shows, even and especially  gamblers, OffTrack Betting parlors and Internet HorseRacing Companies and on-line Gamblers, all should pay into this fund. .

$39 Billion not enough?

In addition to the billions generated each year by the equine industry, there is the $44 million dollars in tax-breaks and breeding incentives granted to the industry in the Farm Bill and the "Equine Industry Economic Stimulus Act." http://unnecessaryevils.blogspot.com/2008/09/equine-equity-act-gives-breeders-444mil.html Even just a small portion of that $44M would go a long way in helping to create a euthansia fund which would in turn reduce the number of starvation and bandonment cases. Financially strapped consciencious owners refusing to send their horses to slaughter would have the option of  real humane euthansia at  no or very little cost. This service should be available to the rescues also, of course. Many rescues "go broke" spending  all their money euthanising ones they have rescued but cannot save. A uniform across-the-board discount  for qualified rescues would be a godsend to them at this time.

More good news about funds: President Obomba recently signed into law an Economic Stimulus Act that grants billions of dollars to non-profits. Hopefully, we can tap into that as part of a funding source.    

We ask our Congressional Representatives in every state, our State Senators and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Agricultural & Energy Committe, and the American Horse Council, (AHC) The American Quarter-Horse Association, (AQHA) The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, (NTRA) the American Association of Equine Practictioners, (AAEP) and anyother person or body who professes to care about THE WELFARE OF THE AMERICAN HORSE to propose, write and/or support and ultimately pass your own versions of ew Mexicos  Horse Protection Act, and to please do it fast. The crisis is now. 

Thank you in advance for any consideration you may give this matter. 
We anxiously await your  replies and pray for your interest and actions. 

Yours, etc.
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Signers we must not stop with the signing of this petition. We need to write hard copy letters to our state reps (particularly the ones we know that are pushing for slaughter) We must meet them at every turn. If they think they can reopen those houses of un-necessary evil and horror without a fight they have another think coming.  They have got to know the harder they push for slaughter the harder we are going to push them to open their wallets and cut loose with some real moola,  and reminding them to take some RESPONSIBILITY for all the "unwanted" horses THEY are producing.   

Below is a link to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) petition where you will find links to other petitions made for each of the 12 states currently engaged in the NCSL pro-slaughter legislative campaigns; 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/natl-conference-officially-supports-horse-slaughter

 If you are from one of these states, click on the link to see who "the leader of the pack" is and direct your letter to them. It is these loud-mouth pro-slaughter "zealot" leaders that we need to target, the authors of the pro-slaughter bills. Tell them how New Mexico is making history in the animal welfare world by proposing such a bill. Ask them if they too, would propose or support such a bill for your state. Maybe they will answer. Maybe they will not. But surley if they get enough letters, enough emails, faxes and tele calls, they will know at least that we cant be ignored, and that they will have to somehow deal with us and our concerns, ...and that, my "Friends," is no small victory! We will NOT go away.

Now get busy. They are.

Thanks for caring!
UNITED WE STAND