Commercial Transportation of Equines to Slaughter

[OldDog/NewTricks]

Commercial Transportation of Equines to Slaughter


The recent VS proposal to amend the regulations regarding the commercial
transportation of equines to slaughter is available at

http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=05619110560+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

The proposal has instructions on how
to make a comment, if desired. The comment period ends January 7, 2008.


The actual changes are simply listed as replacing some words with
others, so if people are interested in seeing the effects of those
changes on the original document, the final rule (from 2001) is at

http://frwebgate6.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=057020154241+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

1 As with the amendment proposal, the discussion section of the document is far longer than the rule itself, which is at the very end. However, the discussion section also includes
interesting information.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, if passed, will (in the US)
end the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and
international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human
consumption, which would make the VS rules moot. Animal protection
groups are continuing to push for passage of this bill. For more
information on its history, see

http://www.awionline.org/legislation/horse_slaughter/index.htm

. For an alternate viewpoint, see

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/unwanted_horses_faq.asp

[copperhead46]

Both sides make a very effective argument. I tend to go along with the alternative side, though. In a perfect world, all horses would have good homes and never be abandond, but sadly, that is not the case. I don't oppose the humane and supervised slaughter of horses, I do vehemently oppose the transportation and "cruel" slaughter of horses to Mexico. At least in this country the USDA does have some control over the treatment of the animals, where in Mexico, there is none. No one watches or cares how any animals are treated there, and a clean kill is just not worth the trouble. We make sure our cattle are killed quickly and without torture, why not our horses? I have contacted my representatives in Washington, and I hope you will all do the same. We can make a difference if we make some noise................
I wish I had the answer to the question, but I don't, and it makes me feel very helpless, like so many other things in this world. I do know that whats happening to them is wrong.