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Categories: Horse News

How humane is horse slaughter?

A joint press release put out by two animal welfare organizations—Animal Law Coalition and Animals’ Angels—states that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was aware of “extreme cruelty during horse slaughter at facilities in the U.S.” The December 4 press release claims are based on a 906-page document and nearly 900 disturbing photos released by the USDA.



The document and photos were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request submitted three years ago by equine cruelty investigator Julie Caramante. Animals’ Angels assisted Caramante in obtaining the documents, and they are now working with Animal Law Coalition to assess and disseminate the information.



“I’ve been an equine cruelty investigator for a number of years,” Caramante says, “and I’ve witnessed many incidents of animal cruelty but nothing could prepare me for these images.”

According to the press release, “The photographs document significant injuries to horses at the slaughter house. Injuries included conscious dismemberment, open fractures, blinding, and battered faces. It appears some horses were left to bleed out. Other injuries indicated long-term abuse and neglect.”

“The pain and terror these horses had endured is criminal,” Caramante says.

The documents and photographs released by the USDA can be found at /redirect.php?location=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kaufmanzoning.net. WARNING: THE IMAGES ARE EXTREMELY DISTURBING.

The press release goes on to state that there is some veterinary community support behind the anti-slaughter movement. “Dr. Nicholas Dodman of the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee describing horse slaughter as, ‘a brutal and predatory business that promotes cruelty and neglect,’ concluding that as a veterinarian a ‘rapid end to this wholly brutal and un-American trade’ is warranted.” Indeed, Dr. Dodman has vehemently spoken out against horse slaughter. A Q&A with him about his views can be found at: /redirect.php?location=http%3a%2f%2fvetsforequinewelfare.org%2fdodmanqa.php

Horse slaughter in the U.S. ended in 2007 after the three remaining plants in Texas and Illinois were closed by state lawmakers and the courts. There is a federal bill pending in Congress that would prevent horse slaughter from resuming in states without laws prohibiting it. The bill would also prevent U.S. horses from being shipping across international borders for slaughter. Currently, thousands of U.S. horses are shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.

View Comments

  • ok so I went through all the photo's on the link in the article. And they are horrible and I'm not crazy about horse slaughter. But alot of what I saw were old injury's and problems the horse had before. So all the blame shouldnt be put on the slaughter industry but also bad owners who chose to get a couple of hundred dollars instead of ending the horses pain. Start going after owners who are neglecting there horses. Just my thought on it.

  • its sad but some do need to go. They just need to find a better way of doing it so the animals done suffer.

  • I have to disagree with Amber! I think horses should not be killed for there meat! I looked at one picture and I exited the Website!! I Think that horses that have injuries should be put down or retiered but not murdered! I dont know what you guys think but I think this should be ended once and for all! Thanks~M

  • I think it is essential that horse slaughter be discontinued. True, some horses do need to be euthanized, but not terrorized and murdered. I have read reliable statistics that only about 8% of horses slaughtered are actually injured, old, or the result of irresponsible breeding.

  • Horses SHOULD NOT be treated in such a horrible way!!! I agree---some are injured or jus too old to even be comfortable living...in those cases they should be put down but no horses should have to go thru slaughter plants in MX or Canada and be murdered becuase someone was irresponsable!!

  • I looked at those pictures & my heart went out to all those horses, me a 13 year old girl who thought all the horses in the world were living happily... & then i saw this... I wish i could help, I wanted to take all those poor animals home right now. How could people be so cruel...

  • made me sick looking at those. Some of thoses horses before they went in look perfectly fine! If you want meat eat a cow! horses are God's beautiful creatures and deserve so much more! UGHHHH makes me mad!

  • All animal slaughter is terrible...not only with horses, so WHY is eating a cow (meat) less cruel than eating a horse?? We don't need meat at all to be healthy, so as long as we "thinking persons" (humans) eat meat, this sort of abuse and torture will continue with every animal. I love and respect all animals and I hate every disrespect, torture and any sort of abuse/cruelty towards my fellow species. So, do you want to stop this for once and for all, then change your diet, your attitude.

  • All animal slaughter is terrible...not only with horses, so WHY is eating a cow (meat) less cruel than eating a horse?? We don't need meat at all to be healthy, so as long as we "thinking persons" (humans) eat meat, this sort of abuse and torture will continue with every animal. I love and respect all animals and I hate every disrespect, torture and any sort of abuse/cruelty towards my fellow species. So, do you want to stop this for once and for all, then change your diet, your attitude.

  • Horses are considered as livestock. yes they have become part of people's families, i know because mine have. but if you have a horse that is say 4 years old and tries to kill you everytime you enter the pen, do you really want to risk your life for this 4 year old horse that's never been touched? i've grown up with horses/mules all my life and know how much of an impact the closing of the slaughter plants have had on the horse industry. yes the pictures weren't pretty, but its reality. people need to open their eyes to reality and not to what they want to believe. there are people in this world that eat horse like we eat beef, pork and chicken like we do here. think about those horses that are being dumped at state parks becuase the owners can no longer care for them and all the rescues that are running low on money and space for all these unwanted horses. they need somewhere to go

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