Comments on: Government Accountability Office releases report on horse slaughter

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:48:39 +0000

Horse slaughter is not only cruel and inhumane to horses, it is harmful to humans as well. In its lifetime, a horse is given medications and other toxic substances that would be harmful to humans and animals that consume its meat. Horse meat is not sold in the United States, but it is exported to other countries.
Horses are beautiful, intelligent animals that bring joy and friendship into our lives. We need to protect these sensitive animals from being killed.
Horses can’t speak for themselves, but we can be their voice. Let congress know that Americans won’t stand by while these precious animals are butchered.
Please don’t be a bystander, be a rescuer! Follow this link to act today:
http://act.wildhorsepreservation.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13157

By: Woof

Woof — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:34:11 +0000

Horses are a beautiful part of God’s creation. They have plenty of things on their useful list and this is crazy. I would hate to be feeding a horse, dog , or cat to my dogs. so they now eat food I make and are all the better for it

By: kilee shoulders

kilee shoulders — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:50:57 +0000

I HATE it when people kill horses for pet food and they should not be in slaughter what did the horses do to them?some one should stop it soon i can probley stop it from all this if i can?i`ll try to help them and all the wild mustangs and the horses in the slaughter horses.

By: Horselover

Horselover — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:34:01 +0000

I think every slaughterhouse in the world should be destroyed. It is inhumane and disgusting.
The slaughter people and Kill buyers are complete Jerks. If you promote horse slaughter your no different than one of those kill buyers.
Good Work Recue Farms!!!!

By: Danielle

Danielle — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:55:28 +0000

It seems that the lack of responsibility our society has succumb to has truly leaked into every phase of our human lives. I hope that we as a whole can find a way to instill humanity in our childrens hearts as it should be. True humanity is for all living creatures, because it all creatures that bring some form of enrichment to our lives. I will do what I can in my community, what will you do in yours?

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:37:33 +0000

If you read the GAO report, you will find that the majority of the report deals with the lack of compliance, the ommission of required documents, the mistreatment of equids during transport, the failure of government to police what they are charged to and lastly, the lack of ANYONE along the line (whether here in the US, in transport over the border or at the slaughterhouses) to step in and say STOP, this is wrong and against the law! That is where the third recommendation comes in: The recommendation that Congress permanently ban slaughter of American horses.
I support the permanent ban (S.1176 does that) and ask that anyone who cares to live a moral and ethical life do the same.

By: nancy

nancy — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:26:02 +0000

No surprises here. The world has changed since 2007. The economy has gone down the drain. People have less disposable income. The horse industry has been affected. What industry hasn’t? What American has been untouched? The report fails to address several key things:
1. Horses are not raised as a food animal. They are given lots of supplements, grains, wormers, fly sprays, vaccines, steroids etc. The majority of these items are marked “not for use on animals intended for human consumption” We are shipping poisonous chemically enhanced horsemeat to Canada and Mexico. For that reason alone, this should be a non-debate. It isnt healthy to eat things that cause cancer in humans and compromise internal organs.
2. While the report notes that low end horses have been affected in price, it fails to put 2 & 2 together. People have less disposable income. People who can afford horses are being more selective at what they purchase. Young, untrained horses make up 90% of kill buyers loads. Where are these horses coming from? Breeders culls, drug companies byproducts and some back yards. Almost exactly same numbers of horses are being sent to slaughter today as in 2007. It does not take a million taxpayer dollars to figure out that there are individuals still choosing to produce quantity over quality, and now it is coming back to bite them. Before slaughter was the industries dirty little secret. Not any more.
3. The GAO report also fails to address the environmental impact of slaughter plants. Let’s just say, it isnt green. Google “Paula Bacon and Slaughterhouse” or “when horse slaughter comes to town”
4. The GAO report makes recommendations, but neglects a key one. Since the recession began, every major industry that hopes to survive has downsized. The auto makers, home builders & airlines did it to name a few. Now they are back on their way to recovery. The horse industry could do this too. Low cost gelding clinics for horses that are not breeding quality should be offered by groups including the breed associations. Not only will the horse numbers go down, the quality will go up. Higher end horse prices did not decrease, so this is a win win. The breed associations should also help provide safety nets for their horses. Examples include training mentor programs so untrained horses are being dumped into the market. Low cost euthanasia should be made available as well. (Slaughter and euthanasia are NOT the same thing) There should also be programs offering support for owners who may have hit a rough spot. There are food pantries for humans, the same should exist for the animals. The amount of money spent on this report alone could have set up many of these options.
What can you do? Contact your states senators and tell them that you support sb 1176 and want them to support it too.

By: Galadriel

Galadriel — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:49:56 +0000

While I don’t like horse slaughter and would never let my horses succumb to it, I do see it as a necessary evil in some cases.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:49:47 +0000

Horse meat is not healthy for humans, it is not meant to be eaten. If breeders, of all breeds, would be more diligent and not so much on the money angle there wouldn’t be so many unwanted nor uncared for horses. The economy definately has an affect on the horse industry. I wish breeders would reconsider less breeding. Horse slaughter plants are an unwanted industry in the USA. We do not need another nonpaying tax commodity that not only is not only uncaring to horses but cruel and enviromentally destructive, to the land and most important the water. And where do you think all the unuseable parts of an animal go by these horse slaughter plants. Piled high on the ground, blood in the waters. Fines and penalties don’t effect that business, they just ignore them.
I agree with one comment, it’s an easy out for the BLM.

By: mary ann

mary ann — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:50:11 +0000

Ok, heres how I see it:
Its ok to slaughter and eat horses AS LONG as they have been killed/euthanized humanly! Because once they are killed they don’t know that they are being eaten.