New hope for horses.Last September, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 263 to 146 to pass H.R. 503, which bans the slaughter of horses for human consumption (see "The Last Roundup," cover story, May/June 2006). The Senate will now consider its version of the bill, S. 1915. Every year, more than 100,000 horses are slaughtered in America or shipped alive to be slaughtered abroad. The issue captured national attention in 2002 when Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. winner Ferdinand was slaughtered in Japan. Gourmands were offered the opportunity to "Eat an American Champion American Champion Aircraft Corporation, located in Rochester, Wisconsin, is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft. Founded in 1988 on the acquisition of the Citabria, Scout, and Decathlon, it has been producing replacement parts for these aircraft since that time; it has as ." In 2005, Congress voted to halt taxpayer support of horse slaughter Horse slaughter is the practice of slaughtering horses for meat. (See article at horse meat.) These animals come from auctions, private sellers, and from wild herds. Sometimes these horses are sick and injured but they can also be for sale by their owners. inspections--effectively killing the sale of horsemeat--but the U.S. Department of Agriculture circumvented Congress by permitting the three foreign-owned slaughterhouses to pay for their own inspections. The pending bill prohibits "the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption." Opponents of the bill argue that slaughterhouses provide a humane humane pertaining to the avoidance of infliction of pain, discomfort and harassment; used especially with regard to animals. humane considerations end for horses that are old, broken down or sick. CONTACT: Humane Society A humane society is a group that aims to stop animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons. Examples Examples of humane societies include: The Humane Society of the United States, Peninsula Humane Society, American Humane which was founded in 1877 as a network of of the U.S., (301)721-6440, www.hsus.org. |
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