The Government Being Sneaky - At The Expense of the Horses

This is another case of government quietly stuffing a bunch of papers together and squeezing something through the system, hoping that no one notices that they did another shady deal. This is a sad day for horses if this truly does happen.

Horse Meat Inspection Ban Lifted In The U.S.

By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS 11/30/11 09:45 AM ET Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. -- Horses could soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption after Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and activists say slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month.

Slaughter opponents pushed a measure cutting off funding for horse meat inspections through Congress in 2006 after other efforts to pass outright bans on horse slaughter failed in previous years. Congress lifted the ban in a spending bill President Barack Obama signed into law Nov. 18 to keep the government afloat until mid-December.

It did not, however, allocate any new money to pay for horse meat inspections, which opponents claim could cost taxpayers $3 million to $5 million a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would have to find the money in its existing budget, which is expected to see more cuts this year as Congress and the White House aim to trim federal spending.

The USDA issued a statement Tuesday saying there are no slaughterhouses in the U.S. that butcher horses for human consumption now, but if one were to open, it would conduct inspections to make sure federal laws were being followed. USDA spokesman Neil Gaffney declined to answer questions beyond what was in the statement.

The last U.S. slaughterhouse that butchered horses closed in 2007 in Illinois, and animal welfare activists warned of massive public outcry in any town where a slaughterhouse may open.
"If plants open up in Oklahoma or Nebraska, you'll see controversy, litigation, legislative action and basically a very inhospitable environment to operate," predicted Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of The Humane Society of the United States. "Local opposition will emerge and you'll have tremendous controversy over slaughtering Trigger and Mr. Ed."

But pro-slaughter activists say the ban had unintended consequences, including an increase in neglect and the abandonment of horses, and that they are scrambling to get a plant going – possibly in Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska or Missouri. They estimate a slaughterhouse could open in 30 to 90 days with state approval and eventually as many as 200,000 horses a year could be slaughtered for human consumption. Most of the meat would be shipped to countries in Europe and Asia, including France and Japan.

Dave Duquette, president of the nonprofit, pro-slaughter group United Horsemen, said no state or site has been picked yet but he's lined up plenty of investors who have expressed interest in financing a processing plant. While the last three slaughterhouses in the U.S. were owned by foreign companies, he said a new plant would be American-owned.

"I have personally probably five to 10 investors that I could call right now if I had a plant ready to go," said Duquette, who lives in Hermiston, Ore. He added, "If one plant came open in two weeks, I'd have enough money to fund it. I've got people who will put up $100,000."

Sue Wallis, a Wyoming state lawmaker who's the group's vice president, said ranchers used to be able to sell horses that were too old or unfit for work to slaughterhouses but now they have to ship them to butchers in Canada and Mexico, where they fetch less than half the price.

The federal ban devastated "an entire sector of animal agriculture for purely sentimental and romantic notions," she said.

Although there are reports of Americans dining on horse meat a recently as the 1940s, the practice is virtually non-existent in this country, where the animals are treated as beloved pets and iconic symbols of the West.

Lawmakers in California and Illinois have banned the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and more than a dozen states tightly regulate the sale of horse meat.

Federal lawmakers' lifting of the ban on funding for horse meat inspections came about in part because of the recession, which struck just as slaughtering stopped. A federal report issued in June found that local animal welfare organizations reported a spike in investigations for horse neglect and abandonment since 2007. In Colorado, for example, data showed that investigations for horse neglect and abuse increased more than 60 percent – from 975 in 2005 to almost 1,600 in 2009.

The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office also determined that about 138,000 horses were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter in 2010, nearly the same number that were killed in the U.S. before the ban took effect in 2007. The U.S. has an estimated 9 million horses.

Cheri White Owl, founder of the nonprofit Horse Feathers Equine Rescue in Guthrie, Okla., said she's seen more horse neglect during the recession. Her group is caring for 33 horses now and can't accept more.

"A lot of the situation is due to the economy," she said, "People deciding to pay their mortgage or keep their horse."

But White Owl worries that if slaughterhouses open, owners will dump their unwanted animals there instead of looking for alternatives, such as animal sanctuaries.

Animal rights groups also argue that slaughtering is a messy, cruel process, and some say it would be kinder for owners to have their horses put to sleep by a veterinarian.
"Euthanasia has always been an option," Pacelle said. But "if you acquire a horse, you should be a responsible owner and provide lifetime care."

The fight over horse slaughtering has pitted lawmakers of the same party against each other.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said the poor economy has resulted in "sad cases" of horse abandonment and neglect and lifting the ban will give Americans a shot at regaining lost jobs and making sure sick horses aren't abandoned or mistreated.

But U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., is lobbying colleagues to permanently ban horse slaughter because he believes the process is inhumane.

"I am committed to doing everything in my power to prevent the resumption of horse slaughter and will force Congress to debate this important policy in an open, democratic manner at every opportunity," he said in a statement.

Donations for the Holidays

'Tis that time of year again. Donations for the holidays. Some donate because they are looking for a tax write off. Some donate because their heart tells them that they need to help save one more whale, horse, kitten or underprivileged child in Ethiopia. All great causes. But do your homework.

How much of every dollar you spend goes to what your heart decided on? Are they a legitimate rescue? Do they give at least 95% of what you donated to the cause you decided to spend your hard earned money on?

Just because an organization has a federal 501c3 DOES NOT mean they are good at what they do OR that they spend their money in an appropriate way. Those of us in the horse world have seen what a nightmare can become of animals, donations and the people that handle both.

Sad to say that some organizations don't help the people they are spreading around pictures of.

Do your homework. Ask questions. If you don't like the answers you are getting, then vote with your wallet and send your dollars to someone who will answer the questions and give you the warm, happy feeling that donating provides.

I have a couple in and around the state of Vermont that do great work. And spend their money on their animals. And are transparent with the numbers if you request them.

Green Mtn. Pug Rescue www.gmpr.org
Spring Hill Horse Rescue http://springhillrescue.com/
New England Equine Rescues http://newenglandequinerescues.com/

Your local food bank. There is one in each town. If you don't want to give them $, then go ask them what kind of food they are low on and go buy some at the grocery store.

Your neighbor with 2 jobs and 4 kids. Worried that they might spend the money on the couch-potato boyfriend? Bring over a couple of bags of groceries, a sled and some mittens and hats.

Your elderly neighbor? Shovel her driveway or walks. Go have a cup of tea with her. That is more quality time than money could never buy. And, who knows, maybe you'll learn a bit about her life that will enrich yours.

Ok. Off the soap box now. Sorry, it's been a while so forgot to post the warning! lol!

Look around you. This is what many people did after Irene. It's what makes Vermont the special place it is... Neighbor helping neighbor.

Hello! We haven't fallen off the face of the Earth!

I'm back. Not well rested. Not done feeling like the world has come around and changed its tune any... just wanted to get back into doing what I used to do. Updates and pictures will come up in the next few days...

Good to be back...