We must protect American horses from slaughter

Our country was founded with horses. Pioneers, ranchers and farmers depended on horses for their survival and prosperity. Family and therapy horses also have enriched our lives. We value horses, and we must not allow them to suffer the horrors of slaughter.

Every year more than 100,000 healthy horses are purchased at auctions for the foreign horse meat trade. More than 92% are young and healthy, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These horses are cruelly shipped thousands of miles across our borders to be inhumanely slaughtered for their meat in Canada and Mexico.

The Safeguard American Food Exports Act, HR 961/S 2006, will permanently ban horse slaughter in this country and the shipping of horses abroad for that purpose. Many states have already banned horse slaughter largely because it is inherently cruel and unpopular. Also, horses are not raised as a food source and their meat contains contaminants unsafe for human consumption. To safeguard our food supply, we must stop the horse meat trade.

Please call, write and email U.S. Congressman, Rep. Duncan Hunter, who did co-sponsor this bill in the last session, and urge him to once again co-sponsor this bill, and we can permanently protect our horses from slaughter. He can be reached at (202) 225-5672 and at http://Hunter.house.gov.

Let’s show our gratitude to these majestic animals by not allowing the extreme tortures of horse slaughter.

Gail Prizzi