The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the Animal Welfare Institute, The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund, veterinarian Dr. Nick Dodman and 17-year-old equestrian Brittany Wallace will join U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., as they introduce federal legislation to stop the inhumane killing of American horses for human consumption and prohibit the transport of horses across the U. S. border for slaughter.
Ban on horse export and slaughter
Congressional bills would prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export and slaughter of more than 160,000 American horses abroad each year, and protect the public from consuming toxic horsemeat.
© 2013 by Carien Schippers
The passage of these bills would prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export and slaughter of more than 160,000 American horses abroad each year, and protect the public from consuming toxic horsemeat.
WHO:
- Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.
- Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa.
- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
- Dr. Nick Dodman, DVM, ACVA and ACVB, Co-Founder of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare
- Brittany Wallace, 17-year-old equestrian, discovered first horse was sold and later rescued from slaughter
- Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations, ASPCA
- Chris Heyde, deputy director, Government and Legal Affairs, Animal Welfare Institute
- Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States
WHEN:
Wednesday, March 13 at 10 a.m.
WHERE:
192 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC
WHY:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to process an application for inspecting horse slaughter at a New Mexico facility. If approved, Valley Meat Company LLC will be the first facility in the U.S. to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007, when the few remaining plants closed after Congress chose to eliminate funding for horse meat inspections. This surprising move to reopen a horse slaughter plant plays out against the scandal unfolding in the European Union, where consumers have been alarmed by the discovery in prepared food products of horse meat mislabeled as beef.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
ASPCA: Rebecca Goldrick, 646-291-4582, Rebecca.Goldrick@aspca.org
AWI: Chris Heyde, 202-446-2142, chris@awionline.org
HSUS: Heather Sullivan, 240-477-2251, hsullivan@humanesociety.org
Office of Sen. Landrieu: Jacob Sittig, 202-224-4893, Jacob_Sittig@Landrieu.Senate.gov
Office of Rep. Meehan: John Elizandro, 202-225-2011, John.Elizandro@mail.house.govOffice of Rep. Schakowsky: Sabrina Singh, 202-225-2111, Sabrina.Singh@mail.house.gov
About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services.
About AWI
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere—in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and other important animal protection news.
About the HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.