Newsdate: Thursday February 09, 2023 - 10:00 am
Location: Washington, DC

Major horse welfare advocates will be sharing important information relative to transport of American horses to slaughter plants in foreighn countries during a virtual press conference today.

Horses in a BLM holding pen

Although there has been a dramatic decline in transport of American horses to slaughter because of drugs in horses' systems and awareness of cruel treatment, the problem continues.
© 2017 by Kimerlee Curyl New window.

WHAT

Virtual press conference to announce startling findings in a national field investigation examining the trafficking of American horses to foreign slaughter plants in North America.

A copy of the report, including images taken from auctions, holding facilities within the interior of the U.S. and at our borders, will be made available to participants.

WHO

• Wayne Pacelle, president, Center for a Humane Economy
• Sonja Meadows, president, Animals’ Angels
• Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action
• Scott Beckstead, director of campaigns, Center for a Humane Economy

WHEN

Thursday, February 9, 2023, 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET

A FEW TOPLINE CONCLUSIONS

- There has been a dramatic decline in transport of American horses to slaughter based on European restrictions on imports because of forbidden drugs in horses’ systems and growing consumer awareness of cruel treatment of the animals.

- Still though, health risks to consumers in other foreign markets persist because of unreliable traceability of the origin of the horses slaughtered for human consumption.

- Anti-cruelty laws are disregarded by kill buyers and transporters who incrementally move horses from auctions to holding facilities to slaughter plants.

- There is a fraying of the rickety horse transport and slaughter infrastructure, indicating that this business is teetering on financial collapse.

- Contagious diseases, such as Strangles, fester at slaughter holding facilities are breeding grounds for contagious diseases. 

-There are ongoing threat for motorists & pedestrians caused by overtired solo drivers and unstable loads.

LOGIN

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Meeting ID: 894 1865 4345

Passcode: 987882

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ABOUT

Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty. The group champions causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife, and it advocates against dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty. It also confronts factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, Animal Wellness Action promotes enacting good public policies and monitors the enforcement of those in place. To enact good laws, the group believes citizens must elect good lawmakers, and it helps educate voters on which candidates care about animal issues as well as those who are hostile to them. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all.

Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all.

Animals’ Angels is a non-profit organization that carries out undercover investigations in the United States, Canada and Mexico to document the way animals are treated at auctions, feedlots and slaughter plants. Its focus is on raising awareness about the cruelty animals in commercial operations face every single day and on holding those responsible accountable for their actions.

Press release by Wayne Pacelle