URGENT AWI eALERT:  Congress Takes Horse Cruelty Head On: Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008" Introduced

Since 2001, when the Animal Welfare Institute began the national campaign to end horse slaughter for human consumption, hundreds of thousands of horses have been brutally killed and their meat sold overseas to be served to the patrons of upscale restaurants in Europe and Asia. Americans have spoken out against the cruelty and horse slaughter no longer occurs on US soil - but tens of thousands of American horses are still slaughtered every year in Canada and Mexico and they want to reopen slaughterhouses in the US.

To take action, click on the the American Horse Slaughter Clock, which actively counts the number of American horses being brutally slaughtered by knife and gun in Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses. Be sure to bookmark this page, share it with friends, family and colleagues, and check back for the most recent number of deaths as a result of Congressional inaction - and to find out how you can help.

As we continue our fight to end this tragedy through passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), which would end the trade for good, we must remember that one American horse is slaughtered every 5 minutes as the bill languishes in the Congress. It is only a small handful of legislators who are obstructing the bill’s final passage, which would put an immediate end to a form of animal cruelty that is easily preventable. These legislators are doing so at the behest of the horse slaughterhouses that publicly advocate horse slaughter as a humane form of horse population control but ultimately stand to profit from the cruel trade.

There is no excuse for why this measure has not swiftly moved through Congress. Co-sponsorship of the AHSPA shows strong bipartisan support, as did the four overwhelming floor votes in favor of ending slaughter through temporary appropriations amendments. Public support for this bill comes from an unequalled coalition of organizations, including the humane and equine rescue communities, the horse industry, veterinarians and celebrities. The campaign to end horse slaughter has also exposed what is wrong with our political system. How is it that two or three members of Congress have the absolute authority to obstruct the democratic process, despite overwhelming support for such an important piece of legislation?

Yet we can still make a difference. The American people are being heard through the overwhelming number of calls, emails and faxes that have flooded Congress in support of this issue. The majority of legislators are listening. Now we must redouble our efforts. Please share the American Horse Slaughter Clock and this AWI eAlert with friends, family, coworkers and your legislators. It is imperative that the public be heard on this issue. While support so far has been overwhelming, we can do even better for the horses.

AWI will not stop its campaign on behalf of America's horses until the clock reads “Zero."

To show our unanimity on behalf of America's horses please add this image and this link (www.every5minutes.org) to your websites, Facebook and Myspace pages, emails and anywhere else you can to help spread the word.