WASHINGTON,
D.C. (June 18, 2008) – Today, The American Horse Council
(AHC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a
conference entitled “The Unwanted Horse Issue: What Now?”
Despite constant assurances from USDA organizers that this event
would have nothing to do with horse slaughter the meeting turned out
to be exactly
what
the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) had anticipated from the start;
a platform for a stacked panel of pro-slaughter representatives to
further promote the practice of horse slaughter under the guise of
talking about the “unwanted horse” population.
“Having the United States Department of Agriculture endorse an event
like this really is a shame. What we need is a truly balanced debate
that addresses sound, humane solutions to horse welfare issues.
Unfortunately it seems like today’s intentions lie less with the
interests of the horses and more with the interest of profit,” said
Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for
AWI.
What can only be described as a largely one-sided event, proponents
of horse slaughter once again used their “unwanted horse” campaign
as a way to perpetuate the idea that horse slaughter is a necessary
evil without which horses will be subjected to mass neglect or
abandonment. During the forum, slaughter proponents offered no
solutions or options on how to fix the problem of unwanted horses,
but continuously insisted that slaughtering is a humane way of
dealing with surplus horses.
What they failed to mention about their supposedly humane solution
are the thousands of miles that horses are made to travel without
rest, food, or water, in cramped double deck trailers on their way
to the slaughter house and the brutal way in which they are killed.
“I came to attend an open forum about caring for horses, and all I
heard about is that horses are personal property that can and should
be slaughtered if the owners of this property want to do so,” said
Dr. John Boyd, President of The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA).
“When I tried to inform the audience of our recently announced
initiative with AWI, “Project Wanted Horse”, which will help care
for America’s horses in need, I was immediately shot down. I thought
this was a forum to discuss solutions, not squash ideas.”
In the ultimate act of hypocrisy, the event included a keynote
address by former Congressman and current horse meat industry
lobbyist Charlie Stenholm announcing a systematic effort to go to
county and state associations and legislatures with their campaign
in support of horse slaughter. If he can’t mislead the Congress and
the American public on the issue he will try on another level.
“It is hard to believe that the USDA and The American Horse Council
really expect a “balanced” debate from an industry paid lobbyist. It
seems like once again, special interests and profits are being put
before welfare,” noted Heyde.
CONTACT:
Chris Heyde, (703) 836-4300
For over 57 years the Animal
Welfare Institute has been the leading voice for animals across the
country and on Capitol Hill to reduce the sum total of pain and fear
inflicted on animals by humans. To learn more about us, please visit
www.awionline.org.
The National
Black Farmers Association was founded in 1995. Today the NBFA has
more than 94,000 members. For more information, please visit our Web
site at:
www.blackfarmers.org.
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