Legislative Alert: Horse Slaughter

By Dr. Angela Demaree, Assistant Director of the GRD

A new bill, H.R. 6598, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, was introduced by Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on July 24. This new bill will do nothing to improve the welfare of horses or prevent equine cruelty as its name suggests. What it will do is criminalize the shipping, transporting, purchasing, possessing, selling, delivering or receiving -- in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce -- any horse (or part of a horse) with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption. Anyone who knowingly engages in these activities will be fined or imprisoned for up to three years, or both. It also gives the US Attorney General authority to seize horses they believe are intended for slaughter, and it directs the Attorney General to provide for their humane placement or other humane disposition. However, it does not provide additional funding for the Attorney General to accomplish this task.

Not only will it be difficult to prosecute the individuals because it can be difficult to prove intent, but giving the Attorney General this authority could undermine USDA's current Slaughter Horse Transport Program. USDA is currently able to assess civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation (per horse) to those who violate the proper transportation methods for equines intended for slaughter.

The passage of H.R. 6598 could significantly decrease the welfare of horses transported long distances to slaughter because they would simply ship the horses for "other" purposes and reroute these animals to slaughter once they are in another country. While the AVMA DOES NOT advocate for the slaughter of unwanted horses, we want to ensure the welfare of these horses during transportation within the United States. In fact, during the recent hearing on H.R. 6598 held before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on July 31, 2008, Mr. Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, testified that the "central animal welfare issue" is the transportation of horses, not the method of euthanasia.

You are now probably wondering how this new bill differs from H.R. 503, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Aside from being before the Judiciary Committee rather than the Committees on Agriculture and Energy and Commerce and giving the Attorney General enforcement authority rather than amending the Horse Protection Act which resides with the Secretary of Agriculture, not much. Neither addresses the welfare of these "unwanted horses."

If you don't make your voice heard, this bill is likely to move quickly through Congress and do NOTHING to improve the Welfare of our Nation's Unwanted Horse Population. In fact, there are so many reports of unwanted, neglected, and abandoned horses, that we've organized these media reports by state and posted them on the AVMA website.

You can TAKE ACTION by joining our Congressional Advocacy Network and sending a personalized message or making a phone call to your congressional representative to express your concern with this new legislation. Don't forget to take a look at the Media Reports from your state and use that information when you contact your representative to underscore the dire situation in your area!

For more information, contact Dr. Angela Demaree at ademaree@avma.org.