|
| Advocacy > Federal > Legislative activities > AVMA legislative agenda > Issue brief |
|
| |
| Issue brief |
| |
| AVMA Ideas for potentially dealing with Unwanted Horses |
| |
| Euthanasia concerns. Euthanasia, if necessary, must be done in accordance with approved methods as outlined in the most current Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia. |
| |
| Standards for Horse Retirement Programs. Regulatory oversight must be established for rescue and retirement facilities to assure the proper husbandry, treatment and welfare of the animals under their care. Additional appropriations must be provided to the regulatory body that will oversee these facilities. Standards of care may be in accordance with the AAEP's Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities |
| |
| Proper disposal of healthy and diseased carcasses. Additional research is needed on cost effective environmentally friendly carcass disposal methods. This research could be coordinated by USDA or EPA. These methods need to be in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulatory policies to prevent public and animal health issues. Any legislation must be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement. |
| |
| Education for the proper care of horses and disposition options. In cooperation with the equine community, USDA and state departments of agriculture need to develop and implement programs to educate present and future horse owners about the proper care of horses, including disposition options when the horse is no longer wanted, or is no longer useful to the owner. |
| |
Costs Related to the Care of the Horses: Care must potentially be provided for an additional 70,000 horses annually. The American Association of Equine Practitioners estimates that basic subsistence care would cost approximately $1825/horse/year resulting in needed funds of more than $127 million/year during the first year of enactment. In addition, whereas there may initially be 70,000 horses to care for, during subsequent years that number could be expected to increase by up to 70,000 per year, with a corresponding increase in cost. This legislation would need to address financial support required for unwanted horses that are voluntarily given up by their owners to horse rescue facilities, or for abandoned horses rescued by rescue facilities. Some potential approaches to this funding may include:
- Check off program
- User fee on horse recreation areas
- Tax on horse feed
- Tax breaks for charitable contributions to qualified rescue facilities
- Tax breaks for donation of horses
- Starting fee on horse racing
- Link fee to Animal ID program??
- Fee on horse registration
|
| |
Go to the Government Action Center |
| |
|
| | |
| | |
American Veterinary Medical Association
|
= AVMA/SAVMA Members Only
