Equine Slaughter

There is a new issue facing U.S. agriculture and the general public. In two words, equine slaughter. This issue has polarized the United States for decades and now the debate has been blown wide open yet again. In November, President Barack Obama signed a spending law which included an obscure line restoring funding for inspection of plants slaughtering horses used for human consumption in the U.S. This had been stripped due to a campaign by animal rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals back in 2006. Now, with funding back, over 25 states are investigating the possibility of bringing in equine slaughterhouses to boost their economies. I believe this is a terrific plus for the equine industry. Is that a shocked gasp I hear? You think it's cruel and wrong to slaughter horses? Let me explain my stance. Since the state shutdown of the last slaughter plant in Illinois, suffering for horses too old or too sick to work or even live long, has multiplied many times over. This is due to the fact that horses are being shipped to Mexico and Canada to be killed. I must point out that conditions in Mexican slaughter houses are absolutely horrific. There are numerous reports of horses still being alive as they are butchered. There are many other animal welfare problems in these slaughterhouses, however, due to time constraints and the sensibilities of my readers, I will not discuss them here. In this economy, many horse owners cannot afford to keep a horse that can no longer work. Many groups attempt to rescue these horses but they have limited resources. This causes many horses to be euthanized and disposed of in a manner whereby they do not serve any useful purpose. Allowing horse slaughter will help end the unnecessary suffering of thousands of horses across the United States. Horses are also protected under the Humane Animal Slaughter Act of 1958 which requires all animals thus protected to be stunned before slaughter EXCEPT for some instances of Kosher or Halil slaughter. Horse slaughter houses will also create large numbers of jobs, boosting the economies of those states that have them. This issue is really beneficial for all parties concerned, including the horses that are currently being shipped to Mexico.