Anti-slaughter legislation

Article Outline

• Copyright

It is impossible to pick up a horse magazine and not see an article on the controversial issue of equine slaughterhouses. Just recently, there were a large number of veterinarians logging onto the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) listserv to discuss the pros and cons of equine slaughterhouses. Obviously, this is not a simple matter, but a very complex issue on which individuals are quite polarized. Some believe that there is no place at all for slaughter of horses, whereas others believe that slaughter facilities provide a necessary means of taking care of the unwanted horse.

David Foley, Executive Director of the AAEP, recently sent a message to the AAEP listserv to clarify the current position of AAEP. They oppose the current legislation of H.B. 503 because the bill does not address the problem of unwanted horses: “They seek to ban horse slaughter without providing any options or funding to take care of the 80,000 to 100,000 unwanted horses that will result from this option being taken away. Additionally, the passage of these bills will not stop slaughter. These horses will simply be subjected to longer van rides as they go across the borders to Canada and Mexico.”

As most of us know, many organizations came together in Washington, DC, to discuss the fate of the unwanted horse. As Tom Lenz stated, “This is a very complex issue that is going to have to be solved by the horse industry, not legislators or animal rights groups.” It is encouraging to see that many breed registries, state horse councils, the American Horse Council, AAEP, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have devoted extensive efforts to developing solutions for the unwanted horse. It is certain that this work will continue in educating the horse owner on responsibilities for horse ownership and the available options for horses that are not wanted.

Certainly, not everyone agrees with the position that AAEP has taken; very strong arguments have been presented that horse slaughter should be eliminated and that banning of horse slaughter will not result in an increase in abuse or neglect. Some suggest that enough rescue and shelter facilities will be made available to absorb the thousands of unwanted horses that may result from closure of the slaughter plants. Only time will tell as to which opinion is correct.

It is my hope that the veterinary community will continue to be involved in this discussion and will seek to acquire accurate and non-biased information that can be used to make good decisions. By the time this editorial appears, I will have attended the American Quarter Horse Convention in Seattle during the first week of March. AQHA has always been a leader in developing policy and providing support to the American Horse Council. Breed registries that have made the effort to become involved in such an important issue should be commended for their efforts.