Fresh Eyes on Horse Slaughter Sliding By
Something sneaky happened in the Senate yesterday.
It was supposed to be a routine amendment to a Texas Animal Health Commission bill – to test animals for diseases and help authorities catch animal thieves. But a closer reading indicates Sen. Hegar’s bill actually opens the door for the sale of horse meat for human consumption if the animals are first tested by the commission.
It’s unclear whether no one understood or no one cared – but the bill passed unanimously. Only Sens. Van de Putte and Watson voted against the amendment. Animal advocates in the House say there's no way they'll vote for the bill without stripping that provision.
What's amazing is how one little line can change an entire bill:
"(d) Chapter 149 does not apply to animals tested by the commission under this section."
Comments
just goes to show you what kind of people we have put in Texas goverment.
Texas is ranked one of the highest places for all animal abuse. Wonder why? no compassion.
Horse slaughter is so wrong and the foreign owner of the plants is a big NASTY FELLOW. BAD ONE DOING A BAD THING, BUT GOT LOTS OF MONEY!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Vicki Medlyn | May 11, 2007 12:41 PM
That's a clever approach. I was thinking they would introduce a bill on horses laughter and then do a technical correction on third reading.
Posted by: Dave | May 11, 2007 4:12 PM
Dave - OK, that one had me laughing out loud.
Posted by: Emily | May 11, 2007 4:18 PM
Goes to show why I quit voting for Republicans. First they're killing poor working people in Texas, now they want to slaughter horses.
Posted by: Martha Fanning | May 11, 2007 7:52 PM
Remind me why we think slaughtering horses is bad? Oh, because we think they have personalities. Right. It doesn't make sense to allow the slaughter of cows/pigs/insert animal of choice here, but not horses.
Posted by: Noonie | May 12, 2007 2:50 PM
Hats off cowboys to the Texas senate. Not only do these slick characters in Austin recall the public outrage against horse slaughter last year. But they do not seem to understand that since 1949 Texans have abhorred this practice. That year the legislature outlawed horse slaughter. Now after all the back scratching, how
much money did Dallas Crown
pass on or promise to pay
a couple of the good old boys down in Austin. Careful who you deal with fellows this company owes lots and lots of money to Kaufman. Deal with a thief and he will steal from you.
Posted by: Tony Crawford | May 12, 2007 9:42 PM
As a life member of AQHA and APHA and a breeder of horses for over 20 years - I also abhor the thought of slaughter. However, I was taught that one does not push for change unless one has a plan to deal with the "Afterwards".
If one looks at the situation of the horse after the slaughter bans were enacted "Our" horses are in a worse position than before. Instead of the process being under the overview of the USDA and Federal Regulations (1996 Farm bill pertaining to equid) - horse's are now trucked to Canada and Mexico where the oversight of the process doesn't exist to American Standards.
Visit the local sales and you'll see horses being sold for $50 or less, well broke riding horses being sold for $100 and a number of horses not being bid on.
Many owners across this nation have taken the route of "setting them free" to fend for themselves (and yes it really is happening) - Idaho has a small band of horses, some wearing halters, which were turned loose on BLM land and are now invading residential neighborhoods. Nevada has had this issue for years.
Austin, Texas Animal control just sold 3 animals at a local sale for $50 each. They were picked up running loose and the owners could not be found.
All I ask as a member of the horse community is - Anti-slaughter folks have a plan to deal with these "unwanteds" other than to depend on somebody else to handle the situation. For every usable horse there are 3 or 4 which require on-going medical attention, have poor dispositions and are unsafe for human interaction or are just too old to use.
Horses are "Livestock" not "companion animals". They are a 1000lb animal with a brain the size of a walnut and are reactive animals - they do not reason things through. They react to stimuli and those reactions can result in the death of a human.
With the cost of feed and hay, vet care, farrier care . . . many people don't want to take on 'pasture pets' at the cost of hundreds of dollars a month and as a result the rescues are full and many have stopped taking new horses. Many other rescues have gone out of business or the animals are not getting the best care.
My plea to all in favor of slaughter - don't push for a change unless you have a better plan to replace the old one with. Until a better plan for dealing with these "unwanteds" there is a very viable place for equine slaughter.
Posted by: PK House | May 14, 2007 7:53 AM
In response to PK House's suggestion that opponents of horse slaughter not push for change unless we have a "better plan to replace the old one with" I would direct him to www.thln.org. Then click on the "Horse Slaughter" link and go about half-way down the page to "Myths and Truths about Horse Slaughter". This will explain in precise detail why PK House is wrong and why horse slaughter for human consumption must remain illegal.
Posted by: Randy Turner | May 26, 2007 11:20 AM