Bring up the subject of federal spending, and you are likely to think of roads, national defense, or disaster reconstruction. You may not imagine that delving into the complex machinery of federal spending can yield tremendous opportunities to advance animal protection. Congress controls how our tax dollars are used, so if you can cut federal funding for activities that harm animals or aid in their exploitation, you can reduce or even stop those activities.
On September 20, the U.S. Senate approved three amendments to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that signal the demise of horse slaughter for human consumption overseas, could prevent downed animals—those too sick or injured to walk on their own—from entering the humane food supply, and would end the trafficking in stolen pets for research.
Victory for Horses
"The time to end this slaughter is now." Senator John Ensign (R-NV) spoke these definitive words on the floor of the U.S. Senate on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 20. He encouraged his colleagues to support his amendment to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill to prohibit the use of any federal taxpayer funds to slaughter horses for food exports. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), the amendment's lead co-sponsor, echoed this call, and implored other senators to "end the slaughter of one of the most precious American symbols."
No senator spoke in opposition to the provision and the Senate approved the Ensign-Byrd amendment by an overwhelming majority, 68-29. Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) joined as amendment co-sponsors, adding a foundation of bi-partisan support.
The Ensign-Byrd amendment mirrors an amendment to the House version of the Agriculture Appropriations bill that passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 269-158 in June, which was led by Reps. John Sweeney (R-NY), John Spratt (D-SC), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Ed Whitfield (R-KY). Together, these measures will effectively stop America's horses from being killed in three slaughterhouses in the United States—two in Texas and one in Illinois—that slaughter horses, or from being shipped live to slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico, so that their meat can be frozen, packed, and exported to foreign countries.
"Every year, more than 90,000 American horses—thoroughbreds, family ponies, and others—are slaughtered for human consumption abroad in countries such as France, Belgium, and Japan," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). "These magnificent creatures have been part of the fabric of American life for centuries. They faithfully plowed our fields, carried our loads, and helped us in war and peace. The House and Senate have both stated decisively that horses deserve better than to be hoisted by a rear leg, cut with a long blade, and bled out for the purpose of being served to foreign gourmands."
The HSUS placed full-page ads supporting the amendment in The Washington Times, Roll Call, and The Hill in the days leading up to the Senate vote.
"Killer buyers" (middlemen for slaughterhouses) deliberately purchase horses from well-intentioned families who believe that their horse is going to a good home and frequently have no idea that their beloved companion animal is slated for slaughter. These animals are often transported with no food, water, or rest, frequently for unbearably long distances, crammed together so tightly under low truck ceilings that they cannot even hold their heads upright. Slippery floor surfaces in the transport trucks, coupled with overcrowding, lead to horses slipping, falling, and being trampled. Once they arrive, horses are often improperly stunned, due in part to their biological flight response, and are sometimes completely conscious when hoisted by a rear leg to have their throats cut.
"Many Americans would be shocked to learn that our animals suffer such a fate, all in order to satisfy the tastes of those living in Europe and Asia," said Senator Byrd.
The House and Senate amendments are identical and, since they have the support of key members of both the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and the Agriculture Committee, there should be no problem with the language being accepted and approved in the final version of the Agriculture Appropriations bill.
In May, the U.S. House passed an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that removed the Bureau of Land Management's funding for wild horse slaughter. In spite of this landslide bipartisan vote (249-159), this amendment was not included in the Senate version of the Interior Appropriations bill, and it was ultimately left out of the final version of the bill. Senator Burns, who led the charge in late 2004 to strip wild horses of federal protection from slaughter, is the Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, so it was not entirely unexpected that this amendment was stripped.
Fortunately for our wild horses, the Ensign-Byrd and Sweeney-Spratt-Rahall-Whitfield amendments will shut down all horse slaughter, thus returning a measure of protection to our remaining wild horse populations.
More Victories for Animals
Before the vote on the Ensign-Byrd amendment, the Senate approved, by voice vote, two additional animal welfare amendments introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI). One amendment would ensure that "downed livestock" are not allowed into the human food supply by prohibiting USDA inspectors from approving meat from such animals. Downed animals suffer terribly if forced to endure the long and crowded journey to the slaughterhouse. Cows, pigs, and other animals who go down are often dragged by chains or bulldozers, or simply left to die. A ban on downed animals means that stockyard operators would have more incentive for humanely euthanizing a sick or injured animal rather than risk transporting the animal to a slaughterhouse that may refuse to take the animal if he or she goes down during the journey.
The second amendment would prohibit tax dollars from being used for research facilities that purchase animals from "Class B dealers" who traffic in family pets for research. Historically, Class B dealers have been notorious for various unsavory practices, such as acquiring dogs from free-to-good home ads under false pretenses, stealing pets, and housing animals under inhumane conditions.
"USDA cannot provide an assurance that illegal acquired pets are not being sold by Class B dealers. This is a problem that is certain to grow in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with the thousands of animals placed in shelters," said Senator Akaka.
Persistence Pays Off
The HSUS and other groups have been working for years on these issues. That these victories were won when so much of our attention, and resources, were focused on our efforts to rescue animals left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, make them all the more gratifying.
