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Horse slaughter in Illinois

Horse slaughter in Illinois

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Illinois State Representatives	Illinois State Senators

Contact: Chris Heyde 703-836-4300

May 22, 2008

ILLINOIS FARM BUREAU KILLS BILL TO BAN INHUMANE TRANSPORT OF HORSES

Springfield, IL (May 22, 2008) – Despite strong support for a bill banning the use of double deck trailers for hauling horses in Illinois, the legislation died earlier this week in a Senate Committee following a disingenuous lobbying effort by the Illinois Farm Bureau. H.B. 4162 was introduced following the horrific “Wadsworth Crash” of 2007 in which 59 Belgian draft horses were severely or fatally injured after the double-deck trailer they were being transported in was overturned.

It is common knowledge that transporting horses on such vehicles that are actually designed for smaller species like cattle and hogs is not only inhumane but unsafe, given their top-heavy nature. The bill died when the Illinois Farm Bureau insisted on attaching an amendment that would have exempted double-deck “horse” trailers, arguing that a humane double-decker specifically designed for horses might be built in the future.

In truth, no such vehicle could be engineered that would be both comfortable for the horses and safe for transport on U.S. roads and highways; such a vehicle would need to be at least 17’ tall and in reality even higher, would be dangerously top-heavy and would exceed the clearance space in many tunnels and overpasses. Ultimately, since no regulatory definition of a “horse” trailer exists, the amendment would have had the real effect of allowing unscrupulous transporters to still put their horses on a double-decker originally designed for cattle, simply call it a “horse” trailer, and bypass the proposed law.

While the Illinois Farm Bureau attempted to present itself as reasoned and caring, it was clear to those working the inside that the organization had only one objective in this instance: to defeat any measure that would have led to the more humane transport of horses in Illinois. Often being on the opposite side of basic animal welfare measures, the Illinois Farm Bureau outdid itself this time, and was clearly out of step with the majority. The American Veterinary Medical Association, US Department of Agriculture, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Animal Welfare Institute, and many Illinois horse owners and horse transport companies all support an end to the transport of horses on double-deckers.

“The AWI commends the sponsors of H.B. 4162, Representative JoAnn Osmond, Representative Bob Molaro and Senator John Cullerton for fighting to protect horses from this cruel form of transportation,” said Heyde. “Their commitment to equine welfare is commendable. We look forward to working with them and other compassionate legislators in the future to ban the transport of horses via double-deck trailers in Illinois. The fight is far from over.”

Contact: Tracy Silverman, Esq. 703-836-4300
Chris Heyde 202-423-8689

October 3, 2007

Slaughter of American Horses in Mexico is Indefensible - Congress Must Pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Now

Washington, DC (Oct. 3, 2007) - Now that horse slaughter has effectively ended in the United States, the pro-horse slaughter camp is claiming it was right about the need to keep slaughter an option in the US. They say that our horses are facing a far worse fate in Mexico and Canada than they were when they could be slaughtered in America. This is yet another "red-herring" argument advanced by the pro-horse slaughter side to distract humane Americans from the ultimate goal of protecting all American horses from slaughter via passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 311/HR. 503). This legislation will end the slaughter of American horses here and their export for slaughter abroad.

Because there is no legitimate defense of horse slaughter as a "necessary evil," organizations supporting the cruelty such as the American Farm Bureau, American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners, have promoted various myths to defend the abhorrent practice. First, they told everyone that cruelty would increase without slaughter, but data from California and Illinois proved just the opposite to be true. They told everyone that horse abandonment would be epidemic if slaughter was no longer an option, yet once again the facts and historical evidence deemed this to be untrue. In fact, these two arguments, if taken to have any credibly, would imply that horse slaughter offers a financial reward to individuals who would illegally neglect or abandon their horses if the cruel option of slaughter were withdrawn.

Now these few groups and the remnants of the domestic horse slaughter industry are circulating a new myth - that they were acting on humane principals in fighting a ban on horse slaughter, arguing that it would be worse for the horses to be sent to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. Ironically, this is perhaps the single point on which both sides agree. "The fate of horses being sent to slaughter in Mexico is horrific, however, we are working to stop it while the pro- horse slaughter camp fights to perpetuate the cruelty," says Animal Welfare Institute Deputy Legislative Director, Chris Heyde.

Not only are these organizations actively lobbying Congress to block passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would prohibit the export of our horses to Mexico for slaughter, but the pro-horse slaughter lobby, which consists of the groups mentioned above and the owners of the Cavel, BelTex and Dallas Crown horse slaughterhouses, fails to mention that the plants (specifically BelTex and Cavel) are actively buying tens of thousands of American horses and shipping them to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. They are actively engaged in a trade which they admit leads to increased animal cruelty.

As leaders in the campaign to end horse slaughter, the Animal Welfare Institute's primary goal has always been passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. "Only with this legislation will we have the tools to stop horses from being exported to other countries for slaughter," states Heyde. "If the American Veterinary Medical Association and other contingents of the pro-horse slaughter lobby are truly concerned about the suffering of American horses at the hands of Mexican slaughterhouse workers, now is the time to join us in working to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act into law."

The Animal Welfare Institute, founded in 1951, is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. Our legislative division is leading the national campaign to end horse slaughter and advocating passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. For more information, please visit www.awionline.org and www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.

Legislative update

HB 1711

Date Chamber Action

2/22/2007 House Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Robert S. Molaro
2/22/2007 House First Reading
2/22/2007 House Referred to Rules Committee
2/27/2007 House Assigned to Executive Committee
2/28/2007 House Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. John A. Fritchey
3/1/2007 House Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
3/7/2007 House Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Coulson
3/8/2007 House Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel J. Burke
3/14/2007 House Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert Rita
3/15/2007 House Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez
3/21/2007 House House Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Executive Committee
3/21/2007 House House Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Executive Committee; by Voice Vote
3/21/2007 House Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Executive Committee; 008-004-000
3/21/2007 House Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
3/27/2007 House Second Reading - Short Debate
3/27/2007 House Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
4/17/2007 House Removed from Short Debate Status
4/17/2007 House Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Standard Debate
4/17/2007 House Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Eddie Washington
4/18/2007 House Third Reading - Standard Debate - Passed 074-041-000
4/20/2007 Senate Arrive in Senate
4/20/2007 Senate Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
4/20/2007 Senate Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John J. Cullerton
4/20/2007 Senate Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Pamela J. Althoff
4/20/2007 Senate First Reading
4/20/2007 Senate Referred to Rules
4/25/2007 Senate Assigned to Public Health
5/2/2007 Senate Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Don Harmon
5/3/2007 Senate Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
5/10/2007 Senate Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Donne E. Trotter
5/15/2007 Senate Do Pass Public Health; 007-000-000
5/15/2007 Senate Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 16, 2007
5/15/2007 Senate Second Reading
5/15/2007 Senate Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 16, 2007
5/16/2007 Senate Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Ira I. Silverstein
5/16/2007 Senate Third Reading - Passed; 039-016-002
5/16/2007 House Passed Both Houses
5/22/2007 House Sent to the Governor
5/24/2007 House Governor Approved
5/24/2007 House Public Act . . . . . . . . . 95-0002