Horse meat ban effectively reversed

by Nicole Weston, Posted Apr 5th 2006 @ 11:58AM

Last fall, Congress passed legislation that ceased federal, tax-generated funding for the inspections of facilities used to slaughter horses for human consumption. Because all facilities must be inspected to operate, this effectively shut them down. They could not pay the inspection fees themselves. While not illegal in the US to eat horse meat, it is a disgusting idea to many diners, so the horse meat produced was typically exported to Japan or European countries, like France, Belgium and Italy.

This week, in response to aggressive lobbying efforts from pro-slaughter groups and the owners of the slaughtering plants, the Department of Agriculture amended its policy, which has essentially reversed the federal spending ban on equine slaughterhouse inspections by allowing the slaughterhouse inspection fees to be paid by the slaughterhouse or a third party. This means that they will once again be open for business. On of the congressional bill's sponsor's, said that the Department of Agriculture was "intent on going against what was very clearly the purpose of passing the amendment ... to end horse slaughter."

While there has been a great deal of controversy in the past over the treatment of horses destined for slaughter, the primary sticking point is whether horses should be considered to be companion animals, like cats and dogs, or livestock, like cows. The majority of people lean towards the former viewpoint, especially because almost all horses in the US are kept for pleasure and recreational purposes. This move on the part of the Department of Agriculture shows the pull of the slaughtering industry's money over both animal activists and popular opinion.

California is the only state to have a law completely banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

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Filed Under: Business, Newspapers
Tags: agriculture, ammendment, animal, bill, companion animal, congress, department of agriculture, horse, horse meat, law, legislation, livestock, lobby, lobbying, meat, pets, policy, slaughter, slaughterhouse

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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)

5-25-2006 @7:42PM Debra Buchanan said... There are valid arguments for and against the slaughter of horses for meat. The conditions of the slaughterhouses mentioned are not unique. The same conditions exist in the slaughterhouses for cows, and chickens. I have no personal experience regarding goats, sheep or any of the other "acceptable" meat animals. The same nail is used to zap the bovine in the head, and chickens are transported in cages as cramped as the dreaded two level horse trailer. Chickens are not able to even stand in the cages which are packed 15-20 high and sped down the road in all weather and high winds, at 60-80 miles an hour. In addition, they were raised in cramped conditions, fed hormones and never allowed to range. How is that humane? In my own humble opinion, if a horse is going to be euthanized, why no let their death be of benefit somewhere? I am not an eater of horse flesh, and could not slaughter one, but but if it were up to me to kill my own cow I couldn't do that either!
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