SPRINGFIELD — A plan to make commercial horse slaughter legal in Illinois again cleared a legislative panel on Tuesday.
Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, is sponsoring the initiative since the state’s 2007 ban on the practice has raised problems concerning inhumane treatment of unwanted horses.
The Cavel commercial slaughtering plant in DeKalb formerly sold horse meat to foreign markets and was the last such operation in the nation.
Sacia said that horse owners have since found it too expensive to deal with aging or unwanted horses.
But Gail Vacca with the Illinois Equine Humane Center said that’s just an excuse.
Vacca said many of the supporters of horse slaughter are looking for an easy solution to a complicated problem.
However, Sacia contends that slaughter should be an option.
The proposal now moves to the House.
It is amazing that we continue to allow Sacia to waste our tax payer dollars on the nonsense every year. He says he has documented cases of abandonment and neglect. How is that different than the documented cases we had when Cavel was open? He says horses are being humanely shipped and killed in Mexico? How is that different than the thousands of horses that were shipped and killed in Mexico when Cavel was open? Did he forget about the documented cases of abuse and cruelty committed BY Cavel or the years of wastewater fines issued to Cavel?
Sacia still hasn’t addressed the fact that US horses are not raised as food animals and are not safe for human consumption. The EU has recognized this and at the end of July will no longer accept horses that have received prohibited substances which is just about every horse in the US. I’m surprised his vet that testified today isn’t aware of this since almost all horse meds clearly state, not intended for food animals.
Humane and slaughter don’t belong in the same sentence. Why don’t those horse owners who don’t want the aging horses euthanize them? Why have the horses been allowed to breed to excess? If I don’t want people in the US eating horse meat, I certainly am not in favor of serving it to people overseas.
Statement of Dr. Friedlander can be read at http://www.manesandtailsorganization.org/captive_bolt.htm THIS IS PROOF THAT SLAUGHTER BY CAPTIVE BOLT DOES NOT WORK WELL FOR HORSES AND IS INHUMANE. This is from a former USDA Vet/Inspector of horse slaughter houses. This is a disgrace. It is all about greed.
Just the name says it all “Slaughter”. It is the throw away mentality, we as Americans have about everything as a whole. The Kleenex factor, use and then just throw it away and its not just horses. It saddens me to see what humankind has reduced itself to. Have we again evolved to be barbarians?
Most of the excess horse problem in America is due to the irresponsible breeding of the AQHA and thoroughbred farms. We should be asking these breeders to adhere to limits in this tough economy. I would never let my horse go to slaughter, it is not humane as investigations have shown. The horses regain consciousness after 30 seconds and are fully aware they are being vivisected. Also, I would never send my horse to a rendering plant, I would bury it in a proper grave. Horses are noble intelligent creatures and slaughter is not humane nor necessary. Horses have carried us to our “manifest destiny”, plowed our fields, carried our soldiers in battle, won our races, and deserve dignity and respect. please visit wildhorsepl.org for more information on horse slaughter, let the facts speak for themselves.
I am absolutely horrified by this disgusting “news”!!I live “next door” to IL. in MO.,& I can NOT believe that you think bringing back commercial horse slaughter facilities is the answer to all the supposed “starving,unwanted,neglected” horses!! That is NOT the HUMANE answer,are you BLIND to what those animals go through?? Humane is NOT “throwing them away,or,brutally killing them”, like they are unliving,unFEELING,inanimate objects!!IL. is strapped for cash,&, DEEPLY in debt,so you think you can recoup cash from the sale of horses for human consumption?The ones who stand to make the most are the GREEDY breeders who PURPOSELY overbreed to sell to slaughter…think about it,no one would want to buy “meat” from a starving,sickly,old,”unwanted” animal,they are eating young, beautiful,healthy,& TRUSTING horses!!Oh yeah,don’t forget all the drugs that American horses are ROUTINLY given before YOU sit down to your nice,juicy “horse steak”!You SICKEN me,&, the VAST majority of Americans!!
please stop this cruel process of slaughtering horses!!! They are wonderful creatures and should be treated better than that!!!
Firstly, there is NO such thing as humane slaughter!!!!!! Do some research people, humane horse slaughter does not exist. Do you really want to start skinning horses alive again? Horses are rarely, if ever, rendered unconscious by one blow of any kind.
I think Sacia needs to get his facts straight. Horses are starving because of the economy and hard times, not because there is no longer slaughter. He should spend some time thinking of solutions to bolster the economy.
Most importantly, horses are not fit for consumption!! With all the wormers, vaccines, fly sprays, and bute, they are NOT fit for consumption, unlike animals bred for food.
I think horse slaughter is disgusting and shameful!!! The depth of human cruelty boggles my mind
Come on….this is just an excuse. Remember: this is NOT euthanasia it’s SLAUGHTER!
I do not think Sacia is giving the whole picture here.
The captive bolt has been rendered a “inhumane” method of killing
the horse and Congress has acknowledged such. Pres. Bush resigned
such a statement when in office. Sacia does not tell that the AQHA and
others BREED BREED and when they cant use their horses they want to throw
them to the kill buyers.
People choose to leave a horse out in the no where land because they
do not want it to die a brutal death. Also, the trips to slaughter are inhumane in the manner they are transported. Sacia forgot to explain how they kill
the horses in Mexico. By using the puntilla method, the horses are stabbed in
the neck until paralyzed and then slaughtered alive.
We need to stop this problem of the “overpopulated” horses at the breeding
barns. The economy in the past 3 yrs. has been devastating to horse owners
and the horses become the victim. This does not mean we need to open
an inhumane slaughter plant, all that does it invite more breeding for
those that dispose of horses like a piece of garbage.
Cavel had many issues and it created all sorts of environment problems.
This happens to the horse slaughter plants.
Bottom line is, horses are not meant to be slaughtered and people
use their excuse as its their right, no its not their right to treat
a horse, a live animal like it does not feel pain and suffering.
Besides the horse meat going to the EU now has to be drug free for 6 months before entering the food chain.
To think Sacia wants to charge a 25.00 fee for slaughter of a horse
to give to the ” horse rescues?”
All I can say is REMEMBER CAVEL, That nightmare says it all.
Say no to SACIA/
I wonder what would the others, because I think it’s very well-recognized issue. For their part, I add only that the article written excellently, until one reads nicely, and although my view is a bit different than the writer, it is difficult to reflect the lack of objectivity.