Treachery of Congressional Horse Slaughter Cabal Exposed in Ad Campaign

January 1, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

John Holland

540-268-5693

john@equinewelfarealliance.org

Vicki Tobin

630.961.9292

vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org

Treachery of Congressional Horse Slaughter Cabal Exposed in Ad Campaign

Chicago (EWA) – Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) launched a major campaign on December 30 to expose the underhanded move by Rep. Jack Kingston (GA) and Sens. Kohl (WI) and Blunt (MO) that reinstated horse inspections and opened the way for horse slaughter to return to US soil.

On a must pass bill, the three legislators in a tiny committee, quietly removed the language that prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to fund horse inspections. The action effectively legalized horse slaughter in the US without a debate in the full house and senate, where a straight vote would have failed.

The ad campaign was launched in major theaters running the War Horse film in the legislator’s districts and also reached out to Montana and Wyoming to cover Sen. Baucus and state Rep. Sue Wallis who has become the face of horse slaughter as well as Wallis’ Representative Cynthia Lummis of WY.

Featured in the ad is a remarkable Korean War hero; an equine named Reckless. The ad uses this one remarkable equine and her war time heroism to make the point that horses are our animal partners and not just “livestock”, explains EWA Vice President Vicki Tobin.

Sgt. Reckless hauled supplies to Marines, carried wounded off the battle field, was wounded twice, and performed many of her duties without a handler. Staff Sergeant Reckless was a beloved legend of the Marine Corps. She was promoted to sergeant in 1957 and then to staff sergeant in 1959 by the Commandant of the Marines. She was retired in 1960 to Camp Pendleton and when she died in 1968, she was buried at Camp Pendleton with full military honors.

Rep. Jack Kingston excused his action saying horses were “just like cows”.

If the funding move was designed to deal a death blow to the anti-slaughter movement it appears to have had the opposite effect. “We were able to raise the funding for the campaign and produce it in just two weeks”, explained Tobin.

If the funding move was designed to deal a death blow to the anti-slaughter movement it appears to have had the opposite effect. “We were able to raise the funding for the campaign and produce it in just two weeks”, explained Tobin.

The move has not been popular with Congress either. With an all time low approval rating, members did not need such a blatant example of pandering to special interests. Over 50 Congressmen and Senators signed on as cosponsors of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 2966 / S. 1176) after the language was removed.

John Holland, president of EWA stated “This is not the end. We want to send a message that if you betray our horses we will haunt you to the ends of the earth. We will continue to attack these individuals as long as we have resources and they are in office.” When asked why the EWA was attacking Senator Kohl, given that he has announced he will not run for reelection, Holland said “We want his successor to have an example.”

The funding action is seen by the EWA as just one more example of how special interests are running our country and through the ad campaign, the EWA is joining the growing chorus shouting“enough is enough”. Legislation should be enacted because of its merits, not the deep pockets of Big Agriculture or any other special interest group. Our horses belong in the horse industry, not a foreign meat business.

EWA and equine advocates across the country are calling on President Obama to stand up against special interests as he promised and issue an immediate executive order to ban the slaughter  to slaughter of America’s domestic and wild horses.

Link to the ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlv7P6xWekE

Link to ad referral site: www.realwarhorse.com

Link to EWA site: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Real_War_Horse.html

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 210 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids. www.equinewelfarealliance.org