We Can't Slaughter our Way To Horse Welfare - May 26, 2009

This was written before the issue of American horses being unfit for human consumption because of contamination with drugs even came up. 

“May 26, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Duane Burright

duane_burright@yahoo.com

We can’t slaughter our way to horse welfare by Duane Burright

CHICAGO, (EWA) By now everyone is familiar with the subject of horses being neglected or starved, along with the claims from those in agricultural circles that slaughter is “necessary” to prevent horse neglect and that it is a way to dispose of unwanted horses. I’ve been hearing that litany from all of the agricultural publications and blogs, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), various state Farm Bureaus and from a group of clueless politicians including Illinois Rep. Jim Sacia, Sue Wallis of Wyoming and former Texas congressman and paid slaughter lobbyist, Charles Stenholm.

I find it odd that they see slaughter as being the solution for horse neglect, but when it comes to neglected or starving cattle, they are stumped. In this USA Today article Starving cattle amid high prices for feed in Neb, Steven Stanec, executive director of the Nebraska Brand Committee, a state agency that helps police the cattle industry stated that “Neglect cases are on the rise, and what’s causing it, I’m not sure. We’re having whole herds of hundreds of cattle being neglected.”

In doing a simple Google search I found other related headlines which show that cattle starving to death is a fairly widespread problem. Officials raid farm with 30 dead, 100 plus starving cows, Starving cows rescued near Paisley on road to recovery and Starving cattle seized in Lake County.

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 34.4 million cattle were slaughtered in 2008, that’s an average of 94,247 cows slaughtered per day. According to Cattle Network, beef production is up over last year.

Now with all of those cattle going to slaughter, one would wonder why cattle neglect is happening. Using the logic that the AQHA, AVMA, NCBA, Farm Bureaus and the other proponents of the horse slaughter industry apply to starving or neglected horses that “slaughtering prevents neglect”, one would think that we wouldn’t have problems with starving or neglected cattle. Yet guys like Steven Stanec aren’t sure why cattle neglect cases are on the rise.

What further weakens the argument that "slaughter is needed to prevent horse neglect" is that while all of these articles have been written about neglected and starving horses, the option of horse slaughter has been available in the United States. Horse owners can take the horses they no longer want to keep to the local livestock auction and the neighborhood friendly kill buyers will happily take the horse off their hands.

According to statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 134,059 American horses have been slaughtered at the European owned plants in Canada and Mexico in 2008. American horses still continue to go to slaughter as you read this, so the slaughter pipeline continues to function despite the claims to the contrary.

The reality is that slaughter has nothing to do with animal welfare. Since slaughter apparently doesn’t magically solve the problem of starving and neglected cattle, it is fallacy to think that slaughter will solve the problem of starving and neglected horses. The problem of cattle being neglected is due to the current economic crisis, that same economic crisis is making it difficult for horse owners.

In fact, a study released in June of 2008 showed there was no correlation between horse slaughter and neglect, but a clear linkage between unemployment and neglect. Prophetically, the study warned in its conclusions that if economic conditions continued to deteriorate an upward trend in neglect could be expected.

The AQHA, AVMA, NCBA, Farm Bureaus and all of their political allies put a lot of time, energy and money into supporting horse slaughter. If these special interest groups were to focus all of those resources on solving the nation’s economic problems rather than supporting a foreign owned industry that doesn't even pay their taxes, we might be able to get something done.

It is a pity they are so narrow minded.

Duane Burright is a software engineer by trade, aside from horses and their welfare he’s also interested in American musclecars, vintage electric fans, computers and software design. He has been involved in the campaign to make the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) law since 2003 and is a supporter of a nearby wild horse sanctuary.”

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AAEP Brochure

Equine Welfare

Unwanted Horse - Feb 3rd, 09

An AAEP Brochure

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), animal welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, humane handling and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.

Both science and society have a role to play in deciding what constitutes an appropriate level of animal welfare. While science can determine what type of degree of animal welfare risk exists under specific circumstances, it cannot determine what type of degree of risk is acceptable – that is the question that society decides.

Different people emphasize different factors when evaluating the welfare of animals. None of these views is inherently right or wrong. And people may hold more than one view at a time. They may consider:

• The basic health and function of the body (functional view).
• How an animal “feels,” that is, its physiological state, such as pain, suffering or contentment (positive affective states views).
• An animal’s ability to lead a reasonably natural life and perform behaviors in which it might normally engage (natural living view).

When the welfare of horses is assessed, their broad athletic, economic and recreational uses are also considered.

National Issues

A number of issues that affect the welfare of horses are a focus for many individuals and organizations, including equine veterinarians. The AAEP has developed position statements for the following issues:

• Transportation and Processing of Horses

• Management of Mares Utilized in the PMU Collection Industry

• Use of Horses in Urban Environments

• Use of Vesicants

• Practice of Soring

• Practice of Tail Docking

• Thermocautery or Pin Firing

• Therapeutic Medications in Racehorses

• Therapeutic Medications in Non-Racing Performance Horses

• Stewardship of the Horse

The plight of the unwanted horse also is a growing welfare issue. The Unwanted Horse Coalition, a broad alliance of national equine organizations joined together under the American Horse Council, is concerned that some horses may slip through the various safety nets within the horse industry. The Coalition is working to educate industry groups about this important issue and help people learn to “own responsibly.”

Local Issues

Veterinarians and horse owners have legal and ethical obligations to ensure the welfare of horses. Some states require veterinarians to report animal cruelty. The AVMA recognizes that veterinarians may observe cases of animal neglect and abuse as defined by federal or state laws, or local ordinances. When these situations cannot be resolved through education, the AVMA considers it the responsibility of the veterinarian to report such cases to appropriate authorities, such as:

• Police Department or County Sheriff

• Animal Control

• Humane Society

• State Department of Agriculture

Horse owners are not required by law to report instances of animal cruelty. However, most states require that an animal’s owner or caregiver provide a minimum level of care. Generally, this care includes food, water, shelter and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering. Horse owners can promote equine welfare by becoming educated and working proactively to address widespread concerns within the industry and by reporting local horse neglect or abuse to authorities.

Euthanasia Guidelines

There may come a time when, for humane, medical, economic or safety reasons, an owner may need to consider euthanasia for their horse. The decision to euthanize, or induce a painless death, should never be made without careful consideration. The right choice is clearly the one that is in the best interest of the horse and the people who care for it. A veterinarian can aid clients in making a timely decision, prepare the owner for what will happen and ensure the horse’s life is ended as painlessly and distress-free as possible. The following questions may be helpful:

• Is the horse suffering?
• What is the likelihood of recovery or at least an acceptable return to usefulness?
• Has the horse become depressed or despondent or does it continue to show an interest and desire to live?
• How much discomfort or distress can the owner expect the horse to endure?
• What kind of special care will this horse require and can the owner meet its needs?
• Can the owner continue to provide for this horse economically?
• What are the alternatives?

Welfare Issues

Below are Web sites that offer more detailed information that has been presented here:

www.aaep.org

The AAEP Ethical Guidelines and Position Statements are available here. An additional brochure – Euthanasia: The Most Difficult Decision – is available as well as Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities.

www.avma.org

The AVMA’s animal welfare policies, background information on issues and news articles on welfare can be found here. A brochure – How Do I Know It Is Time? Equine Euthanasia – is also available.

www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org

The mission of the Unwanted Horse Coalition is to reduce the number of unwanted horses and to improve their welfare through education and the efforts of organizations committed to the health, safety and responsible care and disposition of these horses.

www.horsecouncil.org

The American Horse Council is the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C.

Local Contacts

Your veterinarian ______________________________________________________________

Police or County Sheriff ______________________________________________________________

Animal Control ______________________________________________________________

Humane Society ______________________________________________________________

State Dept. of Agriculture _______________________________________________________________

This brochure/ article was produced by the AAEP. To order copies of the brochure for your organization, click here.

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