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- Become a citizen co-sponsor of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act today!
H.R.503 and S727.
Log on here to see if your two U.S. Senators and your
U.S. Representative are co-sponsors of this very important
legislation. If they are not, please urge them to cosponsor H.R.503 and S727.
You can reach the Capitol swithboard at 202-224-3121.
Action Alert: January 2010
http://www.awionline.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/18281/pid/11187House Committee to Hold Hearing on Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act - Calls Needed Today!Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Dear Humanitarian:
The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security has just announced that it will hold a hearing on H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, on Tuesday, February 2, at 4:00 p.m. This bill, sponsored by full Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and cosponsored by a majority of the Committee, is identical to legislation overwhelmingly approved by the same Committee last year. During the past year, pro-horse-slaughter advocates and organizations have stepped up their misinformation campaign. Instead of working to help improve the welfare of horses, they have been distorting information and using unsubstantiated claims to justify horse slaughter. Unfortunately, a few organizations continue to block this responsible and humane legislation, thus prolonging the unnecessary suffering of approximately 100,000 horses per year. Horse owners, veterinarians and animal welfare advocates must continue to fight for America’s horses and push toward the passage of H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. To find contact information and cosponsorship status for your Representative, visit the Compassion Index at http://www.compassionindex.org/. Be sure to call and thank your Representative if he/she is already among the 178 current cosponsors of this bill. Most importantly, check the list below; if your Representative is a member of the Judiciary Committee, it is especially important that he/she hear from you right away. In addition to the message about cosponsorship, please also ask him/her to support the bill in committee should it come up for a vote. For additional information on H.R. 503 (and other animal protection issues), visit our website at http://www.awionline.org/. Thank you for your help! |
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Please Help Save America's Horses
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED - 6/22/09
What You Can Do to Help Save Cloud's Herd and America's Wild Horses
Over 40% of America’s wild horses have been removed from the wild from
2000-2008 alone and if the agency responsible for managing our wild horses,
the Bureau of Land Management, does not change we are in danger of losing
the last of our wild horses. Over 100 herds have been zeroed out from the
over 19 million acres legally designated for their use. The BLM needs to
return wild horses to these areas—over 30,000 are currently in government
holding.
As few as 13,600 wild horses remain in designated public land herd areas
in ten western states in America, among them is Cloud’s herd in the Pryor
Mountain area of Montana and Wyoming. Only 25% of our wild herds are
currently at genetically viable population levels! Cloud’s herd is one of these
although a massive round-up planned for August 2009 would change this.
The round-up would result in 60 horses losing their families and their
freedom, including some horses who have lived their entire 20+ years
in the wild. We must stop the destruction of Cloud’s herd and work for
the sustainable future of all our wild horse herds across the west.
Congressmen Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
have stepped forward to make real and positive changes to the
Wild Horse and Burro program with their recently introduced
bill HR 1018. Please write to them to thank them for their hard work.
You can read Ginger Kathrens’ comments and suggestions to the
congressmen here.
Here is a short list of government contacts --
please write, e-mail and/or call on behalf of Cloud and all our wild mustangs.
Contact the following agencies and representatives
PRESIDENT:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comment line: 202-456-1111
www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
CONGRESS:
1. Stop the BLM from managing our wild horses to extinction.
2. Halt all round-ups of wild horses until range conditions and herd
numbers can be verified.
3. Return wild horses in holding to the 100+ herd areas
(19+ million acres) that have been zeroed out.
4. Expand the Pryor Mountain. Wild Horse Range for Cloud’s
Herd & protect herd at viable population level of at least
150 adult horses until range is expanded.
Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV)
2307 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3452
email
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
1440 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
ph (202) 225-2435
fax (202) 225-1541
Email to: Laurel.Angell@mail.house.gov
Your US Senators and Congress people
Montana Senator Max Baucus (D)—specific to Cloud’s herd
511 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510, phone: 202-224-2651
e-mail from: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Montana Senator Jon Tester (D)—specific to Cloud’s herd
204 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC, 20510,
phone: 202-224-2644, e-mail from: http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee:
304 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-4971, Fax: (202) 224-6163, e-mail all 23 members at http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Reinstate wild horse protections removed in 2004 by the Burns Rider and include language in the bill that would prevent BLM from destroying healthy wild horses.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR- BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
1. Work to expand the legal boundaries of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to include the historic and current use areas in the Custer National Forest. This will allow for a truly viable herd of 200-300 mustangs.
2. Keep the population at a viable number of at least 150 adults until range expansion is achieved. This will allow for the preservation of the rare Spanish genetics of the herd. Bringing in horses from other herds is ill advised, unnecessary and costly.
3. Do not remove older horses
4. Work to protect the mountain lions that have kept the herd at zero population growth in years past. Natural management should be the goal.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar \
DOI, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-208-7351, exsec@ios.doi.gov
BLM Acting Director Ron Wenker & Acting Deputy Director Mike Nedd
1849 C Street NW, Washington DC, 20040, phone: 202-208-3801 Ron_Wenker@blm.gov, Mike_Nedd@blm.gov
Don Glenn BLM Division Chief of Wild Horse and Burro Program
BLM Washington Office, 1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665 Washington DC 20240
Phone: 1-800-710-7597 or 202-208-3801, Fax: 202-208-5242, wildhorse@blm.gov
Jim Sparks, Field Manager BLM -Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101
phone (406) 896-5223, fax (406) 896-5281
Jim_Sparks@blm.gov
United States Department of Agriculture
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Email: AgSec@usda.gov
FOREST SERVICE
Ask the following people to please work with the BLM to expand the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to include the historic and current use areas in the Custer National Forest. This will allow for a truly viable herd of 200-300 mustangs.
• Abigail Kimbell, Chief USDA Forest Service
1400 Independence Ave., SW?Washington, D.C.?20250-0003??
phone: (202) 205-1661, e-mail: akimbell@fs.fed.us
• Mary Erickson, Acting Forest Supervisor- Custer National Forest
PO Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771,
p. 406-587-6701, mcerickson@fs.fed.us
• Chris Worth, Acting Deputy Supervisor
1310 Main Street, Billings, MT 59105
phone: 406-657-6200, cworth@fs.fed.us
Please write letters to the editor, ask that your favorite radio and TV hosts cover this story and last but not least, please tell your friends and family about wild horses and ask them to join the Cloud Foundation in helping to protect and preserve wild horses on our public lands.
List compiled by The Cloud Foundation, March, 2009 ~ www.thecloudfoundation.org
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Cloud's grandchildren, Arrow & Image: two who could be removed |
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IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED! 1/15/09
FROM AWI:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BILL TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER REINTRODUCED
Washington, DC (January 15, 2009) – The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503), was reintroduced yesterday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN). They first introduced the bill, which will ban horse slaughter, in the summer of 2008. It gained quick bipartisan support and passed out of the Judiciary Committee but did not move further as the legislative clock wound down. Committed to seeing the measure passed into law, Chairman Conyers has given the bill priority in his committee, as signaled by its reintroduction so early on the legislative calendar. With sixty-one original cosponsors, the bill already enjoys strong bipartisan support.
Although the few remaining horse slaughter plants operating in the US were shut down in 2007 under state law, the absence of a federal law banning the practice means that American horses are still at risk of being slaughtered for human consumption. In fact, more than 100,000 horses were exported to Mexico and Canada in 2008 for slaughter; In Canada horses are often shot to death while in Mexico some plants still use the “puntilla” knife to stab the horse into a state of paralysis prior to being slaughtered while still fully conscious. The meat is then sold to high-end consumers in Europe and Asia.
“There are naysayers who claim we should reopen the US plants rather than seek to ban all horse slaughter. Clearly, they’ve already forgotten how awful the plants here were,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of Government and Legal Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute.
Documents recently released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal just how brutal conditions were at the US plants before they were shut down. Hundreds of graphic photographs taken by U.S. Department of Agriculture employees at one plant show live horses with missing legs, with eyeballs hanging out, with skin ripped from the body and the birth of foals at the plant. Other photos show horses dead on arrival, having succumbed to the miseries of transport.
“The suffering of hundreds of thousands of our horses rests solely on the shoulders of those blocking this bill. Were it not for their stalling tactics horse slaughter would have ceased years ago. Meanwhile an American horse is slaughtered every five minutes. We commend Chairman Conyers and Representative Burton for taking the lead once again to end this cruel practice through introduction of H.R. 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act,” said Heyde.
UPDATE
Congress is now recessed until after the elections. At this time, we are not sure when they will return or even if they will return this year. However, due to the financial crisis situation taking up so much time and resources, and the fact that it is now in the Agriculture Committee for review, it is very unlikely that the House will be addressing HR 6598 in the 110th Congress . We anticipate it being re-introduced at the beginning of the 111th Congressional session in January 2009.
However, there is something you can do NOW. With the election coming up in November, make sure you elect legislators that will allow this to pass next year. Do your homework, find out where your candidates stand and let your voices be heard on this issue. With the right people in office, we can prevail.
The second thing you can do is to continue to spread awareness about horse slaughter. As we’ve all found out, most Americans still do not even know this exists. The more people that know, the louder the outrage will be.
On a personal note, we want to thank everyone for making such a valiant effort. You all have done the most phenomenal job…….no one could have done more. It is your hard work and perseverance that will make it easier to get this bill introduced very early in the next session.
Growing our membership will ensure that we continue to be a strong presence in the fight to end horse slaughter. We will be releasing details in the near future about new ideas and programs to make AAHS more effective and we’ll keep you updated if there is any news!
FROM HSUS - 9/9/08
Your Help Needed for Horses in the Home Stretch
Dear Friends,
Congress is back in session for just a few weeks and we need your help once again to gain support for the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008. As with the earlier bill -- the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R.503/S. 311) -- the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 (H.R. 6598) will prohibit the sale and transport of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption, including horses being shipped to Mexico and Canada.
This is one of our last opportunities to move this legislation before the Congress completes its work before the election, so it's essential that we build up support now and get H.R. 6598 over the finish line.
We're off to an amazing start with this new bill, and we can't let up now. Please urge your U.S. Representative, Paul Ryan, to co-sponsor H.R. 6598 before time runs out!
TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to your Representative to co-sponsor the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.
When you call, you will speak to a staff member who can pass your message along to your legislator. Please be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent. You can say:
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. As a constituent, I'm calling to urge my Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, a new bill to prevent horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption. Thank you."
After making your call, please send a follow-up email to your Representative in support of protecting horses from slaughter. And don't forget to tell your friends and family how they can take action, too.
Thank you for all you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
WE MUST NOW URGE CONGRESS TO CO-SPONSOR HR6598
Conyers-Burton "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008"
Horse Slaughter is Inherently Cruel. The Conyers-Burton bill addresses the inherent cruelty in allowing the slaughter of our horses for human consumption. The inhumane transport over long distances combined with the horrifying methods of killing and difficulty of stunning equines prior to dismemberment is unacceptable to the American people and must be halted.
The Need is Urgent. Texas and Illinois shut down foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses in 2007 under state law, so now all American horses are shipped even longer distances to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. The same numbers of horses have been slaughtered so far this year, indicating that the problem is still serious and requires a federal solution.
It is Time for Congress to Finally Pass this Ban. Past floor votes on horse slaughter bans in the House and Senate demonstrate a strong, bipartisan desire to prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption (House vote September 7, 2006 on H.R. 503 was 263-146; House vote June 8, 2005 on Agriculture Appropriations amendment was 269-158; Senate vote September 20, 2005 on Agriculture Appropriations amendment was 69-28).
The Conyers-Burton Bill is Similar to H.R. 503. Operational language of the Conyers-Burton bill is similar to H.R. 503, prohibiting the knowing and intentional possession, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering or receiving of a horse for slaughter. The Conyers-Burton bill is a simpler approach, prohibiting horse slaughter under Title 18. It creates a strong enforcement mechanism to prevent killer buyers from crossing the border with truckloads of horses, but only amends Title 18. It does not include the authorization of $5 million for the Horse Protection Act found in H.R. 503. This bill only affects horses going to slaughter.
Title 18's Animals, Birds, Fish and Plants Chapter Covers Horses. Title 18 has a chapter on Animals, Birds, Fish and Plants including prohibitions related to injuring wildlife on refuges, importation of certain mammals, the use of aircraft or motor vehicles to kill wild horses or burros, depictions of animal cruelty, and prohibitions on animal fighting.
Title 18 Approach Limits Prosecution to "Knowing" and "Intentional" Standard. The intent (mens rea) standard in the bill is extremely high, requiring a prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person knowingly and intentionally slaughtered horses for human consumption. This high standard ensures that innocent horse owners are not at risk while putting businesses that engage in moving American horses to slaughter on notice.
Graduated Penalty Structure Protects the Innocent. A first-time offender who is found guilty of knowingly and intentionally sending less than five horses to slaughter is only liable at the misdemeanor level. This legislation will only affect killer buyers in the business of outbidding others at auctions and sending truckloads of horses to Mexico or Canada for slaughter for human consumption. Paperwork at the border requires all horse transporters to clearly identify if horses are going to slaughter (any misinformation on these forms constitutes a violation of the False Claims Act, carrying stiff penalties).
Message
When contacting your U.S. Representative, its important to remember to be polite and respectful. Here is a suggested script for conveying all of the necessary points to the legislative staffer:
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. As a constituent, I'm calling to urge my Representative to co-sponsor a new important bill: H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, to prevent horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption."
