STOP The Slaughterhouses, NOW

Lots of people think the only horses that make the slaughterhouse trip are those that are old, injured, or sick. and are used for dog food or glue. This is not the purpose of USA slaughterhouse plants. They supply horsemeat to humans in other countries. Horsemeat is a delicacy in France, Belgium, and Japan, and 80,000 or MORE young, healthy American horses a year are brutally slain to supply this for them. The horses sold to these facilities may be stolen (as occurred to a horse that belonged to a Texas Representative). They may have been a family pet that was purchased at auction. Killer buyers frequently out right lie about the sale of a horse by telling the sellers they are "buying their horse for a child" and "it's going to a good home". The killer buyers are full of BULL SHIT!

(Texas State Representative Charlie Howard (R-Sugarland) learned that his stolen horses ended up at a Texas slaughter plant. He said this on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives on April 23, 2003 during the debate over Bloody Betty Brown's HB 1324 to legalize the two Texas horse slaughter plants.)

Horses are terrified and afraid as they wait for their turn to be forced into the killing pens. Under federal law, horses are required to be unconscious prior to slaughter, usually with a device called a captive bolt gun, which shoots a metal retractable bolt/rod into the horse's brain. Some horses, are stunned wrong and may still be conscious when they are hoisted by a rear leg to have their throats cut. Conditions in the slaughterhouse horribly frightening for horses.

Please contact your Congressional representatives in the House and Senate to urge them to vote for HR 857, which will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption and stop the trade and transport of horseflesh and live horses intended for human consumption.
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Some information you might find interesting if you care about our equine friends:
88,174 horses were slaughtered in 2005

USA Slaughterhouses:

Dallas Crown, Inc
2000 West Fair
P.O. Box 467Kaufman, TX 75142
972-932-343
6972-932-3062 (fax)
Manager:Geert Dewulf
Horse Inspector:Randy Williams

Beltex Corporation
3801 N. Grove St.
Fort Worth, TX 76106
817-624-1136
817-624-4594 (fax)
President:Eric Nauwelaers
Horse Inspector:Ronnie Ober

Cavel International, Inc.International Meat Exporters
108 Harvestore Dr.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-756-8051
Owner:Luc Van Damme (Belgian)
Plant Manager:Jim Tucker

Killer Buyer List for Beltex 6-26-2004 Texas plant:
Les Ray 13610 Cullen Blvd. Houston, TX 77047 - 713-738-7521
Musick 3200 N. Ohlmon, Mitchell, SD 57301
Antone Wald 47 Rhine Dr. Kennar, LA. 70065
P.J. Halter 404 John Dr. Bridge Port, TX 76426
Joe Simon P.O. Box 27, Webster, MN 55088
Heath Rousser P.O. Box? Sun Ray, TX 79086
M&M L/S 6754 Lariat Rd. Monte Vista, CO 81144
Berdell Olsen 8577 S. State, Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
Beaken L/S P.O. Box 806, Weimer, TX 78962
Pat Caka? 872 CR 348, Shiner, TX 77984
John Birdsong 2961 E. HWY 166, Carrolton, GA 30116
Jeff Smith 2995 Ave. V, Inman, KS 67546
Randy Smith 720 E. 56th St. Hutchinson, KS 67501
Ole Olsen 187 Ryndon Unit 8, Elbo, NV 89801
Jim Ryan 9421 Bandstoun RD. Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Baily Kemp 414 CR. 4681, Boyd, TX 76023
J. Paul Brown Box 178 Injacio, CO 81137
Terry Brooks Box 134, Jonesburg, MO 63351
Don Smith Box 745, Henrietta, OK 74437
Sugarcreek L/S Box 452) 102 Bucky ST. Sugarcreek, OH 44681
Leslie Downing 3663 N. Main, Claybourne, TX 76031
David Peck 1070 Round Rock, Saginaw, TX 76179
Darrell Beverly P.O. Box 90, Alberta, Canada 36575
Ron Sebastian Box 356, Saskatewan, Canada (not legible)
Bill Owens 440 W. HWY 6, Los Lunos, NM 87031
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As a person who has been around horses and in the horse industry for many, many years, I understand some horses must be put down, even slaughtered. But the conditions in our OWN countries slaughterhouses are INHUMANE. This needs changed NOW!
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While searching the net for info, I came across this appalling letter. If this 'person' ever finishes his higher education, I HOPE this letter he wrote comes back to haunt him in a real bad way. I would not let him near horse! My large animal vet, bless her heart, gets a guilty look on her face just eating a burger, I can only imagine her thoughts on this veterinary students mentality...
it was found here:
http://kstatecollegian.com/article.php?a=9382

Editor,
I would like to applaud the USDA for setting up a fee-for-service inspection program at the horse slaughter plants. What USDA/FSIS is doing is saving the United States horse industry from a complete disaster.
The means to handle the large amount of unwanted horses produced each year does not exist. Sure, some could be adopted and some could go to retirement farms, but eventually, the money and manpower needed to support all of these excess horses no longer will be there.
The majority of the horses slaughtered each year are killed because they are unwanted, and it is better for the horse owners in an economic sense and the horses in a humane sense for them to be slaughtered.
Also, let's not forget that many of these horses are dangerous, not only to humans, but also to themselves and other animals. The horse slaughter plants are providing a necessary service to the American horse industry.
I would like to thank Megan Green for her concern about the humane treatment of horses at slaughter plants. However, she should do her research before bashing the USDA and what it is doing.
As to her comment about eating horse meat being un-American, I would like to say, she has the choice and right to decide whether to eat horse meat and THAT is the essence of being American. I have eaten horse meat several times, in America, and would do so again without hesitation.
It is important that all food animals be slaughtered humanely. Reforms for the transport of horses to the slaughter plant as well as changes in the way horses are stunned in the slaughter process are needed. However, banning horse slaughter is by no means a solution to the problem.
Sincerely
John D Lutter
Class of 2009
KSU-College of Veterinary Medicine

Enjoy your horse-steak Mr. Lutter! I have NO USE for you!

This is a FACT Mr. Lutter must have missed in class:
The AVMA (American Veterinarian Medical Association) does not classify horses as livestock. Horses are classified as companion animals, just like a dog or cat.
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The history of mankind is carried on the back of the horse.