Declan, 9, visits Washington to argue against slaughter

Horsetalk

Nine-year-old Declan Gregg is being hailed by the Humane Society of the United States for showing  how to advocate for horses.

Declan visited Washington DC to urge an end to the slaughter of horses.
Humane society chief executive and president Wayne Pacelle, in his blog, A Humane Nation, said Declan visited the society’s downtown headquarters after a long day on Capitol Hill, where he lobbied to urge adoption of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 2966 and S. 1176.
Declan talked to his congressman, Frank Guinta, from New Hampshire. He had a chance to speak to other lawmakers when  Guinta took him to the floor of the House, where Declan urged them to ban the slaughter of American horses in the US and abroad.
He also had a separate meeting and press conference with Representative Jim Moran, co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and a great fighter for horses.
Pacelle said Declan learned about the slaughter of horses from his mother, and decided he wanted to do something about it.
He opted to take two days off from school in New Hampshire and instead got a  practical  lesson by lobbying Congress.
Pacelle said more than 100,000 American horses were slaughtered annually in Canada and Mexico, and pointed to the campaign opposing the trade run by animal protection groups.
“We’d win this fight if more animal advocates met with their lawmakers and politely demanded action. Declan is showing us how it’s done.”