What You Can Do to Fight Horse Slaughter

Humane Society of the U.S.

June 26,2012

Keep cruel horse slaughter out of the U.S. and protect humans from the threat of toxic horse meat

Horses in the U.S. are not raised for food. They are bred for transportation, farm work, sport, and as pets—not for meat.

But some groups are eager to exploit a loophole in legislation passed last fall that could allow them to bring horse slaughter plants back to the U.S.—despite the terrible cruelty of horse slaughter, the risks to human health posed by horse slaughter plants, and the legacy of damage left in communities where horse slaughter plants have operated.

Take steps to fight horse slaughter:

1. Get the facts

• Learn the truth about horse slaughter »
• Educate yourself about the threat of toxins in horse meat »
• Find out what The HSUS is doing »

2. Tell your legislators

• Send an email asking them to
  Keep horse slaughter plants out of the U.S. »
  Protect the public from tainted horse meat
• Write a letter—you can draft your own or use our sample letter to the editor as a model.
• Call (Find your federal or state legislators)
• Visit (Find your federal or state legislators)

Make these points when communicating with legislators:

• Horse slaughter is unacceptably inhumane.
• Eighty percent of U.S. taxpayers are opposed to horse slaughter and don’t want horse meat served at the dinner table.
• Horse meat laced with toxic products such as fly sprays and de-wormers is dangerous to human health.
• Americans don’t want to spend tax dollars inspecting meat for foreign markets
• Horse slaughter plants have been linked to air and water pollution, lowered property values, and increased crime rates.

3. Speak out in the media

Write an op-ed or letter to the editor of your local newspaper or television or radio station. To get you started, you can download our sample letter to the editor.

4. Inform the general public

• Post copies of The HSUS’s fact sheet on horse slaughter in public places.
• Use your Facebook page or Twitter feed to share links to The HSUS’s investigative video “Horse Slaughter: Cruelty Uncovered” and horse slaughter fact sheet.

5. Attend Town Meetings

You don’t need to be an expert on slaughter or even a horse owner, to attend a town hall meeting. You simply need to care about horses who suffer horribly during the slaughter process, do your homework, and follow our tips for attending town meetings.

Some town meetings are conducted in person, while others follow a call-in format. You can find dates and times for upcoming town meetings by visiting the website of your federal legislator or calling their offices. The U.S. Capital Switchboard’s number is 202-224-3121.

6. Volunteer with a horse rescue group

Help out at your local horse rescue facility. Rescue work is a demanding, round-the-clock job requiring dedication, resources, and manpower. Contact your local horse rescue and offer to lend a hand feeding, grooming, fundraising, or organizing volunteers.

7. Support the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center

The opening of the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center in Murchison, Texas, marks a new chapter for equine rescue. The Doris Day Center incorporates humane training methods of “natural horsemanship” in a rescue setting to identify and retrain at-risk horses for adoption.

• Volunteer at the center if you live nearby.
• Donate money or construction materials—such as tack, fencing, and other supplies.
• Adopt a horse from the center.

8. Help the Homes for Horses Coalition

Co-founded by The HSUS, the Homes for Horses Coalition, is a group of welfare and equine rescue organizations dedicated to ending horse slaughter and equine abuse as well as promoting collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue community.