Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Arizona animal advocates react to lift of federal ban on horse slaughter

ABC News CH 15 Phoenix




Posted: 7:27 PM
PHOENIX - Animal advocates are trying to figure out what happens now that a federal ban on horse slaughter has ended.
As the founder of Arizona’s Luv Shack Ranch Horse Rescue, it's pretty obvious where Joey Ogburn stands on the issue of butchering horses for human consumption. “In my opinion there isn't a circumstance where a horse being sent to slaughter is acceptable.”
The issue hits especially close to home for Ogburn, who has rescued and found homes for hundreds of horses.
This horse was loaded into a trailer and she was going to be hauled to Mexico to be slaughtered,” said Ogburn.
Horse slaughterhouses might be making a comeback.  Last month Congress lifted a ban on funding horse processing inspections. That reverses an earlier decision that pulled funding for horse meat inspections.
Dr. Grey Stafford of the Wildlife World Zoo says that the while the original ban initially saved horses it also led to some unintended consequences. “We have seen an increase in the number of horses who are abandoned and left to their own devises in the wild and poorly equipped to do so.”
Horses are also being shipped off to Mexico and Canada, where slaughterhouse conditions are worse.
Stafford says if horse slaughter is restored it must be under strict guidelines.
Ogburn just wishes this discussion wouldn't have to happen at all.
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