Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Humane Society International – Parliament Urged to Restrict Horse Slaughter

Habitat for Horses

Bill C-571 to require medical records for horses entering the food chain
MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwired – March 31, 2014) – Humane Society International/Canada is calling on all Members of Parliament to support legislation that regulates the unsafe horse slaughter industry in Canada.
Private Member's Bill C 571The Private Member’s Bill C 571, introduced by NDP Member of Parliament Alex Atamanenko and advanced to Second Reading, aims to close the loopholes of current regulations by requiring a lifetime medical treatment record for any horse presented for slaughter. Under the law, horses who received drugs prohibited from the food chain or weren’t raised for human consumption could not be sent to slaughter. This is an improvement over current regulations that do not effectively prevent horses once treated with banned substances from entering the food chain.
Ewa Demianowicz, campaign manager for HSI/Canada said: “The Canadian government cannot continue to ignore the blatant flaws of its cruel horse slaughter industry, nor the fact that horse meat produced in Canada for human consumption poses serious health risks for consumers around the world. Bill C-571 introduces regulations that could prevent the death of tens of thousands of horses by ensuring that horses are removed from the slaughter pipeline and food chain.”
MP Alex Atamanenko added: “A long list of drugs prohibited for use in food animals are commonly administered to horses. Currently, no reliable system for recording medications given to horses is available, as medical record keeping for horses is not mandatory. By no stretch of the imagination should horsemeat be considered a safe food option by those who consume it.”

Habitat for Horses is a 501.c.3 nonprofit equine protection organization supported solely by donations. We have around 200 donkeys and horses under our care, plus one ornery, old mule. Most of them are here because law enforcement removed them from their previous owner. Our ability to rehabilitate and rehome them comes from the financial support of people like you. Please support us by making a donation for the horses we all serve. Click HERE to donate

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