Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Urge Congress to Pass the Horse Transportation Safety Act to Halt Cruel Transport Method

Animal Welfare Institute

Date: 
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Urge Congress to Pass the Horse Transportation Safety Act to Halt Cruel Transport Method - Photo from Flickr by Lindsey Turner
Dear Humanitarian,
The Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 1282/S. 850), has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and in the Senate by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ). The Horse Transportation Safety Act amends Title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the transportation of horses in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another (commonly known as "double-deck trailers.")
"When we allow animals to be mistreated or disrespected, we also devalue our own humanity," said Congressman Cohen. "Horses cannot be safely or humanely transported in double-deck trailers that are built for much smaller animals, and our laws should reflect that. I am proud to sponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, which will ensure that these beautiful creatures are treated humanely."
Hauling horses in double-deck trailers is dangerous and inhumane. These trailers do not provide sufficient headroom for horses to stand upright. As a result, they often endure long journeys in cramped positions and suffer serious injuries. There have also been several horrific traffic accidents involving these trailers, resulting in severe injuries and brutal deaths of many horses.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, "double-deck trailers do not provide adequate headroom for equines, with the possible exception of foals and yearlings. We do not believe that trailers that have two or more permanent levels that are not collapsible can be adequately altered to accommodate adult equines, especially tall equines."
What You Can Do:
Please contact your representative and both senators and ask them to support and cosponsor H.R. 1282/S. 850, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, to prevent the use of double-deck trailers for hauling any horse.
You can send an email to your legislators through AWI's Compassion Index by clicking here.
Contact Your Legislators - Urge Congress to Pass the Horse Transportation Safety Act to Halt Cruel Transport Method
Please be sure to share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their senators and representative, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!
Sincerely,
Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
P.S. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on the action above and other important animal protection news.

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