1000’s of wholesome American horses are being “butchered in a secretive, inhumane business”, welfare campaigners say, because it emerges that virtually 18,000 have been despatched from the United States to Mexico for slaughter remaining yr.
US Division of Agriculture figures display that during 2023, “kill consumers” transported 17,997 horses from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to slaughterhouses south of the border.
Welfare organisation Animal Wellness Motion is asking on the United States Congress to prohibit reside export to Mexico or Canada for slaughter for intake.
“Now not this sort of horses was once raised for slaughter,” a spokesman for Animal Wellness Motion stated. “They have been, for essentially the most phase, raised for excitement, display, paintings, or racing and opportunistically amassed and redirected to Mexico for slaughter.”
Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Motion and the Middle for a Humane Financial system, stated: “We’re sounding the alarm to Congress that wholesome American horses are being butchered in a secretive, inhumane business to Mexico.
“Now not another yr of this trafficking of those iconic animals must be tolerated. The animal welfare neighborhood and the thoroughbred racing trade are united in not easy an finish to this archaic, depressing, sickening business.”
Final month, New York governor Kathy Hochul signed a invoice to prohibit horse slaughter in New York, and barred the sale, transportation, and export of horses for slaughter. New York joins California, Texas and Illinois – 4 of the 5 largest US states – in banning slaughter of horses for human intake.
Home horse slaughter has been banned in the United States since 2007, and there are expenses with Congress to codify the ban on slaughter, and to prohibit reside exports.
“Whether it is improper to slaughter horses in Dallas or Yuma or DeKalb, it’s improper to slaughter them in Calgary or Quebec Town,” Mr Pacelle stated.
An investigation a yr in the past by means of the Middle for a Humane Financial system and Animals’ Angels discovered “immense struggling” of equids transported for slaughter, “with effects appearing a loss of care, poor supply of meals or water, and delivery in cramped, unhealthy, and unsanitary stipulations”.
A USDA spokesman advised H&H: “The USDA Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Provider (APHIS) problems well being certifications to make sure horses being exported meet the import necessities of the receiving nation. APHIS does observe the general vacation spot of the animals within the receiving nation.”
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“Motion will have to be taken now to curb this business, within the hobby of each animal and human welfare”
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