horse slaughter

Edited Press Release A coalition of equine advocacy groups representing supporters across the United States has joined together to urge members of Congress to move a bill to the floor of the House for a vote. The bill (H.R. 3355/S. 2732), also known as the Save America's Forgotten Equines (or SAFE) Act, prevents the transport of horses, mules, and donkeys across national borders for the purpose of slaughtering them for their meat or skins, and would permanently ban horse slaughter on U.S. soil. "Until a ban is in place, every...

Either trainer Burton Sipp is an unwitting pariah, or racing is his witting fool. Over the last 40 years, Sipp has faced allegations involving insurance scams and dead horses, animal neglect cases, race-fixing stings and regulatory malfeasance. Not all the accusations against him have stuck. Since the mid 1990s, Sipp has been barred from applying for a racing license in New Jersey due to swirling suspicions of fraudulent practices. So he moved his tack to more welcoming pastures. For the past few years, the trainer has been dogged by allegations...

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Wednesday a bill prohibiting the slaughter of racehorses and racehorse breeding stock for a commercial purpose; requiring that all racehorses competing in the state, as well as all horses used for breeding purposes, be microchipped; requiring that the state's Thoroughbred and Standardbred breeding funds set aside money for aftercare programs and put all funds raised through fines relating to be used to support aftercare; amending the tax law to allow individuals and corporations to contribute to aftercare facilities; and mandating a public...

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers reintroduced legislation to permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States and end the current export of American horses for slaughter Tuesday. Sponsored by U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act is supported by leading animal welfare groups, including the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Return...

For close to 20 years, activists have been working to protect American horses by lobbying for a federal ban on horse slaughter, rallying each year to keep the inspection of horse slaughter plants defunded and continuously working to pass the Save America's Forgotten Equine (SAFE) Act. The next 30 days are important in the push for a federal ban on horse slaughter. Every one in the racing business can have a hand in helping to pass a ban. In March 2021, the TDN interviewed veteran animal welfare lobbyist Chris Heyde,...

An amendment that would ban the transportation of horses across state lines or to Canada or Mexico for slaughter for human consumption passed the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday. The amendment is part of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST) Act, bipartisan legislation supported by President Joe Biden that now moves to the Senate for consideration. The amendment, which would effectively ban horse slaughter in the United States if it becomes law, was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Troy...

Edited Press Release The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) announced its endorsement of an amendment that would ban the transport of American slaughter-bound horses across both state lines and over country borders. The amendment, which was led by U.S. Representatives Troy Carter, Brian Fitzpatrick, and John Katko, will be offered to the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act, H.R.3684. Scheduled to be on the House floor in coming weeks, it would effectively ban horse slaughter in America. The organization also supports the...

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Horse Transportation Safety Act (HTSA) as part of surface transportation legislation Thursday. The HTSA aims to ensure that horses are not subjected to dangerous and/or inhumane treatment during transport. It is expected to proceed to the House for a full vote later this summer. The impetus for the HTSA was an accident many years ago in which a double-deck trailer carrying 59 Belgian draft horses overturned in Illinois, killing 19 of them. Double-deck trailers are not...