Ernest Dempsey — The Red Carpet in Los Angeles entertained millions last month; but this other “red carpet” in Stanwood, Washington, will appall every American that cares about life and humanity – for this is real blood.
While the political campaign for Presidential elections is keeping an average American’s mind occupied, the blade of butchery has been raised at the horses in Washington, and it can fall any minute – against the will of the people of America. A press release from the Horse Harbor Foundation in Poulsbo informs that Stanwood, WA, soon might become the region’s “Butcher Shop for Horses”.
Information in the aforementioned press release confirms what was leaked online in 2010, i.e., the Florence Packing plant on Florence Road, Stanwood, is being reopened as a “modernized” facility for horse slaughter, 5 years after horse slaughter was banned in the country on the grounds that horses are born and bred as companion and sports animals in America and not for the food chain.
Allen Warren of the Horse Harbor Foundation leads a group of horse rescue sanctuary operators, all aiming to convince Snohomish County commissioners to pass an ordinance banning equine slaughter and preventing the return of horse slaughter here.
Readers may not be surprised to learn about the name that is behind this impending butchery in the US. Bouvry Exports is the same horse meat provider whose shocking cruelty to horses, caught on tape, made news in 2010 and led to a call for wide public protest. The Canadian company, based in Calgary, means to make big profit of American horses by cutting them into pieces and selling the meat to Russia, China, and other Asian nations where rules regarding animal cruelty are loose, or ineffective in spirit.
Taking advantage of the tradition of American people to love horses and live with them as friends, the Canadian pro-slaughter business entity now wants to capitalize the new ‘un-American’ law allowing horse slaughter. Sneaky as it comes, the law is the result of a last-minute amendment to this year’s Congressional Appropriations Bill that reinstated funding for USDA meat inspections for horse meat, something that ended in 2007.
In simple words, our equine companions who – after their lifelong loyalty and service to us – deserve from us great care and peace, will now be cut into pieces and shipped abroad while their blood stains the soil with a question mark – Why?
As Allen Warren notes, 80 percent Americans do not see horses as food but as companions of sports and recreation. That is why American horses, as many as a hundred thousand a year, have been shipped for years to Canada and other countries to be killed and devoured.
Of now, Bouvry Exports is said to have been completely unresponsive to any/all inquires from equine rescue groups and media. On the other hand, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has already threatened to bring legal action against USDA unless a standing court order requiring environmental impact studies prior to the issuance of meat inspection approval to any new concerns applying for this service is complied with.
For all the American pride, if the sly amendment in its law would not shake the nation out of its silence, perhaps the story of this young mother in Britain will do the work who exhausted herself, body and soul, in saving her equine family member from drowning. Angela Valianos is such an American mother who stood like an iron lady to protect the targeted horses in Illinois against the slaughter industry, invoking threat to her own safety and that of her family.
This land is home to horses, no matter what the butcher industry’s plans. As Washington faces the invasion of slaughterers, the red carpet of blood is close to reaching every American’s door with one question: Why?
Wake up America! It’s your call!
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Read the complete report from the Horse Harbor Foundation at http://staugnews.com/2012/03/07/washington-state-targeted-for-equine-slaughter.html.
Wonderful article! It looks like the United Horsemen Group’s plan is to open as many slaughter houses as they can. One in Missouri, one in Illinois and one in Washington? Since opening those slaughter houses will NOT end horses shipping to Canada and Mexico and they claim we only have 100,000 or so unwanted horses available for slaughter (which is only 1% of the US horse population) where do they plan to get these horses from?
As a city person with very limited personal contact with horses I totally relate to this important story. I have found the new HBO series Luck extremely fascinating for how it displays the beauty of horses, as a number of older films have done. It is through entertainment vehicles featuring horses that many millions of Americans see the unique beauty of horses. The idea of turning horses into food at a time when there is increasing public attention to the many downsides of consuming meat should disturb enough people to put a stop to this.
Horse slaughter is cruel, inhumane and totally unnecessary. Horses are NOT food animals! They are flight animals and confining them in cruel transports, forcing them into horrible shutes to their deaths is totally unacceptable treatment. There is no such thing as an “unwanted” horse! There are only those who would exploit the rampant, unregulated over breeding of the money industries such as horse racing and showing. Breeders need to be regulated on the number of horses they produce each year as well as their responsibility to care for the animals they produce from the time it’s born until it’s natural death. It’s time to step up and do the right thing for horses and stop murdering them for money!
Well said!!!!
It’s time the racing industry and breeders faced up to their responsibility.
This may seem counter intuitive at first but it will work….every horse slaughtered must require a tax .. yes, a TAX .. of 500 dollars U.S. per horse.
This money to go to supporting rescue both for re-homing and for retirement. Those vendors offering this service must be open to 24/7 unannounced inspection (we all know of the abuses in that “industry”) by equine protection private and public agencies.
We are not likely to stop the killing but can make is so expensive that the slaughter industry itself will be the last horse down the chute to the kill area. Soon.
My feeling about TB breeders, as well as others? If you are going to breed them, if you are going to run them, if you don’t want them YOU either pay heavily for your “game,” or you kill them yourself and YOU provide for their burial.
The rest of us bury our friends, or put them into retirement.
There are plenty of us REAL Americans that will be happy to become visitors to retirement pastures to love on the horses and even see them to their end. We have loved horses here for centuries. And will for thousands of years more.
Outstanding, Ernest. The more you shine a light on the subject of how people treat animals, the better we all will be. We need to be kind and good to all the creatures of the earth, for we are the caretakers.
My conviction is that a human who learns to respect animal life will develop respect for all life and not harm fellow humans, for life is one and we are meant to protect it – from pain, suffering, cruelty, abuse, and neglect – from harm.
Thanks so much for this long awaited article. The negative impact this will have on the community should wake everyone up to take action.They have tried to keep this a secret but the truth is out now. The negative impact on the environment and the community will be devastating. And the type of people seeking employment in the slaughter plants will not be the neighbors you want living next door.People with arrest records, drug and alcohol abuse related issues and child and spouse abuse. And, the profits go to line foreign companies which will pay little to no tax money here in the U.S. This needs to be stopped!
The thought of hurting a horse or consuming horse meat makes my stomach churn. Thank you for this article Ernest, I hope people read this and stand behind all those trying to save these majestic creatures from harm.
Thank you Ernest for writing a very passionate informative article; we expect no less from you, you always come through.
I will not disclose our battle plans but, I will say; the Pro-Slaughter
inhumane and heartless sub humans will not have an easy road paved with blood, no way.
Pro slaughter have to stay up nights to think of new lies to sell their blood bath cruelty however, anti-slaughter have always fought with the truth and we shall reman doing so; liars, thieves and idiots NEVER WIN, corruption all the way and WE WILL disose every last one of them.
We never lose beause we never stop !!!!
Ernest you couldn’t have said it better about life. If we do not regard life in animals we will lose the regard for humans as well. I have always believed that animal abuse was the precursor to child/domestic abuse. Nevermind the big breeders. There are so many reasons not to eat meat, let alone horse meat. A very cruel practice. The stories I have heard about what they endure just getting to the slaughter plants are unimaginable. It is hard to believe that we tolerate it.
I can speak for myself, having been in the horse industry for over 32 yrs it was either avoided, not discussed, or was justified. Some of my horse friends have no idea what kind of cruelty goes on and the numbers being so staggering. FB, the internet and such have done a lot to inform and educate. Please keep up the good work.
I’ve owned a pony ,trained skittish mare to trust, and loved the bueaty of horses. but one person described how they are slaughtered. ok for the dumb people, cows,hogs are slaughtered the SAME way Why aren’t u screamin’ for them? dont get me wrong, ,horses are a magnificent creature ;if I live in a place where horses are considered foodand itcomes to feeding my children…. oh yeah why are ugly animals eaten? hogs,cows, chicken? don’t see anyone pissin’ & moanin’ bout them.
Plenty of people, even us evil meat eaters, piss and moan about how mass bred animals are treated on industrial/corporate farms. Not that it matters when it is time for someone to use the hypocrite card or anything… =)
Tammy,
I am a vegetarian and I do piss and moan about the way farm animals are treated and slaughtered. Horses have been federally classified as companion animals. Puts them in a whole other category.If you want to see how they are slaughtered, along with how our farm animals are slaughtered there are a number of videos on you tube that would make the hair on your arm stand up and cause you sleepless nights. At least that’s what they have done to ome.
Why? Greed and profit. The ploy of Wallis’ cleverly embellished selling strategy by adding the key word “humane” is an insult to all horse people. When will Americans wake up to this ruse ? Plenty of evidence exists: Horse slaughter was never and will never be humane. Another attempt to pacify non-believers with the implementation of video monitoring is a clever tactic to deceive. It will not ensure the horrors inside will not take place. Staff has evidently been burnt out, behaved badly and the absurd claim of “creating jobs” is another scheme in the repertoire of Sue Wallis, whose empire is built on deception, lies and self-serving agendas. The few jobs most likely taken by undocumented or morally declined people will not enhance any community. Sue Wallis is a one woman outfit with huge financial backers, no qualifications and no integrity. She does not tell the whole story and cleverly used Grandin’s name last year for her summit to maintain “credibility”. WHEN will the non-suspecting horse folks wake up ? The global award-winning documentary http://www.savingamericashorses.org is an educational journey for all horse people to find out why horse slaughter should never return to this country. There is, and never was, humane slaughter. The shocking violations in past slaughter plants are documented and it is one of the most predatory industries.
Slaughter is not the answer. The mentality of DISCARDING must stop. It’s a well known fact that even in the good ol’USA inspections were seriously lacking to ensure any aspect of “humanity” which indeed does not exist, but is a big word for propaganda purposes. No slaughter was ever “humane”, whether here or abroad. This country is out of control with breeding. Not just horses, but dogs/cats who pay the ultimate price for an ignorant society at best. Regulate this excess breeding, increase registration fees and rethink the throw-away approach. The excuses of pro-slaughter folks do NOT reflect a responsible desire to find a morally feasible solution, but embellish their agenda with misleading fairy tales of humane euthanasia, which slaughter is not. The public health threat of adulterated meat is another significant component that is dismissed and reflects the very ill-minded principle of pro-slaughter action.To see how a modern country like the US resorts to such backwards dealings and trends of animal cruelty is worrisome and shameful.
Furthermore the finger pointing blame-game by pro slaughter minds such as Wallis of labeling anyone opposing this very propaganda as an animal rights terrorist demonstrates the lack of intelligence and the profit-driven tunnel-vision on the factual substance of the matter.
The serious public health threat of horse flesh is evident. Horses are not raised for human food consumption and the presence of toxic drugs makes horse flesh even dangerous enough to be banned from dog food. The ignorance and greed of sue Wallis add only more bad taste to the national disdain that is looming over her proposed plan. Bute, Clenbuterol, PBZ (horse aspirin, widely used for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds) Stereoids and Banamine… are not a cocktail to be fed to unsuspecting humans. Also the risk of a potential Trichinosis outbreak is unconscionable. People do not eat horses in America, period. Neither should people in other countries !
If Wallis’ bloody lust for horse flesh would indeed be initiated by a concern for the “welfare” of horses…, one can wonder why the country so vehemently opposes such ideas. There are alternative solutions, horses need no slaughter plant, only a second chance.
Hay banks, special programs within rescues (such as Trails End of Colorado Front Range Equine Rescue), cost-reduced humane euthanasia (administered by a licensed vet) or programs such as the Arizona Dept of Agriculture’s Equine Rescue Registry -
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2010/10/26/state-agriculture-department-launches-registry-to-help-abandoned-horses/ are available. Wallis is nothing but a self-appointed, grotesque entrepreneur, who is using people’s naivete and economic pressures for personal gain. http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/medications.php
It is the strong position of VEW members that absent any formal regulation or structure by the United States with regard to medications and food safety withdrawal schedules for equines entering the food chain, horse flesh derived from any U.S. horse can never be regarded as safe for human consumption.
Furthermore, VEW member veterinarians strongly object to the AVMA and AAEP position in favor of horse slaughter for human consumption. For the AVMA and AAEP to condone the human consumption of meat derived from equines that have not been raised or medicated in a manner consistent with food safety regulations is, in our opinion, unethical, disingenuous, and dangerous.
So Missouri is on the map for national outrage, tourist boycotts, contamination and sanitary hazards, ignominy, shame and litigation, brainwashing a new diet of horse carcass/flesh/product which is unfit for human food, misbranded or adulterated (laced with ingredients not approved for food safety standards) and Wallis’ view on wholesomeness an insult to our intelligence and health. Profit is the main incentive driving the pro-slaughter minds: greed and exploitation, a way to continue the irresponsible dumping grounds of looking the other way, an American trademark.
Sue Wallis’ predatory “industry” is using their propaganda of “jobs, economy, “humane” slaughter” etc, to brainwash Americans. Horses don’t need slaughter, only a second chance, and responsible owners. Horse slaughter does nothing but encourage the irresponsible breeding to continue and promotes a dumping ground and a lazy way out. Horse slaughter has never been humane and USDA has violated standards to the dark ages. The below link to the global award-winning documentary is an unbiased report on why this predatory practice must never return to America. This country was built on horseback. Time to remember and honor our horses, domestic and wild.
Proud supporter of http://www.savingamericashorses.org
Don,t let them get away with the slaughtering of our beautiful horses.
I agree this country was built on horseback they have been our friends and servants for many years and do not deserve to die such a inhumane horific death. The public needs to call and get passed two bills in congress SB1176 and HR2966 and STOP THE WAR ON HORSES!!! American’s DO NOT EAT HORSES and the many people that I have talked to say NO WAY to eating horses or having slaughter plants open up here in the USA. Please let your voices be heard for the horses that don’t have a voice:(
This slaughter is disgusting, cruel, and unnecessary except for those who want to prosper on it. They need to find something better to do. If we treat our companion animals with cruelty surely cruelty will fall upon us as well. This need to be fought.
I have been raised with horses as my closest friends. They run to the gate and whinny a welcome when they see my car. They are always there for you, through thick and thin. I know I am not alone when comes to the love of horses. Yet people continue to kill them?! In some ways horses are better than people. They will always be happy to give you endless love and ask just for a scrach on the head in return. There is zero exuse to kill a horse. Its one thing if the animal is in pain and it would be worse to let it suffer. Even then it should be put to sleep by a vet. But to hand your trusting friend over to a fate of being terrerized by the smell of death, the frantic screams of their fellow horses… It’s just unthinkable!
Its time we actually look at the agenda for our American Horses. In the beginning they carried us . worked for us, and with us , basically constructed our entire Nation, the Auto was built ===already trouble for the American Horse. Our country decided to start the BLM in the 1940s to ==MANAGE THEM==terrible start, horses were transported over both borders for slaughter w/ o the knowledge of Americans. Cattleman decided they were a liability to their Stocks [[Poor cows as well]
Does anyone see where this is going? Unless a major fight is fought, these animals will be Rounded Up by Helicopters that WE the taxpayer pay about 70 thousand dollars for to back this insanity. Horse Lovers ==WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. What if one day People are looked at like the Horses and we no longer have the right to exist in our own Country, this day may one day be a reality. HUMANITY HAS HIT AND ALL TIME LOW/ ITS TIME TO RAISE THE BAR FOR OUR LOYAL BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS===THE TIME IS NOW!!1
The BLM has just appointed a second pro horse-slaughter person to its Wild Horse and Burro board. There is NOT one voice for the horses on this board. BLM has 50,000 “federally protected” horses in its “care”–and BLM does not care about these animals. These horses belong to the people of the USA. BLM says that the wild horses do not go to slaughter–but that is not the truth. We are on the edge of a tragedy. Call the White House–do everything you can to save the horses. Otherwise you are pro-slaughter,too.
To Tammy and all others who compare the slaughter of horses to that of meat animals: Horses are completely different in that they are “flight or fight” animals. The penetrating captive bolt was not invented to kill horses and it rarely works on them — they have different skull structures and brains — therefore, many are conscience while being gutted and butchered. Horses are not raised here for meat and should not be butchered simply because someone “overbred” them or “they lost a race” — yes, folks, 92% of horses at the slaughter houses are Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, are under 7 years old, and are healthy — some right off the track after losing only ONE RACE! Can you imagine?! The pro-slaughter people complain that there are too many unwanted and starving horses; therefore, slaughter is necessary. WHAT? Hmmmm…Canada has several slaughter houses and they still have a HUGE problem with unwanted, starving horses. Why? It’s the economy, not the absence of slaughter. In fact, slaughter has always still been an option so that excuse doesn’t hold water. In addition, if there are so many unwanted horses, why are the NEW slaughter houses going to BREED HORSES TO SLAUGHTER??? It’s all lies; it’s all about money and has nothing at all to do with the welfare of these animals!
I visited the Horse Harbor website and didn’t see any press release about Stanwood being re-opened as a horse packing plant. Could you post the press release or at least a portion of it or cite their sources for this article?
Thanks
Lisa, I just added the PR link at the end of my story. We got the PR early and I just got it posted at the newspaper where you can read it: http://staugnews.com/2012/03/07/washington-state-targeted-for-equine-slaughter.html.
Thank you!
The article written by allen warren is a lie!!! HE HAS NO FACTS TO BACK UP HORSE SLAUGHTER IN STANWOOD WA. I TALKED TO WAYNE WHO OWNS LORENCE MEAT PACKING AND THEIR ARE NO PLANS TO SLAUGHTER HORSES THEIR EVER AGAIN!!! I PROMISE YOU THAT!!! SHAME ON YOU ALLEN WARREN FOR MAKING UP LIES AND GETTING MY PANTIES IN A RUFFLE!!!! ALLEN WARREN WROTE ME AND SAID HORSE SLAUGHTER WAS NEVER CONFIRMED OR DENIED, WELL THATS FUNNY I CALLED SLAUGHTER HOUSE AND THEY WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO ME AND DENY ALLEGATIONS!!! I LIVE RIGHT NEAR STANWWOD ALSO!!!! I KNOW DAIRY FARMERS THAT HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS!!! THE FACILITY IS OLD AND ALL SLAUGHTER EQUIPMENT WAS SOLD OFF YEARS AGO. IT WOULD COST MILLIONS TO OPEN A SLAUGHTER HOUSE NOW!!!! NOT A CHANCE IN HELL!!