SIGOURNEY, IOWA – An Iowa company that had won approval last month from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to slaughter horses is now dropping the idea, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Wednesday.
Front Range Equine Rescue, the Humane Society of the United States, and other horse advocates filed suit against USDA last month challenging the agency’s failure to conduct the required environmental review prior to placing inspectors in horse slaughter plants.
The Gazette reported that an official from the Iowa slaughter company Responsible Transportation said Tuesday that the company would move to beef-only operations.
Responsible Transportation bills itself this way: “Our mission is to improve the quality of life of the unwanted horse population through the development and application of innovative livestock handling practices, utilization of professionally supervised and government regulated euthanasia processes, and removal of the agonizing voyages to processing facilities outside the United States. An unwanted horse may be a horse the owner can no longer afford to feed, a horse that is too dangerous to handle, or a horse with injuries, lameness, or illness.”
The company also says on it website that “Horses are currently shipped to Canada or Mexico to be slaughtered where the USDA has no jurisdiction. Responsible Transportation utilizes trained professionals and USDA approved processes and facilities to ensure the horses receive ethical treatment.”
This whole topic is ridiculous. Just because some people make horses their pets then the rest of us are required to knuckle under to their “pet” view and ban the horse slaughtering business.
What’s next – a person will make “pets” of hogs & cattle and again purse the same result?
It is ok to regulate these operations to make sure the process is as humane as possible, but if we don’t allow this then horses are simply trucked over the border and their end is the same.
Your logic is unrealistic.
In what way? Please elaborate.
This is what is happening today, what is not real about that? Horses are going to die at a cerian age, their meat is used in many countries, just like beef. Also in dog and cat food for your beloved dog or cat. Why not use these old horses to feed your dog or cat or send them over sea’s to feed the hungry than bury them on the land they grew up in?
I have an idea lets save tax dollars and send Monte to slaughter instead of prison. Lets do this quick!
It was a stupid idea because we already have food to eat without going down this road.
Yes, it was a disgusting decision that was fueled only by the money grabbers.
Again why is it disgusting? What makes slaughtering cows, sheep, pigs, . . .etc okay but horse not?
Why is it disgusting? What makes slaughtering cows, sheep, pigs, . . .etc okay but horse not?