Choosing Sides on Horse Slaughter

While Missouri and Tennessee are trying to revive U.S. horse slaughterhouses, Florida has taken a stand against the cruelty. The bill to make horse slaughter for human consumption a felony passed both the House and the Senate with unanimous votes. If it's signed into law, Florida will join the ranks of California, Illinois, and Texas as one of the few states with laws specifically addressing horsemeat.

In 2007, horse slaughter was effectively shut down at the federal level when the Supreme Court upheld Illinois' decision to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, although horses are still transported by the tens of thousands to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.

State by state, U.S. horse slaughterhouses had been shut down and banned. Now, state by state, some are trying to bring them back.

The state bills to bring horse slaughterhouses back are really just grabbing at financial straws, especially since there are signs of the horsemeat market drying up. Italy, the largest consumer of horse meat in Europe, is considering banning the dish. Canada, which receives over 50,000 U.S. horses for slaughter each year, is cracking down on allowing animals who had been given certain drugs to enter the food system. Starting this year, the European Union will also require documentation on horse drug histories. Many of the blacklisted pharmaceuticals are commonly used in the U.S. racing and breeding industries. 

In Belgium and Holland, some of Europe's major consumers of horsemeat, advocate groups have been working to expose the cruelty of the industry. Three major news programs picked up a video, supplied by Animals' Angels USA, showing the horrible abuses suffered by horses in North and South American slaughterhouses and during transport to slaughter.

The remaining money in horsemeat not only has legislators chomping at the bit, but it also fuels the existence of illegal slaughterhouses, with the meat sold on the black market or passed off as beef. Florida horses had it particularly rough last year. At least 22 horses were murdered in the Miami area, where the illegal meat trade is booming. This made the legislation a priority for many representatives.

Although they were addressing a local issue, their votes have national implications. The more states that have laws against horse slaughter, the more it tips the scales in favor of federal laws, like the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, that can permanently put an end to selling or transporting horses for slaughter.

Photo credit: ScottieT812