In case you missed this monumental piece of news over the weekend:
That's right - the USDA is finally approving inspectors for horse slaughter which means the plant in Roswell, New Mexico is full-speed ahead! Furthermore, plants in Iowa and Missouri could be approved in the near future. This is great news!
I'm so happy that something good finally came from Washington, D.C. that I'm at a loss for words.
So I'm reposting the reasons I'm ecstatic that this process has held up:
1. Animal Welfare - It means thousands of horses have endured excruciatingly long drives to Canada or Mexico on trains or trucks that aren't exactly the most welfare-friendly. Opening slaughter plants in the U.S. prevents thousands of horses from being improperly transported across U.S. borders.
2. Exports - the U.S. slaughtered 94,000 horses in 2005, the last full year of horse slaughter before federal inspection funding was repealed in 2007. Without a slaughter plant in the U.S., more than 197,000 horses were exported to other North American countries last year for slaughter. That's double the number from 2007 slaughter exports.
3. Job creation - Reopening plants will increase the number of jobs and boost local economies.
4. Horse meat is a delicacy - maybe not to you or I, but in several other countries around the world horse meat is consumed quite often and is a staple in many diets.
This is not to say that horse slaughter couldn't be ended soon - USDA is pressuring Congress to ban the practice altogether, however until that happens (which I pray it doesn't), they must comply with current laws and regulations. The New Mexico plant won't likely start slaughtering for approximately three weeks and who knows what could come from the next legislative session. But for now, I'm thrilled.
So what are your thoughts? Is anyone as jacked as I am?!
Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~Labels: animal welfare, animal well-being, horse meat, horse slaughter, horsemeat, horses, livestock, meat, slaughter
