http://www.animalagalliance.org/main/home.cfm?Section=2008_0115_Tsunami&Category=PressReleasesFor Further Information Contact: Philip Lobo, Communications Director
Phone: (703) 562-5160
Date: 1/15/2008
Tsunami of Horse Abuse Cases Sweeps Nation
Eliminating Horse Processing Devolves into Undeniable National Horror
ARLINGTON, VA - An undeniable tsunami of horse abuse cases has swept
across the USA since the de facto ban on horse processing - pushed by
vegan driven animal rights groups - went into effect in early 2007. In
the past few months alone, major media outlets including the Chicago
Tribune, Coeur D'Alene Press, Portland Oregonian, Austin American
Statesman, Seattle Times, UPI, Washington Post, Rockford Register Star,
Associated Press, and The Wall Street Journal chronicled cases of horse
abuse and neglect from all across the nation including Illinois, Idaho,
Oregon, Texas, Washington, Colorado, Virginia, Alabama and Florida.
Animal rights activist groups are responsible for the legal actions that
forced three horse processing facilities, two in Texas and one Illinois,
to close. As a result, the price of horses has declined markedly. Rather
than sell the horses some owners are setting them free, others are
letting them starve and, worse yet, refusing to call the veterinarian for
perfectly treatable conditions, causing an unspeakably horrible animal
welfare crisis.
''This sad state of affairs is the direct result of the anti-horse
slaughter movement, piloted by the vegan-led Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) and other animal rights organizations,'' said Kay
Johnson-Smith, Executive Vice President of the Animal Agriculture
Alliance. ''These groups claim to care about animal welfare, but when
faced with an animal welfare disaster caused by their efforts, callously
insist that the market will sort itself out or, worse yet, coldheartedly
dispute that this crisis exists, despite the undeniable documented surge
in animal abuse cases. All the while, they leave seriously underfunded
local animal rescue operations to save animals.''
''It is time for the federal government to intervene and stop these
animals, considered by many to be American icons, from being used by
vegan groups as political pawns in their quest to impose their vegetarian
agenda on our nation,'' added Johnson-Smith. ''Additionally, it is time
for all governments-federal, state and local-to recognize these groups
for what they are, extremists attempting to use animal welfare as a tool
to advance their radical vegan agenda.''
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is
a broad-based coalition of individual producers, producer organizations,
suppliers, packer-processors, private industry and retailers. The
Alliance's mission is to communicate the important role of animal
agriculture to our nation's economy, productivity, vitality, security and
that animal well-being is central to producing safe, high-quality,
affordable food and other products essential to our daily lives. "You should not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will
convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would
do and the harm it would cause if improperly administered." Lyndon
Johnson, 36th President of the U.S.