Sunday

Horse slaughter is a very controversial subject in the U.S. It has been banned there and people feel strongly against it and the consumption of horse meat. But the ugly truth is that thousands of horses from the U.S are shipped across the borders of it's neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered there every year. This is due to an overabundance of horses in the U.S. because of practices of over-breeding and owners prefer to close their eyes when they take their horses to auctions. It is here that the kill buyers await to bid cheaply on horses to be shipped for slaughter.

Canada has always welcomed these horses to their slaughter houses so that the meat can be sent overseas where there is a very big market for it in countries such as France. But recently things have gotten a little more complicated for the Canadians in regards to this industry. Unlike in the cattle business, the horse trade does not have strict standards in-regards to drugs found in horse meat. There are no regulations in the U.S. to prevent horse owners from administering banned substances because horses are not regarded or treated as food-producing animals. There lies the problem for the Canadians. Recently France has refused to accept horse meat from Canada because of chemicals found in the it.

This has come to be a blessing in disguise for those opposed to horse slaughter in Canada. New Democrat Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko (BC southern Interior) has re-introduced a Private Members Bill that would effectively shut down the slaughtering of horses for human consumption in Canada. His argument against it is that “It is irresponsible for Canada to allow the sale of meat from horses as a food item when they have never been raised in accordance with the food safety practices required for all other animals."

For example, the common usage of the inexpensive, easily available anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone (bute) or ‘horse’s aspirin’ as it is commonly called, is only one example of what is quite likely to be found in horsemeat. Bute is a known carcinogen to humans and it's use is illegal in any animal that enters the food supply. Under increasing pressure from the European Union (EU), Canada has introduced a new ‘equine passport’ (EID) system. This is to contain the data that has been verified by slaughter houses to track the health history and medical treatments of all horses arriving at slaughterhouses.

Atamanenko has been quoted as saying that “The EID system is fraught with loopholes and it is quite a stretch to think that information on hundreds of thousands of horses gathered from every nook and cranny across Canada and America, will be complete or accurate. The right thing for the government to do would be to adopt Bill C-322 so the issue can be debated as soon as possible.”

Since the bill was last introduced into Parliament, tens of thousands of Canadians have also petitioned the government to legislate an end to this practice. For those who are opposed to horse slaughter in Canada, this could be the answer that they have been waiting for. If only the Canadian government listens and follows through with it.

Responses to "Canadian Bill introduced to end horse slaughter there"

  1. I am so busy trying to live my life...I was totally unaware of this situation...I have never had horse but I do know that in other cultures this may be their only source of protein. Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

  2. Anonymous says:

    As usual it all boils down to GREED. Many people just don't care how they treat humans or animals. I just have to say that "what comes around, goes around". We can not treat any of God's creatures with disrespect, nor abuse them in any way. I pray that this will be stopped - that this type of horror will stop for all animals. They have a right to live as we do.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I submitted a petition signed by quite a few people. Some of the people on my petition were not even aware that horses were being killed for food. They were outraged. I would like to see the U.S. shut down its borders so that none of their horses will enter into Canada to meet a horrible ending. Canada's horse plants will lose the majority of their "products" and will therefore have to shut down. Gone, goodbye. I hope to see that day come.

  4. Anonymous says:

    ATTENTION! There has been a Report released the 26th of Oct, 2011. Plz read! http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/12402. The report, released on October 26, 2011, uses phrases like, “no official guarantee”, “could not be considered reliable”, “inadequate”, “no supporting evidence”, “standards are not industry practice”, and focuses on concerns about traceability and certification.
    Support New BILL C-322 in Canada.

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