Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Bryant Gumbel Investigates the Slaughter of Thoroughbred Horses for Profit

Winner of 20 Sports Emmys® in 13 years, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 134th edition debuts

If you missed the Debut show on May 12th then you can catch it on one of the other dates below or on HBO on Demand!  This is a MUST SEE!

Hidden Horses

Few casual horse racing fans are aware that many former racing horses are slaughtered for profit. When a thoroughbred race horse reaches the end of its career or is simply no longer profitable on the track, it is often taken directly to auction and sold for meat. Because horse slaughter is no longer practiced in this country, these thoroughbreds are now being shipped by “killer buyers” to slaughterhouses abroad, which are frequently less regulated and less humane than former U.S. slaughterhouses. Correspondent Bernard Goldberg, who recently won the 2008 Sports Emmy(r) for Outstanding Sports Journalism for his 2007 REAL SPORTS story on the NFL concussion crisis, traces the disturbing journey many of these young and healthy horses take from the track, to auctions, to slaughterhouses, and finally to the plates of European and Japanese diners who pay top dollar for the delicacy.

Other HBO playdates: May 12 (5:55 a.m.), 13 (7:00 p.m.), 16 (8:00 a.m., 8:00
p.m.), 18 (8:00 a.m.), 22 (1:00 p.m., midnight), 24 (11:30 a.m.), 28 (4:30 p.m.) and 31
(4:40 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 17 (1:30 p.m.), 20 (6:15 p.m., 2:30 a.m.), 23 (3:00 p.m.), 25
(7:00 p.m.) and 29 (11:00 a.m., 12:05 a.m.), and June 2 (5:00 p.m.)
HBO On Demand availability: May 19-June 9

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Just In (from Shelley Abrams) Missouri State Senate Passes Resolution 35

On Monday, the Missouri State Senate passed Resolution 35 urging the US Congress to block passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act(AHSPA) and facilitate the construction of new horse slaughter plants on US soil.  Not one person spoke up against this Resolution!

We would like to thank all of you who stepped up and called, faxed and emailed in a tremendous show of unity and commitment.  Unfortunately, the Resolution passed anyway.

However, this is ONLY a Resolution and we should use this to create urgency with the fence sitters and those in Congress who we may be able to convert to co-sponsors.

Again, a huge thanks and tremendous amount of gratitude to those of you who keep at it, working day in and day out until all American horses are safe.  We will continue until we can savor the sweet taste of victory and celebrate together.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

DC Lobbying Efforts March, 2008 – Americans Against Horse Slaughter

First of all, we wish to thank everyone for all of their efforts to make the first Americans Against Horse Slaughter event successful!  It was great to meet so many passionate people who united from all over the country to help end the suffering of our American Horses.  Without a doubt, we truly witnessed proof that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

A special thanks to Alex, Julie, Paula and John Holland!! You all did a fantastic job!!

We also wish to thank Daniel from Habitat for Horses, who kept the strategy succinct as well as fostering the target lists for all to work off of.  “Thanks Daniel!” An additional thanks to the representatives of HSUS and AWI who provided our grassroots group with support and guidance. 

Our greatest gratitude goes to those of you who supported our efforts from the home front.  Your hard work remains relentless and your voices were heard loud and clear in the halls of DC!!

Finally, as most of you know, we cannot share the details of our work in DC on a public forum.  What we can tell you is that our days were jam packed with meetings which were specifically designed to secure further support for our bill. 

While maneuvering between the House and the Senate, we were able to gather some valuable information and now have a job for you resulting from our meetings with the sponsor’s offices.  Please see the new strategy that will be posted Sunday Evening and look for the “details” coming your way via our private email blitzes.

Continued Success,

Shelley and Debra

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Present Legislation Pending in the House and the Senate

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act will end the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human consumption.

Last year over 100,000 horses were slaughtered in one of the three foreign-owned, US-based horse slaughtering facilities located in Texas and Illinois.

H.R. 503, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House by Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Congressman John Spratt, Jr. (D-SC).  In the Senate, S. 311 has been reintroduced by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator and veterinarian John Ensign (R-NV).  On September 7, 2006, the House of Representatives voted 263 to 146 in favor of H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption.  Sadly, the U.S. Senate failed to act before the end of the 109th Congress.

UPDATE:

On April 25, 2007 the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation reported the bill favorably to the full Senate for consideration. No time has been set for a vote.

The three remaining horse slaughter plants in the United States have been closed due to State laws.  However, without the Federal legislation being passed, it leaves open the possibility of a new plant opening in another state.  It also does not stop the transportation for slaughter
to Canada and Mexico where our horses are meeting a brutal end of life.