[horsesare1]

For Immediate Release

Thursday, August 6, 2009 7:27 AM

From:
"Animals' Angels" <sonja@animals-angels.de>




To:

For Immediate Release August 6, 2009
Animals' Angels phone: 410-848-3153
fax: 410-848-0213
www.animals-angels.com
Undercover Investigation Underscores USDA-documented Brutality30 month long investigation proves worst-case scenario is ongoing

A thirty month long investigation into the plight of horses who have been sold for slaughter has revealed the worst levels of inhumane treatment. The abuse and neglect of these horses, sometimes referred to as "kill horses," was uncovered during the investigation and is consistent with findings and photographs contained in a 906 page document released by the USDA last year.

The investigation and report by Animals' Angels, a Maryland based animal welfare
organization, confirmed that injuries and inhumane treatment documented by the USDA during 2005 continue. Both USDA and Animals' Angels (AA) documents show horses severely injured, left medically untreated, ill, trampled to death and worse on their way to and at slaughter.
Executive Director of Animals' Angels, Sonja Meadows said their investigations quickly revealed that, "Both government records and our report show that being on U.S.soil was not then and is not now the slightest guarantee of humane treatment."

The slaughter of horses in the U.S., which stopped with plant closures in 2007, continues in Canada and Mexico. Groups advocating the slaughter of American horses have called for the reopening of U.S. horse slaughter plants, saying horses are better protected by U.S. humane laws than by laws in Canada and Mexico. However, during the 30 month long investigation that included repeated visits to auctions, feedlots and slaughter plants, AA investigators concluded abuse and inhumane treatment are inherent to the horse slaughter industry.

"It takes inhumane treatment to make the economics work," said Meadows. "We found the cruelty starts well before horses arrive at the slaughter plant."



The AA report documents available veterinary care withheld from horses severely injured or near death. Undercover investigators were routinely told, 'That horse is going to slaughter anyway,' or the horses are 'just passing through.'

Treatment of horses designated for slaughter ranged from beating horses and jabbing them in the eyes, to using a cable winch to drag downed horses with a wire wrapped around a back leg. Investigators observed horses being injured or killed after being forced into dangerously crowded pens where they were kicked or trampled. Others were found frozen to the ground after overnight temperatures dropped well below freezing. Young and small horses, as well as horses injured or weak were trampled to death in trailers crowded with 40 horses. Workers failed to separate stallions, ensuring fierce fighting in close quarters during transport.

Making conditions worse is the issue of stolen horses, according to Debi Metcalfe, founder of Stolen Horse International, Inc., a non profit that operates www.NetPosse.com, a horse theft recovery network that averages 80,000 unique visitors per month. "We have dealt with cases where horses were stolen," said Metcalf. "We later found out that these innocent pets had been slaughtered."


At both Canadian and Mexican slaughter plants investigators discovered horses left in bloody "kill boxes", used to restrain horses as they are being killed, during lunch breaks. According to the report, the horses were "shaking violently as if [they] might fall down." Plant management told investigators the horses 'aren't bothered by it.'

AA investigators documented injured and dead horses at every stop along the horse slaughter pipeline. At feedlots and export pens horses had no food and water troughs were empty. An export facility veterinarian informed investigators horses too weak for transport would be left behind to die in the pens.

"The public has been duped into thinking horse slaughter has ended, but it just moved a few hours further down the road," Meadows pointed out. "It hasn't somehow changed it into something it is not. It is the same terrible suffering it was in 2005."
"By the time the horse finally stands in the kill box at the slaughter plant, it is often not the worst thing that has happened to it since this dreadful journey began," said Meadows
For a copy of the investigative report, click here. For the PR WEB PRESS RELEASE, click her.
To review the USDA documents, click here.

What can you do?
Please urge your representatives and senators to support the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act H.R.503 / S.727!


Animals' Angels is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization incorporated in Maryland with fulltime investigators working in the United States and Canada. We work with law enforcement and government agencies to end animal cruelty and to improve conditions for farm animals. We are in the field every week, trailing livestock trucks, visiting markets, collecting stations and slaughter plants.



Contact:
Sonja Meadows
Executive Director
Animals' Angels USA
410-848-3153
info@animals-angels.com
For further information on horse slaughter investigations, go to

www.animals-angels.com

[SumLikeItHot]

I wonder where all of these "stops" are, like where the horses go through in the
US before hitting the plant. I would like to go and bring a trailerful home.

[Stormyheart6160]

I had this same article sent to me, so I've already read and seen it. But, don't ya just love the way humane treatment of our horses in holding pens for slaughter, or enroute to slaughter, exists?

The last time I looked in the dictionary, the definition of "humane" wasn't any of the above!

You GO Animal Angels!!!! Keep on bringing the TRUTH to light!

[horsesare1]

Originally Posted by SumLikeItHot

I wonder where all of these "stops" are, like where the horses go through in the
US before hitting the plant. I would like to go and bring a trailerful home.

ME TOO!!! It just makes me sick......

[horsesare1]

Originally Posted by Stormyheart6160

I had this same article sent to me, so I've already read and seen it. But, don't ya just love the way humane treatment of our horses in holding pens for slaughter, or enroute to slaughter, exists? Oh yeah..... it's wonderfull...... so humane. They look so happy and content ...... But ...... now STORMY..... this is NOT the majority...... most of the time they are treated, fed, watered, allowed to rest..... and are so very HUMANELY put down...... YEAH RIGHT..... MY ****IN *** ...... THIS is the majority. Gets me so mad I could spit nails.

The last time I looked in the dictionary, the definition of "humane" wasn't any of the above!

You GO Animal Angels!!!! Keep on bringing the TRUTH to light!

Rock ON Animal Angels!!!!

[Stormyheart6160]

This is what everyone that is pro slaughter is fighting to start up again here in the states. It comes hand in hand with the slaughter of horses. They get SEVERELY abused and neglected first, before they get to die.

Hmmmm......where's all the pro slaughter people? I would of thought they'd already be here in this thread trying to refute the evidence?

[SaddleTrail]

"Wandering in with a huge bag of marshmallows and a family size chocolate bar".

Good morning Stormy~S~

Im here, I couldnt sleep so are you up for a debate?

[Drafty]

good for them someone needs to put a stop to this. Hope it is them.

[barrel_racer64]

As much as I hate horse slaughter, I feel it is one of the necessary evils in the world. We can do all we can to get the horses treated as humanly as possible, but it all boils down to the same thing. I believe we do need it here in the US. I'm glad we are getting the truth uncovered so we can do something about it. People who want to rescue horses headed to slaughter, hats off to you an more power to ya. Until we can get backyard breeders to quit breeding, an some how get the rest of the numbers down so the horse market isnt in such a mess, I feel we need an alternative. Most people cant afford to have their horses euthanized becuase it costs from 100 to 1000 to have it done.

[Reyven]

Originally Posted by Stormyheart6160

This is what everyone that is pro slaughter is fighting to start up again here in the states. It comes hand in hand with the slaughter of horses. They get SEVERELY abused and neglected first, before they get to die.

Hmmmm......where's all the pro slaughter people? I would of thought they'd already be here in this thread trying to refute the evidence?

I am against this...however if the horses were being held in sanity, humane conditions and treated humanely, then I do agree with slaughter. Just because some are pro-slaughter, do NOT mean we agree with the treatment seen here so please do not say we agree with this abuse