I’ll be holding a “Town Hall” discussion at the Durant Public Library at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 8th. This will be an open forum where I hope to hear from those in the area on how we can continue to move Oklahoma forward.
This week, I wanted to address an issue that has been making state headlines and consequently burying coverage of other major legislative action (e. g. meaningful workers compensation reform, bond debt limitation, budget discussions and a litany of other issues).
Allowing the humane harvesting of equine intended for foreign markets is an issue that seems to be getting ample attention all the while taking up very little legislative time (less than 10 minutes on the Senate floor). The issue is fairly straight forward for some of us with roots in production agriculture yet has been misunderstood by some.
The unique decision by the Obama administration to allow USDA inspection once again at equine processing facilities has set the stage for Oklahoma action on this issue. The President’s decision has even liberal leaning officials now recognizing there’s more to this issue than humane society activists formerly grasped.
Equine processing plants were operational in two locations (Illinois and Texas) in the U.S. until 2006 when state and federal actions disrupted their service. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), investigative data has shown an increase of more than 60 percent on average of abused, neglected and starved horses since that time. The number of investigations for abuse and neglect nearly doubled in Colorado from 1,067 in 2005 to 1,588 in 2009 - again largely due to the 2006 state/federal bans. Those who are against horse slaughter seem to think that just because it’s illegal to slaughter horses in the U.S. that it isn’t happening, but this isn’t true. These animals are being shipped to Mexico and Canada by the thousands. GAO’s most recent Horse Welfare Report stated that from 2006 to 2010 horses transported to Canada and Mexico rose 660 percent. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified that more than 150,000 horses are being shipped to these two countries for slaughter. The hours involved in shipping these animals thousands of miles out of country is inhumane itself (not to mention the erratic feeding/treatment while in transit). Even the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported that horse welfare suffers as a consequence of such travel. There are little foreign governmental processing regulations to protect the over 150,000 horses that are currently being shipped out of the country. U.S. plants were federally regulated and held to a standard of guidelines requiring humane processing (identical to the processing of cattle). Harvesting in foreign countries, however, doesn’t include such standards (I’ll spare the gruesome details).
Another issue to consider is the jobs that’ll be created through the re-opening of horse processing plants in the U.S. The creation of these jobs will help Oklahoma families and others around the country boosting local economies. As introduced in the Oklahoma Senate, SB 375 would add equine to the definition of a meat food product eligible for processing/export. It’d allow for the opening of plants in Oklahoma to process and package the resulting meat product. The meat couldn’t be sold for U.S. consumption but instead would be shipped to other countries where there is demand for the product.
This is indeed a humane issue. True cruelty is to allow an aged or lame horse (malnourished or starving) to die in pain over an extended period of time. Common leg and joints defects such as founder, navicular syndrome, stifling, and deep abrasions yield pain that results in limited grazing and malnourishment. Internal issues such as a broken mouth (lack of teeth), having their “wind broke”, kidney failure, or lymph node infections are also other common factors that create major limitations and a need for euthanasia.
Other scenarios exist where horses become a danger to humans and can’t be rehabilitated. Horses that have learned behavior such as flipping on top of a rider or overly aggressive outbursts can lead to human death and must be addressed to keep unsuspecting owners out of harm’s way.
Additionally, whether it’s through lack of ability or financial means to care for horses, unwanted animals are a reality. Because of the boarding needs and expenses, finding a home for every unwanted horse isn’t realistic. This was realized before the President overturned the federal equine processing plant inspection ban.
Without an outlet for unwanted, crippled and starving animals the tendency is for horses to be turned out onto public right of ways and public lands creating life and death traffic hazards as evidenced in certain states.
As a co-author of SB 375, I was pleased to see its quick passage by the full Senate and look forward to its progress in the House.
To contact me at the Capitol, please write to Senator Josh Brecheen, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 428B, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at brecheen@oksenate.gov, or call (405) 521-5586.
My mother's family has been in Kaufman, Texas for over 160 years. Dallas Crown horse slaughter plant invaded my family's quaint, quiet, tourist friendly town in the 1970's. It RUINED my family's town. My cousin, Mary Nash, lived next door to Dallas Crown and unfortunately she died in 2005 before seeing this plant of horror close down. You, quite obviously, have not done your homework on the TRUTH about these horror plants. Not just for the horses, that CANNOT be humanely killed in a slaughter plant, but also for the entire community. Do you want horse blood flowing from your faucets because it WILL happen. Horses have twice the amount of blood as cattle. It cannot not be recycled, it cannot go into a landfill. So what happens, you ask? The company secretly in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping peacefully in their homes, power flush it into the town's sewers and water systems. You will turn your water faucet on for a nice fresh drink of water and you will have dark pink water full of horse blood! Your toilet will bring up horse tissue from the sewer system. These companies can't properly dispose of the entrails - no matter how much they tell you they can. They can't keep up with the volume, the entrails rot in over flowing containers. Your fresh air will smell of death. And guess who will be visiting your town - it won't be tourists or even your family members, because your town will be taken over by prey animals that come to eat these entrails. Your pet dog could very easily bring home the bone of a horse - they did in Kaufman! And then these prey animals mate and multiply - coyotes, vultures, buzzards, mice, rats, you name it! You say that these plants will provide jobs - yes, that is true, but who wants to work in these dangerous plants? Horses don't die from a stun gun, so while the worker is hoisting this horse up by their feet, they wake up, they kick, they bite, they trash - employees are in great danger of not only harm, but death. And then to add to that, the workers are exposed to highly toxic, dangerous chemicals to clean the plants. Oh, and let's talk about crime rate - it will rise. Once people figure out that these plants are dangerous they quit and then the only people who will do this job are ex-cons and illegal immigrants who are desperate for a job. Property values drop drastically - who wants to live in a town full of death? Think about this - educate yourself!! PLEASE learn the TRUTH about these plants - www.kaufmanzoning.net - my cousin set this site up to spread the truth and it is now being maintained in her honor to stop this horrible practice!!
The Obama 1st term Sec of Interior Ken Salazar has directed the BLM to round up wild horses and donkeys in numbers that make them effectively an extinct species. Unlike the snail-darter, the wild horse is stripped away from family, foals throw hooves when being chased by coptors; all to be placed in holding facilities. Waiting for States like yours to start up slaughter plants so America's wild horses can be harvested for human consumption.
Sir, we have a President who's first autobiography states his intention to tame the imperial power of the age and level it with the 3rd world. Wether you go along with this or not will be a character defining moment for you. Fight for Western Civilization it is under attack just as our, (We The People's), rightful property is being wiped from the landscape.
This is a very dark time we travel through.
Next you go on to not mention the 900 page report done by our own USDA inspectors when we had slaughter plants in the US that showed horrific cruelty and violations of environment and US anti cruelty laws for the slaughter of livestock. You neglect to say that this is why our government defunded USDA horse meat inspection. It was the quickest way to end a criminally ran industry. You also neglect to say that the majority of jobs in this industry are held by illegal workers and felons. All documentation of this is at your finger tips. You also neglect to mention the rise in criminal activity in the towns housing horse slaughter and the rise in horse theft, also all well documented. Or how about mentioning Kaufman, Texas where real estate values plummeted, environmental damage was catastrophic, with blood literally coming up in people's pipes in their homes. Or how about that because these slaughter houses are foreign owned and would be now, the tax payers foot the bills to fight the environmental and pollution damages with the Corporations never paying a single fine and breaking the towns in legal expenses.
Then you go on to lie to the public that this is about unwanted horses or rogue horses and that they need a humane ending, representing slaughter as a humane ending. Bull dung. About 2% of our horse population goes to slaughter, easily reabsorbed into the community. It is not the lame, injured or starved horses that go to slaughter. 92% by our own government studies are sound, healthy and under the age of 10 years. The lame, the sick, the injured and the starved are NOT accepted in slaughter, nor should they be as a food source. What you neglect to tell the public once again is the truths. That this is a toxic dumping ground for breeders, race horses and the greedy. That the starving horses of which I have rescued many are starved by owners who avoid the auctions because there is slaughter. Always has been, has never stopped. You also avoid telling the truth that even when we had slaughter in the US, we ALWAYS exported to Canada and Mexico. So where was your concern for the horses long journey then?
The most important part that you have withheld and is border line criminal, is that our horses are not raised for human consumption. Even our Wild Mustangs in holding pens are contaminated with BANNED medications for horses intended for human consumption. Being a farmer, a horse owner and a retired animal technician, I am well aware that 99% of the medications we giver our horses make them ineligible for consumption. Bute being #1 on the list. The FDA banned any livestock or food animal from the food chain if given ONE dose of bute. That is to exclude dairy cattle, which can not have any after 20 months of age I do believe.
So in affect, what you are supporting and telling lies to fulfill is an act of bio-terrorism. To knowingly export toxic meat to unsuspecting diners across this globe, never mind to feed to diners in the US is a form of bio-terrorism. You in fact are suggesting, recommending and supporting the feeding of KNOWN toxic meat to women, children and in Europe pregnant women, knowing the EU fully bans these carcinogens.
So you are hereby on notice that the American people across this Nation are aware that the politicians of Oklahoma do in fact have personal gain in this industry. We will demand a full investigation of all those in support of this criminal based industry and look to the courts for relief for our Nation to be protected from International law suits and charges for bio-terrorism.
You are a fine example of the corruption and lack of morals and principles in our system Sir.
Because this has nothing to do with starving horses, but everything to do with money. Believe me Oklahoma does not want the lovely attachments these plants bring either. Please google Kaufman Texas horse slaughter. Texas gave a resounding "NO" to re-opening a slaughter facility. There is good reason why. Don't be fooled into thinking US plants will be regulated and kinder to the horses, this is not the case. In the end horses are terrified and dismembered alive. And this is how we treat our companion animals. Shame on our legislators.
It is appalling to me the misrepresentation that you are delivering to the people of Oklahoma regarding slaughtering horses! The horse slaughter business is a FOR PROFIT industry that has no place anywhere on American soil! We do not eat horses here in America, therefor we do NOT need horse murdering plants!!
The sheer lie that there are so many unwanted, starved and skinny horses is just ridiculous! The truth is that overbreeding done by the AQHA and Thoroughbred industries has helped this horrendous business practice and is a dumping ground for their rejects! The demand for horsemeat overseas is what drives this industry, how dumb do you think people in your state really are????? That's exactly right and you know it, over 90% of the horses that are inhumanely whipped on to those awful trailers to be hauled for many hours, with no water, to their horrific deaths, are healthy, beautiful young horses with their whole life in front of them!! Opening a horse slaughter plant in Oklahoma, will seriously hurt your state, it will destroy the area where it is established! Don't believe me, look into what it did in Kaufman, Texas?. If you want this in your state so bad, I suggest you put in your hometown, or quit trying to make other Oklahomans be in favor of it, since you think it's such a good business practice!
Horses helped build this world and nation from the ground up, if it weren't for horses, we would not be where we are today!
People like you, that are in favor of this terrible holocaust on American horses need to understand, this is an evil, Godless, inhumane, greedy and despicable business and will carry a deathly sentence for the soul of those who advocate for it's existence in America and the world!!
Even if we can never agree on what is humane and what isn't, all horses especially those that you mentioned that are injured have been treated with known carcenogenic drugs. Drugs that are BANNED for use in animals for human consumption. Drugs such as dewormer and bute and more!
You and your other legislators KNOW that as of July 2013 all horses presented for slaughter that are coming from the USA, be it if they are slaughtered in Canada, Mexico or on our own soil, must have a document showing all medicnes given to that animal since it was 6 months old. If any of these horses have ever been given any banned drugs, such as dewormers and bute they are not eligible to be slaughtered. So there is NO WAY POSSIBLE that any American horse is safe to eat and ship to Europe. BUT to get around this the kill buyers will buy a horse at auction and as their legal "owners" when they get to the slaughter houses (or the US Borders) they will sign a document that states as the owner of that horse that horse is free and clear of all known carcenogenic drugs. Therefore this is an out right lie! So I guess it will be up to Europeans to get sick and stop the purchasing of our tainted horsemeat, because our legistature don't care that they are sending tainted horsemeat to the UK!
Europe is up in arms about tainted horse meat being used as an additive in their food supply. Ground beef is being cut with tainted horse meat and some food services are using horse meat instead of beef. Horse meat contains numerous carcinogens. Horses are not raised for human consumption, given drugs clearly labeled not to be used on a horse for human consumption. FDA does not approve horse meat. There are numerous environmental studies on the impact of horse slaughter not only to economy from crime but also environmental problems causing disastrous effects on ground water.
There is so much I could add... especially the devastation towns in TX saw from allowing a horse slaughter plant. Please educate yourself!
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/03/04/what-s-in-your-horse-burger-chemicals-that-pose-serious-health-risks.html