Animals\' Angels - wir sind bei den Tieren | we are there with the animals

Every year, approximately 100.000 American horses are slaughtered for human consumption. They are transported across the border to large slaughter facilities in Mexico and Canada and their meat is exported to Italy, Belgium, France and Japan. 
 
Where do these horses come from? They come from race tracks, farms, riding academies or private owners. Horses, too slow to win a race. Horses who have worked on a farm and now have become too old or too weak. Sick and injured horses or horses who, for whatever reason, have become “unwanted”. They are sold at auctions all over the country where they spend hours and sometimes days in overcrowded pens, often without access to food and water. Often, aggressive horses or stallions are not separated from the others which results in severe injuries.
 
They are transported for up to 28 hours, without food, water and rest, to their final destination.  
 
Upon their arrival at the slaughterhouse, many of them are already “down”, unable to rise, due to exhaustion, dehydration or injuries. These horses are supposed to be euthanized on the truck. However, they are sometimes dragged into the slaughter facility with a cable winch.
 
Federal law requires that horses must be rendered unconscious prior to slaughter, usually by a captive bolt. However, due to horses’ natural aversion of anything approaching their foreheads, some horses, even after multiple attempts, are improperly stunned. They remain conscious as they are hung up by their rear leg and their throat is cut.
 
In 1996, the United States Department of Agriculture issued guidelines to regulate the commercial transport of horses to slaughter, an attempt to ensure minimum humane standards.
Unfortunately, this attempt failed. The language is vague and unclear, a fact that makes enforcement next to impossible.
 
In 2006, the House of Representatives voted 263-146, overwhelmingly supporting the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503). The Senate version of the bill received the support of 34 cosponsors but did not come up for a vote before the end of session.
 
Take action!
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has been reintroduced to the 110th Congress.
Write your Congressman and Senator and ask them to cosponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. If they are already cosponsors, thank them for their support.