Alex Atamanenko, NDP MP for British Columbia Southern Interior, British Columbia, introduced Bill C-322 yesterday. This is the text of his presentation:
Alex Atamaneko moved for leave to introduce Bill C-322, An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act and the Meat Inspection Act (slaughter of horses for human consumption).
“Mr. Speaker, whereas horses are ordinarily kept as pets for sporting and recreational purposes, and whereas they are not raised primarily for human consumption, and whereas horse meat products for human consumption are likely to contain prohibited substances, this bill would stop the import of horses for slaughter for human consumption.
Since I first introduced the bill in the last Parliament, tens of thousands of Canadians have petitioned the government to legislate an end to this practice. It is time for the government to listen.
It is irresponsible of Canada to allow the sale of meat from horses that have not been raised according to the food safety practices required for all other animals. For example, there is the issue of phenylbutazone. Bute is a known carcinogen that is banned from use in any animal entering the food chain.
It is a health concern. There are substances that are not allowed by our rules to enter the food chain. By stopping the importation of horses from the United States, we would cut this down considerably.
I urge all members of the House to support my bill.”
The CHDC will be letting you know about a revised petition. Please remember that in Canada online petitions are not admissable to Parliament. Any petitions presented must be originals filled in by hand.
Stay tuned for updates.
Thank you!
Great! I hope he emphasizes stopping the slaughter of horses altogether, not just putting an end to the importation of US horses.
Doing dirty buisiness, can only go on for a while, until its caught in it,s tracks. Cruel Horse-Slaughter does not benifit the horses, who have not asked to be there, in the first place , and Cruel Horse-Slaughter does not benefit me. Horses are different from other animals, they are NOT actually raised for food-consumption. Who ever thought this, was out of their minds. “The reason for the over-population of Equines, is the careless, unnecessary, Overbreeding!” We want whats good for these beautiful, magical, loyal, creatures, not what industries want.. Horses do not belong on a dinner-plate. A Great THANKS to Alex .A. for re-introducing this Bill C-322 in Canada, something we were longing for..:-) You don,t actually have to be an animal-advocate to know right from wrong….Also a big Thanks to all supporters, argri-journalists, organizations, groups, Facebook, web-sites, CHDC, horse-lovers, ect. Bring back Civilization & not Barbarism…Lets Keep the Light On, for the Horses. TKS!! ~ Merci!! Oct 2011 (Qc.)
Amen, Sam, amen.
Very pleased that this is moving forward in the Canadian government, but very ashamed that your government has to do what ours has failed to accomplish!
Signed by a not so proud citizen of the good ol’ USA
I agree with twlevdogs, im really sorry the usa does not care about the horse, and the history of the horse, and the saving of the horse, our govt , well, stinks badly.
In fact, there is a coalition of US anti-horse slaughter groups very aggressively seeking to stop the export of horses across borders for slaughter purposes. I just returned from the International Conference on Equine Welfare in Alexandria, Virginia, and I can attest to the commitment of these groups to stop the possible re-instatement of horse slaughter on US soil (a lobby led by the horse industry and Sue Wallis) and to ban the export of US horses for slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Go to http://www.equinewelfarealliance.com for more info on US initiatives and ways to help stop the horror throughout North America.
When one jurisdiction bans something but the neighbours don’t, the problem just transfers next door. The US restrictions meant that horses ended up in Canada and Mexico, travelling long distances. We need to improve our system, not shut it down, or our spent horses will end up in Mexico. We need to clean up our industry. How can we do that? Slaughter, as distasteful as it may be, is a necessary part of the horse industry. Without it, horses will end up abandoned and starved. As noble as the cause may be, there are not enough ‘horse rescues’ or money to provide homes and proper care to all unwanted horses. I do agree that we don’t need to be eating horse meat with potential residue issues, but the consumer is leading that demand. Hopefully Canada can get this right.
Hi Karen, I can feel your concern over cyberspace, and I share it. You’ll be relieved to know that horse abandonment is not related to the availability of horse slaughter in the US. The number of horses slaughtered by the US before the ban on slaughter has remained constant after the ban. This tells us that the phenomenon of horse abandonment speaks of a mindset which pre-existed, and is independent of, the ban, has, in fact, always been part of the lower part of the US horse industry, and was only seen to increase when the US economy tailspinned in late 2008 and early 2009. Abandonment of pets or service animals are similar in that such owners don’t think through the options, nor consider the time it takes to recycle their suddenly unwanted animal a worthwhile investment in either the horse’s future nor the economic benefit his versatility brings to the LIVE horse industry. It seems to me a bit like the hoarding mentality which medicine is only now beginning to recognize as a bonafide illness.
Moreover, Karen, you refer to the horses sent to slaughter as “spent” and “unwanted”. This is hardly the case; you’ve only to read the EID’s and view the videos on this website to see that many are young and healthy–particularly the racehorses. I wouldn’t call them “spent” especially at their young ages of 2 to 5 years old. As for “unwanted”, no horse is unwanted as long as there is a responsible, second or third owner at the auction who can outbid the killbuyer. (It’s an interesting economic domino that while some owners have to give up–for financial or other reasons– their horses , always high-maintenance animals even at the best of times, there are others wanting to buy them.)
The violative conditions under which horses are slaughtered are the same in Canada as they were in the US pre-2007. The danger to human health and the inhumane method of slaughter exist throughout our continent, not just in Canada and Mexico. That’s why the US banned horse slaughter in the first place. As for the consumer: the consumer may want dog meat and cocaine and pedophilia, too. Where do we draw the line?
The Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand sold to stud in Japan, and 2 short years later (2002) was slaughtered and sold for human consumption. It still upsets me when I think of it. That changed to some degree how Thoroughbred breeders do business. Most have “buy back” clauses in their stallion contracts especially if the horse is being sent out of country. That being said, the horse industry as a whole, is not doing enough to protect these animals. It’s easy to point fingers at the Thoroughbred breeders, but there are other horses being slaughtered too. Quarter Horses, draft horses, ponies, all breeds…pure breds…mixed breeds…young and old. Some of these mares even have foals at their sides! When a horse can no longer fit the needs of their owners (can’t race, jump, breed etc)…there are always other career options as a pleasure horse, companion or trail horse etc. Slaughter should never be an option.
We live in a disposable society. Always looking for the newer/better thing. We have to stop throwing animals (dogs, cats, horses etc) away as if they are a used coffee cup! These are living, breathing, thinking, feeling creatures that we took responsibility of. They didn’t just move into your home… you made the consious decision to purchase/adopt an animal. What happened to an animal is a life long commitment? If you can’t live up to your part of the bargain by giving them their “forever home” then it is your responsibility to ensure they find one, a proper one.
I hope this issue finally gets the attention it deserves. The unfortunate thing is, this should have been stopped a long time ago. Nobody wants to believe something like this happens in our great Country to these beautiful animals. It’s easier to turn a blind eye, and pretend we don’t hear about it. I believe if the dirty truth in put out there for all Canadians to see and can’t hide from it…changes will be made. It is time.