Post by fancyherd@gala's on Nov 13, 2006 13:46:20 GMT -5
Horse slaughter: When they go back to work, U.S. senators may decide to take up a bill that would protect American horses from slaughter, and unwittingly hurt the meat industry in Juárez.
Since Mexico closed its border to imports of U.S. cattle, citing the fear of mad cow disease, local meat distributors have made up for the
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
loss by importing U.S. horses for slaughter for local consumption. In Juárez, the rastro, or municipal slaughterhouse, processes about 1,400 horses a month -- 70 percent imported from U.S. ranches.
The bill, S. 1915, would prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling or donation of horses to be slaughtered.
The U.S. House voted 263-146 in favor of its version of the bill in September, but observers predict the bill will have a harder time in the Senate. Neither of the two Texas senators supports the ban. The Department of Agriculture has also opposed the ban, saying the controlled and orderly slaughter of old horses is necessary.
The ban could also close the only three U.S. horse slaughterhouses -- Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas; Beltex in Fort Worth; and Cavel in DeKalb, Ill. -- which produce horse meat for zoos and for export to Europe and Japan.
Since Mexico closed its border to imports of U.S. cattle, citing the fear of mad cow disease, local meat distributors have made up for the
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
loss by importing U.S. horses for slaughter for local consumption. In Juárez, the rastro, or municipal slaughterhouse, processes about 1,400 horses a month -- 70 percent imported from U.S. ranches.
The bill, S. 1915, would prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling or donation of horses to be slaughtered.
The U.S. House voted 263-146 in favor of its version of the bill in September, but observers predict the bill will have a harder time in the Senate. Neither of the two Texas senators supports the ban. The Department of Agriculture has also opposed the ban, saying the controlled and orderly slaughter of old horses is necessary.
The ban could also close the only three U.S. horse slaughterhouses -- Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas; Beltex in Fort Worth; and Cavel in DeKalb, Ill. -- which produce horse meat for zoos and for export to Europe and Japan.
