US House Moves to Stop Wild Horse Slaughter

[pdevlieg]

US House Moves to Stop Wild Horse Slaughter
URGENT ACTION NEEDED TODAY!


May 16, 2006


Dear Humanitarian:

The US House of Representatives is again poised to vote on an amendment
introduced by Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV) to stop the brutal
slaughter of America's wild horses for human consumption in foreign
countries. An identical measure sponsored by Mr. Rahall last year
passed overwhelmingly in the House, but was blocked at the last minute
in the Senate by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT). More information about
the House vote and the tragic plight of our wild horses is available at
www.saplonline.org/w_horses.htm
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=jpwqrvbab.0.84c4ctbab.7lzn5wn6.1341&p=http%3A%2
F%2Fwww.saplonline.org%2Fw_horses.htm> .

Please take a moment to contact your Representative TODAY, urging his or
her strong support of the Rahall Amendment to the House Interior
Appropriations Bill. The House will consider the measure during the week
of May 15 (most likely on Thursday, May 18), so your immediate
assistance is critical. If you would like additional facts or need to
find the name of your Representative, visit our website at
www.saplonline.org/congress.htm
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=jpwqrvbab.0.vom4hqbab.7lzn5wn6.1341&p=http%3A%2
F%2Fwww.saplonline.org%2Fcongress.htm> or call us at [phone].

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

* Please call or fax your Representative today, and continue to do
so until the vote has taken place. The Capitol Hill Operator can be
reached at [phone].
* Ask your Representative to support the Rahall Interior
Appropriations Amendment (prohibiting your tax dollars from being spent
on sending wild horses to slaughter) and respectfully request his or her
position the issue.
* If your Representative voted for last year's amendment, please
mention this when you call. To find out how your he or she voted, visit
www.projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/109/house/1/votes/196/
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=jpwqrvbab.0.u6qurvbab.7lzn5wn6.1341&p=http%3A%2
F%2Fwww.projects.washingtonpost.com%2Fcongress%2F109%2Fhouse%2F1%2Fvotes
%2F196%2F> .

Your immediate assistance is essential to ensure the House of
Representatives hears from an outpouring of concerned constituents as it
did last year. Do not allow the foreign-owned slaughterhouses to thwart
your will and the actions of Congress any longer.

Please share our "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with family, friends and
coworkers, and encourage them to make phone calls and send faxes, too.

Thank you so much for your help!

Sincerely,

Chris Heyde
Deputy Legislative Director
Society for Animal Protective Legislation
(A Division of the Animal Welfare Institute)
www.saplonline.org/horses.htm

[pdevlieg]

Dear Friends of Wild Horses,

Today a unanimous vote to prohibit any taxpayer funds from being used to sell or slaughter America's wild horses resounded throughout the floor of the House of Representatives. Today is a sure sign and victory for America's wild horses.

Wild Horse Annie worked tirelessly in 1971 to end the inhumane act of slaughter of wild horses. But in 2004, Senator Burns put a stealth rider in the Appropriation bill and the majority of Senators and Representatives did not even know it was there when they voted and rushed out of Congress to celebrate the Dec. recess. A stealth rider was the only way that "sale authority" could be granted to the BLM as previous attempts on the floor of Congress have failed miserably. We know the American people cherish the "free-roaming" spirit of the wild horses and burros and that is why in 1971 that the Wild Horses and Burros Act passed unanimously in both halls of Congress.

We thank Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV), Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Representative John Sweeney (R-NY) and Representative John Spratt (D-SC) for sponsoring this amendment that went through the Interior Appropriations Supplemental Budget.

Although this is a short term fix for wild horses - we must push to end the erroneous information that wild horses and burro are overpopulating the public rangelands. We must protect the wild horses and burros on their rightful ranges. When one understands that less than 1% of the public land is used for wild horse and burro habitat - I think we can dispel the myths about over population. Surely when in 1971, there were more than 60,000 wild horses and burros and at that time Congress declared that they were "fast disappearing from the American scene," then today numbers reduced to 23-27,000 wild horses and burros is disgraceful. A far cry from the original 60,000 animals.

Finally, we hope that soon all horses will be protected from the inhumane act of slaughter. Please encourage your Congress person to sign on to S1915 and H.R. 503.

We thank all of you who called your Representatives today and may you all be blessed by the "spirit of the horse."

Sincerely,
Karen A. Sussman
President, ISPMB
PO Box 55
Lantry, SD 57636
Tel: [phone]
Cell: 605.365.6991
Saving America's Wild Horses & Burros since 1960

www.ispmb.org



What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson