URGENT Faxing and email campaign against horse slaughter

Guest Blogger Jennifer Swanson

Good Afternoon Everyone,

As the AWI put out this morning the vote for H.R.6598 The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 and H.R. 6597 Animal Cruelty Statistics Act of 2008 will be on Wednesday. We are encouraging everyone to contact your representative and ask him to please vote in support of these bills.

We have just returned from Washington D.C. and meeting with Carol Patton, the author of the bills and we have written a sample letter for you to send to your representative as well as a list of representatives. It is imperative we let our politicians know that there IS a successful alternative.

Please let me know if you would like this letter emailed to you. You can email me at Jennifer@PureThoughtsHorseRescue.com . Please feel free to crosspost this information

Sincerely,
Victoria & Jennifer


Dear ________________________;

I know you have been inundated with correspondences, faxes and telephone calls, and I am sure you know just how our country feels about this cruelty and inhumanity of horse slaughter.

We have continued to ask everyone to please vote in support of H.R.6598, The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 and also now ask that you vote to support H.R. 6597 Animal Cruelty Statistics Act of 2008, which will require the collection of data on animal cruelty crimes.

I am not sure if you are aware of the real story, but less than 8% of the horses that go to slaughter are “Old and Infirm." Senator Charlie Stenholm would like you to believe ALL horses destined for slaughter are in that condition as a result of abuse and neglect when in reality horse slaughter encourages that cruel treatment.

The remaining 92% of the horses are young healthy horses, pregnant mares and even foals. The slaughterhouses do not want old, infirm, skinny horses. And what you may not be aware of is that there IS an alternative for these horses. There is no need for horses to go to slaughter. They are not unwanted horses; they are DISCARDED. There are over 550 horse rescues in the United States, over 4.6 million horse owners in the United States, as well as there are over 10,000 organizations in the United States that are horse oriented or utilize horses in their program, (the 4H groups alone has 6.5 million members)

When a horse rescue attends an auction and outbids a killbuyer the rescue does not keep that horse for its entire life. They rehab and then re-home the horses. The rescues also have a follow up program for the horses to insure that the horse does not wind up in a "bad" situation again. These horses have gone on to help autistic children, physically and mentally disabled children, and even as parade or police horses. Some become show horses, family pets, trail horses, working horses, varied therapy horses, and rehabilitation horses etc. through the many adoption programs throughout this country. For the few that are older or unable to be retrained because of health issues, there are many organizations that are in place to take in these horses also. Humane euthanasia by a licensed vet is also an alternative for any horse that is suffering.

By ending slaughter you will allow the rescues organizations and individuals who want these horses to have the ability to step in and not have to travel to the kill auctions and outbid the killbuyers. Slaughter is a cruel and inhumane end to a life and not one that we condone in this country. Even the conditions that surround the slaughter process is inhumane.. Slaughter just allows a blind eye to be turned to the illegal abuse and neglect practices.

I would again like to encourage you to support the bills of H.R.6598 The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 and H.R. 6597 Animal Cruelty Statistics Act of 2008. Rest assured there is an alternative to slaughter that is functioning successfully in the United States. This cruel and inhumane practice is not needed and must end immediately.

Thank you for your attention to this matter,




House Judiciary Committee
Democrats
Republicans
The Honorable John Conyers, Jr., (MI)*ChairmanTel: 202-225-5126Fax: 202-225-0072Email: john.conyers@mail.house.gov
The Honorable Lamar Smith (TX)Ranking MemberTel: 202-225-4236Fax: 202-225-8628
The Honorable Mark Berman (CA)*Tel: 202-225-4695Fax: 202-225-3196Email: howard.berman@mail.house.gov
The Honorable Lamar Smith (TX)Ranking MemberTel: 202-225-4236Fax: 202-225-8628
The Honorable Rick Boucher (VA)*Tel: 202-225-3861Fax: 202-225-0442Email: ninthnet@mail.house.gov
The Honorable John Sensenbrenner (WI)Tel: 202-225-5101Fax: 202-225-3190
The Honorable Jerry Nadler (NY)*Tel: 202-225-5635Fax: 202-225-6923
The Honorable Howard Coble (NC)Tel: 202-225-3065Fax: 202-225-8611Email: howard.coble@mail.house.gov
The Honorable Bobby Scott (VA)*Tel: 202-225-8351Fax: 202-225-8354
The Honorable Elton Gallegly (CA)*Tel: 202-225-5811Fax: 202-225-1100
The Honorable Melvin Watt (NC)*Tel: 202-225-1510Fax: 202-225-1512
The Honorable Bob Goodlatte (VA)Tel: 202-225-5431Fax: 202-225-9681
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren (CA)*Tel: 202-225-3072Fax: 202-225-3336
The Honorable Steve Chabot (OH)*Tel: 202-225-2216Fax: 202-225-3012
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (TX)*Tel: 202-225-3816Fax: 202-225-3317
The Honorable Dan Lungren (CA)*Tel: 202-225-5716Fax: 202-226-1298
The Honorable Maxine Waters (CA)*Tel: 202-225-2201Fax: 202-225-7854
The Honorable Chris Cannon (UT)Tel: 202-225-7751Fax: 202-225-5629Email: cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov
The Honorable William Delahunt (MA)*Tel: 202-225-3111Fax: 202-225-5658Email: william.delahunt@mail.house.gov
The Honorable Ric Keller (FL)*Tel: 202-225-2176Fax: 202-225-0999
The Honorable Robert Wexler (FL)*Tel: 202-225-3001Fax: 202-225-5974
The Honorable Darrell Issa (CA)*Tel: 202-225-3906Fax: 202-225-3303
The Honorable Linda Sanchez (CA)Tel: 202-225-6676Fax: 202-226-1012
The Honorable Mike Pence (IN)*Tel: 202-225-3021Fax: 202-225-3382
The Honorable Steve Cohen (TN)*Tel: 202-225-3265Fax: 202-225-5663
The Honorable Randy Forbes (VA)*Tel: 202-225-6365Fax: 202-226-1170
The Honorable Hank Johnson (GA)*Tel: 202-225-1605Fax: 202-226-0691
The Honorable Steve King (IA)Tel: 202-225-4426Fax: 202-225-3193
The Honorable Betty Sutton (OH)*Tel: 202-225-3401Fax: 202-225-2266
The Honorable Tom Feeney (FL)Tel: 202-225-2706Fax: 202-226-6299
The Honorable Gutierrez (IL)*Tel: 202-225-8203Fax: 202-225-7810
The Honorable Trent Franks (AZ)Tel: 202-225-4576Fax: 202-225-6328
The Honorable Brad Sherman (CA)*Tel: 202-225-5911Fax: 202-225-5879
The Honorable Louie Gohmert (TX)Tel: 202-225-3035Fax: 202-225-5866
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin (WI)*Tel: 202-225-2906Fax: 202-225-6942
The Honorable Jim Jordan (OH)Tel: 202-225-2676Fax: 202-226-0577
The Honorable Anthony Weiner (NY)*Tel: 202-225-6616Fax: 202-226-7253Email: weiner@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Adam Schiff (CA)*Tel: 202-225-4176Fax: 202-225-5828

The Honorable Artur Davis (AL)*Tel: 202-225-2665Fax: 202-226-9567

The Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)*Tel: 202-225-7931Fax: 202-226-2052

The Honorable Keith Ellison (MN)*Tel: 202-225-4755Fax: 202-225-4886