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PLEASURE PASOFINO
05-17-2007, 09:05 PM
NEWS UPDATE!!!!!!!! not a DEBATE! "THANKS"



Illinois Senate Approves Ban on Horse Slaughter
by: The Associated Press
May 17 2007 Article # 9604

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The Illinois Senate approved a ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption Wednesday, sending the legislation to the governor.
The proposal, which won the Senate's approval 39-16, would stop a DeKalb plant from continuing to ship horse meat overseas.

"Horses clearly are recreational, companion animals," said Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, the bill's sponsor. "They are not livestock, raised for food."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich agrees with the idea and likely will sign the bill into law, but must review it first, a spokeswoman said.

But senators representing farmers--and the Cavel International plant in DeKalb--say slaughtering horses is humane and necessary and the legislation will eliminate jobs in Illinois.

"You're saying it's OK to eat Elsie the Cow, Chicken Little and Bambi, you just don't want us to eat Mr. Ed," said Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

Republican Sen. Brad Burzynski of Clare, who represents DeKalb and the Cavel plant, said horses are slaughtered there as humanely as where they are rendered for other products, such as animal food.

He said owners care about their horses but "they have to find a way to dispose of these animals."

Cullerton countered that Cavel can remain operating if it slaughters horses for other uses.

Cavel and the nation's two other slaughterhouses had ceased operations after a federal court said plant inspections were being improperly funded by the Agriculture Department.

The department had been offering horse slaughter plant inspections for a fee after federal lawmakers stripped money for horse inspectors' salaries and expenses from the 2006 agriculture spending bill in an effort to end horse slaughter.

But Cavel resumed operations after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided May 1 to grant the slaughterhouse's emergency request for a stay as it considers an appeal of the ruling to end the fee-for-service inspections.

The appeals court's decision noted that Cavel had argued "that it will go out of business absent a stay" because it would not be able to operate while the appeal is pending.

Candice Burger
05-17-2007, 10:17 PM
I dunno Caliber. This year might test the country's resolve on horse slaughter.

I spoke to several hay growers today and this is the first time I've felt the sobering effects of our economy. With horses as a luxury item instead of a necessity, the horse "industry" has allot of adjustments to make. When small breeders can't find some relief, they've got to quit making horses and some will abandon or give them away. I'm afraid of what that means for the welfare of the animal. Also, what does this mean for a breed small in numbers?

I know you are involved with animal welfare too. Better tighten that belt, I think it's going to get rough.

Jasfino
05-17-2007, 10:22 PM
I saw that Caliber.. :D

CarolU
05-17-2007, 11:27 PM
Candice, I don't know about your area of the country, but in our area, they are plowing hay fields under left and right to plant barley and corn for ethanol. There is going to be a huge feed shortage on top of the influx of 100,000 unwanted horses.

Time for those anti-slaugter advocates to get out their checkbooks. A lot of horses are going to starve to death without some massive intervention.

Monty
05-18-2007, 03:47 AM
Same here Carol - scarey - plus the cost of fuel - we can't find anyone to buy an alfalfa field and bale it for themselves and us ! We may have to use antique equipment and do it ourselves - but can't do it right away - hubby just had hernia surgery :shock:
I was disappointed to see the short sightedness of ILL - I may not like the thought of sending an animal of any kind to slaughter - to me it is better to do that, than have them starve to death !
And people will do that - if they can't afford feed and hay - do you think they can afford the cost of putting them down and hauling - we had a mare that died last July - cost $227 to haul her - no room to bury and we can't do that in WISC - that will go up since the cost of fuel has !

Terry Wallace
05-18-2007, 01:03 PM
I was at the feed store getting grain yesterday. The price of hay was $12.00 a bale for alfalfa and $11.00 a bale for grass. 10% sweet feed (Purina HM Edge) was up to $9.89 a 50# bag.....

Its freakin' MAY....and hay prices are continuing to stay up as high as they were in January 07... what does it mean? Does it mean that new hay being cut now will remain at these prices? Fuel keeps going up... less hay being grown here....25% of "competing" crops have been turned into fuel corn...

I think Mexico will see a LOT of slaughter horses...coming from the USA... I think Canada will also see a lot of slaughter horses....coming from the USA. We had a slaughter buyer here for our last horse Auction...who came from Canada.

What gets me most about all this...is now horses for slaughter will be re-routed to other countries... and likely be "less humanely" slaughtered than they would have been here....especially if in Mexico... so what have we really accomplished by the anti-slaughter for human consumption here? Somebody please explain it to me...

OR...are Willy Nelson and Bo Derek taking in all unwanted horses? Are they putting their money where there mouth is? Are they saving the lives of thousands of horses? OR...are they actually sending more horses for slaughter to other countries so we here can all bury our heads in the sand and say we "did a good thing" and its not OUR problem anymore???? :?:

CarolU
05-18-2007, 01:14 PM
Terry, they've been cutting here and the price has come down, but not where it was at the beginning of last cutting season. The fact that Colorado and Texas aren't in drought and won't be buying up all the hay is overshadowed by the amount of land being turned over to ethanol production and the price of fuel.

I have to wonder about the capacity of U.S. refineries to handle so much grain and corn though...because they sure are going to have a LOT of it. I think the price of both will drop drastically and a lot of farmers who did this will loose their shirts. That is just my prediction.

Terry Wallace
05-18-2007, 01:28 PM
My prediction is they will prosper and never loose their shirts as America needs to be less dependant on foreign oil...

Americans love their cars.... walking to work here..just like where you live...is not an option... my commute is 22 miles each way to town...there is no bus or anything else....everybody drives...

Couple that with the new mix fuel autos...and we will need all the corn we can produce.

Nope..I see this corn phase gaining in poularity and production.
I predict soybeans will also get more & more populare for bio diesel production.

Too bad we can't RIDE HORSES to work! Too bad the Safeway 6 miles away doesn't have holding corrals for horsie day care..... I'd go work there! I'd happily ride my "one horse power"...!