A public hearing will be held Tuesday on L.D. 1286, “An Act to Protect Maine Communities by Prohibiting Horse Slaughter in Maine For Human Consumption and the Transport of Horses For Slaughter.”

I encourage others to urge their legislators to vote for L.D. 1286 to prevent the barbaric slaughter of horses or transporting them for slaughter.

Some rightly may say that we need more jobs, but there is no room for such barbaric jobs in this country. It is ghastly enough that we ship these great animals to other countries to their terrible deaths. Tens of thousands of American horses are packed off to slaughter mills each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

One of the many reasons to keep slaughter plants out of this state and country is their environment impact. States that had slaughter plants before their closing in 2007 were left with thousands of dollars of unpaid environmental fines, polluted water, noncompliance with water and air quality, destruction of waste water infrastructure from the dumping of blood and other grim items.

People from those states warn that there will be no big money for the town, state or individuals.

Every aspect of the slaughter process is inhumane. The Office of Inspector General issued a report in October 2010 citing widespread, flagrant abuse of horses and lack of enforcement in its audit of the slaughter horse transport program. The horror just goes on.

Food safety is another important reason to support L.D. 1286. The consumption of horse meat is banned in this country, partly because of vaccines the horses must have. People in other countries apparently don’t care.

Janis Cross

Hallowell

Copy the Story Link