Update on the Horse Slaughter Industry

AMI - Animal Handling and Care Conference October 2012 J. Woods Livestock Service Jennifer Woods, M.Sc.

J. Woods Livestock Services Background Information :

- Over one billion people, or 16% of the worlds population consume horse meat.

- Most commonly consumed in European and Asian countries. China consumes the most.

- The price of horse meat is at an all time high in Europe.

- Major exporting countries are Argentina, Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Canada, France, Netherlands, Mongolia and Uruguay. The U.S. used to be on this list.

The Alberta Horse Welfare Report - 2008 J. Woods Livestock Services ◊ Under the 1996 Farm Bill it became Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) responsibility to regulate the commercial and humane transport of horses to slaughter.

◊ Authority was delegated to the Deputy Administrator of Veterinary Services.

J. Woods Livestock Services ◊ Collaboration was established between the private and public sector.

- Equine Industry - Horse Welfare Groups - Auction Terminals - Horse Abattoirs - Trucking Industry - Research and Veterinary Community

◊ Opinions were gathered from various animal welfare groups.

J. Woods Livestock Services ◊ Three areas of research enlisting three research groups.

- Colorado State University (Dr. Temple Grandin) Welfare of horse arriving at abattoirs

- Texas A & M (Dr. Ted Friend) Effects of water deprivation

- University of California, Davis (Dr. Carolyn Stull) Stress in equines shipped to slaughter plants

◊ First time NA animal welfare regulation had been science based. J. Woods Livestock Services

◊ Recommendations from the research.

- Separate stallions and other aggressive horses - Feed, water and rest 6 hours prior to loading - In trailer no longer then 28 hours - Owner/shippers certificates X - Provide adequate floor space - Phase out two tier trailers

◊ These were incorporated into APHIS Act, Standards for Conveyance 9 CFR 88.3

◊ Transport expert for the humane transport of meat horses. J. Woods Livestock Services

Anti-Slaughter Activist Took Strategic Approaches

1. State Level - old and new laws

2. Transportation

3. Funding of inspection

J. Woods Livestock Services State Level Campaigns:

1. Illinois (Plant closure 2007)

2. Texas (2 plant closures 2007)

3. California (horses no longer property, sale for meat illegal)

4. New York (banned transport of all horses double deck trailers)

5. New Jersey (Sept. 2012 banned slaughter, consumption, transport)

6. Florida (Limitations on sourcing USDA inspected plants only )

J. Woods Livestock Services State Level Campaigns:

7. Oklahoma (Denatured for animal food only instate or exported)

8. Tennesse (Denatured for animal food only instate or exported)

“All horsemeat sold, offered for sale or exposed for sale shall be denatured with at least two percent (2%) charcoal or other similar inert ingredient and shall be in package form, and so labeled as to show that it contains horsemeat that has been denatured with at least two percent (2%) charcoal or other similar inert ingredient.”

J. Woods Livestock Services Texas Stops Shipments of Horsemeat by: The Associated Press May 09 2008, Article # 11837

anShipping opinion horsemeat issued this through week by Texas Texas that's Attorney destined General for diners Greg elsewhereAbbott. is illegal, according to prohibitionTexas already also bans extends sale toor transportingpossession ofhorsemeat horsemeat that for would human be consumption. eaten by people. Abbott said the Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, requested the Attorney General's opinion last year after slaughter,speaking with said an he attorney was disappointed for a slaughterhouse with the Attorney in Mexico. General's Chisum, conclusion. who supports horse the"Mexico slaughterhouses kills horses, likewhether to ship we the like meat it or not,out ofand Corpus people or in Houston," France eat Chisum them. said.And sometimes

Horsemeat from Mexico had been shipped from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport until last year. The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office tried to stop the shipments and was unsuccessfully sued by two Belgium-owned horse slaughter plants, said assistant district attorney Ann Diamond. (For more on this see "Horse Slaughter and the Commerce Clause.")

American Airlines has stopped shipping horsemeat from Texas, said airline spokesman Tim Wagner. The Attorney General's opinion doesn't address the export of American horses for slaughter in Mexico and Canada.