Hi All,

This is a copy of my letter to the IL legislators that will go out today in our information packets.

 

We have ONLY 8 DAYS  TO CALL, FAX, AND EMAIL THE ILLINOIS RERESENTATIVES AND SENATORS !!!!!   

 

PLEASE, PLEASE  contact as many legislators as you possibly can from today through January 13 in their DISTRICT OFFICES.  On the eve of January 13 and the morning of January 14 we will begin the mass phone and fax bank to the legislators at their SPRINGFIELD OFFICES.

 

The bill WILL BE CALLED FOR A VOTE ON JANUARY 14 OR 15 !!!

 

 We must do all we can to ensure this BILL IS ENACTED INTO LAW!!!!

 

Thank you all so very much for all you do!!

 

Gail  

 

Dear Senator,

 

         Enclosed you will find several documents relevent to SB 1921, the bill that will soon be before you
that will outlaw horse slaughter for human consumption in our great state.
 
I realize, how extremely busy you are, but I graciously ask you to please take a little time to review this
vitally important information.

 

I have included for your review the following:

 

* copies of the letters of support from all five Illinois racetracks, several Illinois horseman’s organizations,
humane organizations, horse rescue groups, veterinarians etc.

 

* statistics regarding the economic impact of the horse industry in Illinois

 

* the congressional findings regarding horse slaughter

 

* professional polls taken in TX and KY as well as other media based polls that prove that Americans overwhelmingly reject horse slaughter

 

* an eight minute documentary, filmed in Texas, that exposes the truth of this vile practice and documents the defeat of a bill that would have legalized the operations of the two remaining horse slaughter plants in the US.  These two plants are operating in violation of a long standing Texas law that bans the slaughter of horses for human consumption. A bill that would have legalized horse slaughter was overwhelmingly defeated in the spring of 2003.

(Please note that there is brief section on the CD of graphic, brutal slaughter plant footage that clearly shows the egregious cruelty and inhumane manner in which our horses are callously abused and slaughtered in direct violation of the Humane Slaughter Act).

 

I know that once you have all the facts, you will see that there is no place in our state for a horse slaughter plant.  In Illinois, and in the United States, we raise and train horses for many different reasons.  The one thing we do not do -- nor have we ever done -- is raise horses in our state (or country) for...dinner.

 

The horse slaughter trade offers no social or economic value to our great state. On the contrary, this trade, brings with it deception, animal abuse and cruelty, and an obvious increase in the risk and actuality of horse theft.  The horse slaughter trade also, poses a significant risk to the safety of the healthy horse populace of Illinois.

If this plant is allowed to open in Illinois, horses will be travelling throughout Illinois enroute to the plant from all over the country. These horses are often carriers of a multitude of contagious diseases, many of them being vector (biting insects) transmitted.  These horses may have Equine Infectious Anemia, West Nile Virus, Equine Encephalomyelitis, Strangles or long list of other infectious disease. These diseases could cause a potentially significant loss of revenue to those of us in the Illinois horse industry, as well as to the economy of Illinois. We simply must protect our horse industry from the risks a horse slaughter plant brings to our state.

 

We also must consider  the risk of allowing the export of a meat product for human consumption which is not intended to be a food animal and thus is medicated and regulated as a non-food animal. Our horses are given antibiotics, dewormers, pesticides, steroids, pain relievers and many other substances that are forbidden for use in animals that are raised for food.

 

There are no guidelines for withdrawl periods on equine medications as there are with medications that are given to cattle, hogs and poultry.  There are many drugs that are banned for use in food producing animals, that are routinely administered
to horses. 

 

Horses, too, have a wide variety of diseases that render the meat unsafe for human consumption. Equine Protozoal Myelitis(EPM), for one, is a disease much like human malaria.  It may cause extreme neurological damage to the horse, as it resides in the brain and spinal cord of the horse. This disease is difficult to diagnose without extensive testing. A USDA veterinarian would almost never be able to diagnose this during ante-mortem, nor, upon post-mortem inspection at the slaughter plant. EPM contaminated horsemeat is not safe for human consumption.  Nor is horsemeat from horses infected with West Nile Disease or long list of other diseases horses may have residing in their flesh.   Many horses arrive at slaughter as “downers” before they are slaughtered.The meat is shipped abroad for human beings to eat.  This is an outrageous practice, much akin to the many years of downed cattle being allowed into the human food chain in the US.

 

Here are some questions I pose to you:

 

Do we really want to risk the lives and health of  European and Asian citizens all for the greed and profit of one Belgian owned company?

 

Do we really want to risk the lives and health of our Illinois horses?

 

Do we really want to risk the livelihoods of our Illinois horsemen? 
 
Do we really want to harbor a business that has nothing to offer our state but shame and disgrace?

 

We in the horse industry in Illinois know what is best for our horses and our business. It is our job to know. 

Please stand with us in support of SB 1921. We are counting on you to do the right thing for the horses and horse industry of Illinois. I thank you so very much for your careful consideration of this issue.

 

With Kindest Regards, 

 

 

Gail Vacca
Top of the Hill Farm
National Horse Protection Coalition
16217 State Route 23
Dekalb IL 60115