Monday, November 17, 2008

No ready solutions for unwanted horses What to do with unwanted horses is an increasingly difficult problem and one without easy solutions. The bottom has dropped out of the sale market for horses, something to which Kent Kerchal, manager of the Missoula Livestock Exchange, can attest. Many of the horses sold there, even trained riding horses, end up being sold for meat and shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada. Horse slaughter ended in the United States in 2007. But slaughter isn’t the only option, he said. “Call the vet,” he said. “That’s what you do. Have the animal put down.” Easier said than done, especially when money is tight, said Linda Kauffman, a Stevensville veterinarian. t costs about $100 for a vet to euthanize a horse. Then it’s another $100 to rent a bulldozer operator to dig a hole and bury a horse. Owners who don’t have the land for burial can call the knacker, who hauls the body to a rendering plant. That’s another $100. Which brings the situation back around to slaughterhouses, Kauffman said. She said she’s in favor of slaughtering horses in the United States if the business returns with governing boards that ensure ethical slaughter as defined by national veterinary associations....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Seems these Auctioneers are upset because they arent selling to the killers that use to haul to US plants. If you notice the number of horses going to mexico and Canada have only increased how can they say the markets drop. The only thing that has drop are theses ignorant sellouts to the horses. IF they only would take responsiblity and not favor a easy way out of an obligation. The only thing that is happening now is that these french horse eaters are making high profits off our American Icons and Pets. You dont hear that the Texas Plants operated a business illegal for years and broke the law NO NO'' Its about there profits to sell horses to killers. I have no respect for people like this. Theses foreigner ignored our laws and broke many other laws like hiring illegals to work the plants killing horses 8 hours a day. Shame on the Organizations that supports horse slaughter they knew horses were going to slaughter in mexico and ignored the Oath they had taken in office to protect all animals. The South Western Cattle Association got $3.00 per horse slaughtered at Texas Plants Hmmm I smell more rats. The AQHA and the APHA promote horses for papers promoting overbreeding and never setting any kind of Retirement fund for the horses or assisting an horse rescues with there expenses. Big Organiztions and none care for the horses only the money. For more info visit www.SaveDaHorses.org