To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fw: EMERGENCY!!!!! First it was Horse Slaughter, now it's transporting for ANYthing
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:30:57 -0800 (PST)
I called my Senator and explained several things, so I did my part.
Sincerely
Teri Oliver
----- Original Message ---- From: Jorene Downs <Jorene@CEOates.com> To: MSAR-L <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 2:12:44 AM Subject: [MSAR] Fw: EMERGENCY!!!!! First it was Horse Slaughter, now it's transporting for ANYthing
FYI
====== AQHA ACTION ALERT - SENATE BILL 311 Dear AQHA Member: TRANSPORTING ANY HORSE FOR ANY ACTIVITY MAY BE AT RISK! Senator Mary Landrieu (D)-Louisiana, has succeeded in scheduling Senate
Bill 311 for a floor vote. You may recall this bill reads “To amend the
Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving,
delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and
other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, and for other
purposes.
Senator Landrieu has offered the following amendment to this bill: Section 3 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1822) is amended to
add the following: `(1) horses and other equines play a vital role in the collective
experience of the United States and deserve protection and compassion; `(2) horses and other equines are domestic animals that are used
primarily for recreation, pleasure, and sport; `(3) unlike cows, pigs, and many other animals, horses and other
equines are not raised for the purpose of being slaughtered for human consumption; `(4) individuals selling horses or other equines at auctions are seldom
aware that the animals may be bought for the purpose of being
slaughtered for human consumption; `(5) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department
of Agriculture has found that horses and other equines cannot be safely
and humanely transported in double deck trailers;'; and (3) by striking paragraph (8) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)) and inserting the following: `(8) the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale of sore horses in
intrastate commerce, and the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering,
receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation in intrastate commerce of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption,
adversely affect and burden interstate and foreign commerce;'.
(c) Prohibition- Section 5 of the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1824)
is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (11) as paragraphs (9)
through (12), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph 7 the following: `(8) The shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving,
possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of any horse or other equine to be slaughtered for human consumption.'. (d) Authority To Detain- Section 6(e) of the Horse Protection Act (15
U.S.C. 1825(e)) is amended-- (1) by striking the first sentence of paragraph (1); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) and as paragraphs (2) and
(3), respectively; and (3) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as redesignated by paragraph
(2)) the following: `(1) The Secretary may detain for examination, testing, or the taking
of evidence-- `(A) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or
auction that is sore or that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is
sore; and `(B) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to
believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of section 5(8).'.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations- Section 12 of the Horse
Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1831) is amended by striking `$500,000' and inserting `$5,000,000'.
This bill may have far-reaching effects on our members and their
ability to buy and sell horses. Members may sell horses unaware of the buyer's
intent with the animal and to where it may be transported, possibly resulting
in legal ramifications for the seller. This legislation is vague and
ambiguous and its passage could have far-reaching consequences. We urge you to
contact the senators of your state and voice your opposition to this
legislation and the funding to enact it. To contact your senator, telephone (202)
224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your senators' offices. When speaking with
your Senators' office, please tell them you are opposed to Senate Bill 311
as written.
Congress resumes business on Monday, December 3rd. Please do your part
and call on Monday! AQHA PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE
American Quarter Horse Association P.O. Box 200 Amarillo, TX 79168