Horse Slaughter Vote Appalling: Letter To The Editor

The following was submitted as a letter to the editor from Curt Rogers of Cambridge. Get in on the conversation by emailing mike.carraggi@patch.com:

As an animal advocate, I am shocked and appalled that last week the House Appropriations Committee voted 27-25 to allow horse slaughterhouses to operate on U.S. soil. I am grateful Representative Clark stood up to protect horses against the greed of business interests, but her vote was not enough.

Horse slaughter is a cruel and repulsive industry. Eighty percent of Americans oppose it. Kill buyers purchase horses at auction, load them onto overcrowded trucks, stun them (pray the first stun works or the cruelty is increased exponentially), hoist them up by a leg, and then pull them apart piece by piece.

Americans have horses as pets, we compete with them in sports and they work the land with us. They are considered members of the family for many horse owners. Allowing our horses to be slaughtered for meat is unimaginable. The slaughter process is full of pain and suffering and not something that the U.S. should condone.

Since the 2016 elections, Washington has steady increased its cruelty towards animals, usually so that someone can make a buck. Thankfully the people of Massachusetts have Representative Clark to fight for the humane treatment of animals.

Best,
Curt Rogers
Cambridge, MA

Photo by Karen Arnold via Public Domain Pictures