ASPCA Praises Reps. Jim Moran and Dan Burton for Successfully Fighting to Protect American Horses in the U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON--The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today expressed gratitude to Representative Jim Moran, D-Va., and Representative Dan Burton, R-Ind., for preventing the use of tax dollars to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants once again for Fiscal Year 2012. Representative Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., offered, and then withdrew, an amendment that would have established a fee-for-service inspection scheme, permitting the United States Department of Agriculture to accept payments and administer a program to reopen horse slaughter plants. Since 2005, Congress has included this funding prohibition to ensure that foreign-owned horse slaughter plants do not open on U.S. soil.

"The outpouring of support for American horses today sent a clear signal to the slaughter industry that the public will not welcome horse slaughter back to American soil," said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. "The effort to create a private payment plan, with the fox guarding the henhouse, was an insidious attempt to confuse legislators. Representatives Moran and Burton were quick to point out that horse slaughter is inherently cruel - however you pay for it and wherever it happens."

"Horses have played a critical role in our nation's history as treasured, loyal companion animals. When an overwhelming number of Americans oppose the slaughter of horses, the U.S. government should not condone this practice," said Representative Jim Moran.

"Today brought another victory in a series of clear, bipartisan votes, building momentum for a complete and total ban on horse slaughter. The ASPCA is committed to supporting that effort each step of the way and will work with leaders in the House and Senate to shut the door to foreign companies seeking to exploit our horses for the sake of greed and appetite," added Perry.

Last week, Senators Landrieu, D-La., and Graham, R-S.C., introduced S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to prohibit the transport of horses for slaughter in the United States, as well as across the border to Canada and Mexico. This legislation already has 16 Senate co-sponsors, including: Senators Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, Mark Begich, D-Alaska, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Scott Brown, R-Mass., Thomas Carper, D-Del., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Kristen Gillebrand, D-N.Y., John Kerry, D-Mass., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Carl Levin, D-Mich., Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

The ASPCA has an extensive history of equine protection around the country and continues to assist domestic and wild horses through legislation, advocacy, targeted grants and enforcement of the carriage horse and cruelty laws in New York City. For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.