Here's another one to get you going. I know people have vastly diff. opinion on the subject, but I figured I should pass this along because the more feedback the gov't can get the better choices they can make, or so the theory goes.

A new South Dakota facility is trying to get financing.

For all those who don't know, they are trying to pass some legislation to process a loan from the State to build an equine slaughterhouse. I do not have all of the particulars, but in light of all the criticism about lack of response, here's the information I have:

Perhaps this will give the legislative info:

Contact the Legislative Research Council
Capitol Building, 3rd Floor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
605.773.3251

http://legis.state.sd.us

Governor M. Michael Rounds (R)

Contact Governor Rounds
Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605.773.3212

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Those who want to make a difference call today to tell them either you want slaughter back in the US where it is regulated and more humane, or that you want to continue as is without the horse slaughter in the US.

The contact at the legislative research council said calling Senator Garnos to tell him your opinion 605-773-3821

You must call today, they are actually voting on SB 170 and SB 171 TOMORROW so calls need to be made today.

Maybe I'm just confused, but how can the state government approve an equine slaughter house if equine slaughter has been banned by the federal government?

I for one think they need to be reopened.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is moving slowly in the house, and not gaining the amount of co-sponors needed to make slaughter illegal in the U.S. forever.

[edit] Legislation in the United States

There are US Department of Agriculture (USDA) laws governing the transportation of horses to processing plants.

Two bills, H.R. 503 in the House and S. 1915 in the Senate, were introduced last session to prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States. H.R. 503 was passed in the House on September 7, 2006. The bill was anonymously blocked from a vote in the Senate, so both bills died at the end of the session. H.R. 503 and S. 311 were introduced January 17, 2007. The text of the bill reads:

A bill 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.

A separate bill ensures that none of America's wild mustangs are sent to slaughter.

On February 22, 2007, Rep. Robert Molaro introduced a bill, HB1711, to the Illinois General Assembly to prohibit the transportation of horses into the State for the sole purpose of slaughter for human consumption.

On March 28, 2007, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that it was illegal for horse slaughterhouses to pay the USDA for their own health inspections. The next day USDA pulled their inspectors from Cavel, effectively ending slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States.

[edit] Judicial Ruling in the United States

On January 19, 2007, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a lower court's 2006 ruling on a 1949 Texas law that banned horse slaughter for the purpose of selling the meat for food on grounds that the Texas law was invalid because it had been repealed by another statute and was pre-empted by federal law. However, a panel of three judges on the 5th Circuit disagreed, saying the law still stood and was still enforceable.^[15] On March 6, 2007, without comment or dissent, the 19 judges of United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected a petition by three foreign-owned slaughter plants seeking full court review of a three-judge panel's January 19, 2007 decision.^[16]

In June of 2007, a federal judge refused a request from the nation's last operating horse slaughterhouse, located in Illinois, to remain open. As of July of 2007, a legal dispute over an Illinois state ban on killing horses for food remains unresolved .^[5]

The last remaining horse slaughter plant in the country was effectively shut down Sept. 21 when a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled an Illinois law banning horse slaughter for human consumption is constitutional.

The ruling comes four months after Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the law, overwhelmingly passed by the Illinois State Senate earlier this year.

Belgian-owned Cavel International immediately filed a federal lawsuit contesting the ban. While the lawsuit was pending, the slaughter plant was allowed to operate, killing hundreds of horses a week.

Cavel has the option to appeal to the United States Supreme Court, but it is likely that the justices will refuse to hear the case, as they did earlier this year when two Texas slaughter facilities appealed their respective closures.

As of September 2007, bills introduced in the U.S. Congress (H.R.503 and S.311), known informally as the "American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act", are being considered by congressional committees.^[17] The description of these bills is "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." These bills can be viewed and their status tracked via a Library of Congress to follow Legislation in Current Congress.

SInce there are many more homeless dogs than horses,why not have slaughterhouses for them,and export the meat,since I understand that it is consumed in other countries?

Not that I'm in favor of it,understand,and this isn't a dog forum,but,I just have been wondering.

It is easier to take a dog out back and bury it in the back yard, or let it get run over,  or have it cremated.  Disposing of horses is problematic for those who can't afford the vet to euthanize them, and the additional expense of a backhoe to bury it...oh, and land to bury it on. 

At least if there was a regulated plant in the US it might sure be easier on the horses than the massacre in Mexico.  I am lucky to have always had acreage to bury horses on, and, while I have bought horses at the saturday nite auction, and taken in horses that were given to me, I don't feel qualified to tell others who are not as fortunate what they should do.  To say they should not own a horse if they cannot afford these things is easy, but of little use to the horses already in the predicament.  I would rather they were put to death quickly than suffer as many I have seen, multiple founders untreated, malnurished, overfed to ridiculousness, kept in small dark overcrowded conditions for years, etc.  I have called the humane society only to be told that if they had food and water available they weren't interested.  There is not a perfect solution, is there?  I do try to take good care of these, and a neighbors, and a crippled relative's.  I have a 25 year old and a 22 year old that will stay here and live well.  These things, I can do....

Why not!  The local dog pound euthanizes lots of Dogs, cats, Raccoons, skunks  every month. Instead of burying those carcasses. Lets sell the meat. I see pictures on the internet of people in 3rd world countries eating rats and insects.

I had a friend who went to Paris France for a vacation. While there he had some horse meat. When he came home he told me. That if he had known how good horse meat was he would had stopped treating his navicular horse long ago, saved the money on vet bills and filled his freezer.

If a real clamity hits America, I might be forced to eat horse meat. And my horses are not sacred when it comes to feeding my family. But I grew up eating beef and that's where my taste buds still are. I'll tolerate lamb, but I don't seek it out. I don't expect to see the slaughter of horses for local consumption. But if there is a market for Horse meat some where else. and they can humanily transport and slaughter, then I'm fine with that.

My personal horses will never end up there. They are too much a part of my family. When they can no longer enjoy life, I will put them down and bury them here. I will not ship them off to a distant slaughter house. But I have no problem with others shipping there horse off.

Yes it would be,if that's what was happening.Instead,folks let them run around near the highways,fend for themselves for days until they're run over,or wander to someone's house (like mine) hoping to find some comfort there.The irresponsible owners that got them to begin with don't try to dispose of them in ways that they have to deal with themselves,but in the ways I've mentioned.

I vote to send the unwanted horses to the senate and congress.  They at least have horse sense.  LOL

Well I paid for a ton of horse feed this morning;  got home picked up the mail and voila my medical insurance premium has just been increased to $467 a month.  And that is just for me.....not family, no dependents, just me.  So that would buy 2 tons of feed......so what do I do now?  What is next?  So have listed my trailer for sale on here of course.