(NEW YORK, NY) – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved an application for Valley Meat Company LLC in Roswell, N.M. to repurpose its cattle facility in order to slaughter horses for human consumption. In 2007, the few remaining horse-slaughtering plants in America closed after Congress voted to eliminate funding for horsemeat inspections. This recent move by the USDA comes on the heels of a major scandal in the European Union where equine DNA and painkillers were discovered in beef samples throughout the continent. The fraudulent labeling sparked widespread outrage, especially in North America, whose exports account for 20 percent of all horsemeat sold in Europe.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2013
CONTACT:
Chelsea Connor, Director of Communications
(347) 866-6259 [email protected]
STATEMENT FROM NYCLASS
Outraged Over USDA Decision to Bring Back Horse Slaughter
(NEW YORK, NY) – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved an application for Valley Meat Company LLC in Roswell, N.M. to repurpose its cattle facility in order to slaughter horses for human consumption. In 2007, the few remaining horse-slaughtering plants in America closed after Congress voted to eliminate funding for horsemeat inspections. This recent move by the USDA comes on the heels of a major scandal in the European Union where equine DNA and painkillers were discovered in beef samples throughout the continent. The fraudulent labeling sparked widespread outrage, especially in North America, whose exports account for 20 percent of all horsemeat sold in Europe.
“I am appalled by the USDA’s thoughtless decision to reinstate the horrific practice of horse-slaughter in the United States,” Allie Feldman, Executive Director of NYCLASS said. “An overwhelming majority of the American public, including 70 percent of New Mexicans, opposes the inhumane butchery of horses for human consumption. There is no domestic demand for horsemeat, and recent spending cuts in Washington have jeopardized the federal government’s ability to safely and effectively inspect meat products. Citizens were rightly shocked by the proliferation of beef products mixed with horsemeat in Europe, and the opening of this facility in Roswell would increase the likelihood of a similar scandal occurring in North America. Experts have established that there is no way to humanely euthanize a horse, as their biology makes them difficult to stun. Even before arriving at a slaughterhouse, horses are transported in alarmingly cramped trailers where they regularly suffer 24-hour periods without food, water, or rest. In an era where families are tightening their belts and Washington is cutting budgets, taxpayers should not have to bear the cost of these grisly procedures that they don’t even support. We are calling on our representatives in Congress to pass the Safeguard American Foods Export (SAFE) Act to ban the slaughter and export of horses and protect American consumers from toxic meat products.”
More About NYCLASS:
NYCLASS is an animal advocacy organization committed to ending the inhumane practices of the NYC carriage horse industry. NYCLASS advocates for retiring the carriage horses to sanctuary, while modernizing the current industry with a clean and safe alternative to this outdated tradition - the 21st Century Horseless Carriage. NYCLASS also advocates for many other NYC animal issues such as protecting a senior citizen's right to have a companion pet, mandating pet stores install fire sprinklers, protecting animals used in entertainment and reforming the city's animal shelter system. Founded in 2008 by a coalition of prominent animal lovers and business leaders, NYCLASS has grown to over 110,000 supporters with activist chapters in all five boroughs. For more information about NYCLASS please visit www.nyclass.org.
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For more information about NYCLASS please visit our website www.nyclass.org.
Address: 39 Broadway Suite 1740 New York, NY 10006 Phone: (212) 626-6991