Hot! Congress Passes Bill To Allow Horse Slaughterhouses Local & Regional

SCIO, Ore. - A change in the law has opened the door for horse slaughterhouses to reopen in the United States.

Two weeks ago Congress passed a bill allowing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to resume inspections of horse slaughterhouses. It opens the door for American horses to be slaughtered and sold to the French and Japanese who eat horse meat.

Ranchers say it's going to help stop horse neglect and abuse but animal activists say butchering a horse is still inhumane.

Wayne Geiger, director of the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, is opposed to the change in law. He helps horses like Speedy who suffered from starvation and neglect.

A year ago Speedy was 200 pounds underweight and battling pneumonia. Today, he's a playful, fun-loving horse with a bright future. So imagine what Geiger thinks of slaughtering Speedy and serving him as food for humans.

"I don't even want to go there. I couldn't imagine it. Horses are very sensitive animals," Geiger said.

Geiger's horses will never see the slaughterhouse but those in the horse industry say they're one to three months away from opening the first American horse slaughterhouse in four years.

Owners who can't care for or afford their horses used to have a slaughterhouse as an option. Ranchers say there has been a huge increase in the number of horse neglect and abuse cases since the last horse slaughterhouse closed in 2007.

"If someone decides to open a horse slaughter plant in the United States, it is sure to generate a ton of controversy, legislation, litigation nothing but problems for those who would seek to make a profit from the suffering of horses," said Humane Society of Oregon Director Scott Beckstead.

He says in rough economic times all animals are neglected, but it s no reason to reopen slaughterhouses.

"They arrive at a slaughterhouse where they panic and fight in the kill box. They're still conscious and aware when they're hoisted and butchered," Beckstead said. "It is patently un-American to suggest that we should be slaughtering our companions and serving them up on the dinner plates of wealthy Europeans."

There are about 9 million horses in America and United Horsemen expects as many as 200,000 horses will be slaughtered each year if a slaughterhouse opens.

Last year, 138,000 horses were transported to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. The Humane Society has pushed Congress to ban slaughtering for years without success.