Libertarian Vegan

Last Friday saw the House Agriculture Committee agreeing with two North Dakota lawmakers, saying the state should set aside money to study a possible horse slaughterhouse.

A bill is in consideration that would allocate up to $75,000 in agriculture fuel tax revenues to study the feasibility and legality of a horse processing plant.  If passed, the money would go to the state Department of Commerce, who would study the proposal.

Those testifying in favor of the plant said that without a slaughterhouse, horse owners have few options with “unwanted” horses.  Perhaps the question to be addressed is why are they unwanted?  The most often cited reason appears to be financial - they simply can’t keep paying for the upkeep of a horse.  Is the best way to deal with that to open up a plant to slaughter them?  Are there really that many “unwanted” horses to justify opening a plant?  This appears to be just another attempt to turn an animal into a commodity, pushed under the guise of “doing what’s best for the animal.”

Lynn Larson, volunteer at the Triple H Horse Rescue in Mandan, (who wants it to be clear that she is certainly no PETA supporter), said “It’s wasted money to spend $75,000 to study a slaughter facility. That money could be better used to develop ways to help these animals.”  She went on to say people need to exercise more responsibility before buying or breeding horses, saying a slaughterhouse is “not going to make the problem go away.”

There are certainly more people in this county with “unwanted” dogs and cats than with horses - does that justify opening a meat market in dogs and cats?  No?  But that is precisely the argument being used by those in favor of the horse slaughterhouse.

It all comes down to exactly what Larson said - responsibility.  Is it really all about “doing what’s best for the animal” when people such as North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, state, “Why don’t you just pass a law that makes it illegal for horses to die?”

Source: Bismark Tribune - Horse Slaughter Facility Promoted February 7, 2009

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