The Issue Of Horse Slaughter

It is extremely common to walk into a boarding barn, show stable, or lesson facility and see someone exchange labor for board, lessons, or training. Or see employees being paid in cash, leaving no paper trail, employment record, and no wage reporting to the Internal Revenue Service. While this appears to be a “win win” situation for both parties it has the potential to cause more issues and frustration than what is seen by the average person.

In the article, “Let Them Eat Dog,” Jonathan Foer sheds light on a controversial topic, the consumption and breeding of dogs for food. Throughout Foer’s article he uses many different argumentative tactics in order to capture the reader’s attention on whether or not eating dogs should be considered morally. He uses three emotional tactics to establish his credibility and prove he knows the topic. The three tactics are ethos, pathos and logos Foer uses these three argumentative tools to convey his message across not only to prove eating dogs is wrong, but to take a stance on a bigger issue, the slaughtering of animals.

The abuse of Animals is increasing around the world, for personal and recreational uses. Animals are used in ancient and modern medicine to cure different types of illnesses and diseases. Animals are also being used for testing different types of hygiene products; which leave many of them are left scarred for life, while others are left to die in a cage. Animal rights groups around the world are working around the clock trying to stop this abuse, groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Are working around the clock to make sure such practices stop. This paper will demonstrate how modern liberals view animal rights, and how animals are viewed within society.

Michael Pollan’s, An Animal’s Place, analyzes the controversial topic of animal abuse while Pollan himself struggles to comprehend the relationship between humans and non-humans. Whether animals are used for food or clothing, Pollan’s impartial view of the moral ethics behind the treatment of animals acknowledges that we as readers are susceptible to influence and he encourages the questioning of our own beliefs. Rather than succumbing to Singer’s, All Animals are Equal demands of making it our “Moral obligation to cease supporting the practice” (pg.4), Pollan conveys the benefits as well as the concerns to the consummation of animals. From the personal connection Pollan establishes with his readers, his progressive beliefs

The conditions for animals in modern slaughterhouses are unsanitary and violent. The lack of rules and regulations cause animals to be treated poorly because this industry is focused on mass production and profit rather than finding a more humane alternative to run the meat packing business. The most effective method to stop this cruelty is to learn about where meat comes from, start supporting the organic and family farms which will ultimately lead to the reducing the amount of animals that have to suffer.

The topic of horse slaughter doesn’t usually come up very often in everyday conversation. Horse slaughter is more of an implicit subject, which your everyday person doesn’t know much about. Because it is highly controversial, it has gone through the cycle of being banded and then reinstated twice in the last 5 years. With being involved in the horse industry my entire life, I have witnessed the effects first hand. Some people see it as killing pets, animal cruelty, and morally wrong. However, I see it as a source of income, a way to stop the starvation and abuse of horses, an export industry for the United States, as well as a quality meal for in times of despair.

A question often thought about is whether or not horse slaughter is humane. If you ask many people, they will say no. Why isn’t it humane?

More than ever before, our planet is one filled with meat eaters. In fact, the average American consumes 270.7 pounds of meat per year. And, as one might have guessed, the question of where this food set before them on the table came from is often unregarded or ignored altogether. As more media forms commercialize extremely unhealthy versions of double cheeseburgers and meat lover’s supremes, the consumer’s demand for meat spikes up and companies in the food industry are faced with the ethical dilemma of benefiting themselves, their companies, increasing profits...and doing right by the animals- who without, they would not even be where they are today. Needless to say that animal rights and the humane treatment of their precious lives have been disregarded. Why do we, as a

USDA studies show that 92% of American horses killed in American Slaughter Plants were in perfect health. Owners will sell their horses by the pound; they would prefer an overweight horse over a skinny horse any day. “Wild for Life’s” study shows that a great amount of registered Thoroughbred foals born are slaughtered for foal crop. Horses that are sent to slaughtering houses are often rejected from the breeding farms they were sent to. A horse that is rejected is often not the right color, body type, breed or gender. The meat buyers will try and stuff as many horses

There are millions of horses in the United States; many of the horses are virtually worthless due to poor training/treatment, bad attitudes, poor confirmation, lameness, sickness, and also simply being old.  Slaughter companies provide an affordable way for horse owners to dispose of their unwanted animals. "'What do you do with the animal when it is diseased, or old, or lame?" said Geert DeWulf, general manager of Dallas Crown... `We provide an outlet'" (Scripps Howard News Service, 3/8/01).

An ongoing ethical debate in America is whether horse slaughter should be legalized in the United States. This debate grabs the emotions of many individuals and arises many questions. Horses are normally considered companions that are used for labor and events. Isn’t it inhumane to kill a companion? Aren’t there enough homes for our furry companions? In all reality horses are expensive animals and aren’t always used for their breeding purposes. Humane societies/rescues barely have enough room for neglected small animals, bringing in larger mammals is not plausible. Saving every animal will cause an overpopulation problem and increase the rate of neglect. Horses are being neglected, starved, abused, and even shipped across the country, banning slaughter houses is the truly the inhumane route. Slaughtering isn’t an easy alternative, but allowing them to suffer isn’t any better.

Horses have never been raised for human consumption in the United States. However, for decades now, horses have been bought, stolen, or acquired under false pretenses and then sent to the slaughter house all throughout the world- including here on US soil. According to the Humane Society of America, over 100,000 horses are sent to slaughter each year. Horse meat sales rapidly declined for many years, but it has become popular again in overseas countries like France, Belgium, Italy, and Japan. Naturally, as the demand for the horse meat increased, so did the demand for horses to be slaughtered. Horse meat is considered a “clean meat” and a tasty alternative to beef and other traditional meats because of the multiple contamination scares. Those who consume horse flesh (typically in Europe and Asia) are willing to pay extremely high prices for horse meat. Butchers and

First, horse slaughter can help control the horse population. By taking horses to slaughter then people can sell their unwanted, dangerous, and old horses. Now there are many of you that might say they could also just be euthanized, but this would cost the owners a fortune. If they sell their horse to a slaughter house, then the owner no longer has the dangerous horse and he also made money instead of losing money. Since the United States Banned horse slaughter then abandonment and neglect have in increased by 50% according to Alison Rowe attorney at law’s office. The

We are a nation of meat eaters. We are socialized from a young age to consume high levels of animal products. This deeply ingrained meat-eating tradition is a big part of the American standard diet. A visit to the local grocery store shows that there is no shortage of animal products. Isle by isle you see a plethora of meats, neatly packed and ready to be cooked, dairy products neatly shelved, and even candies that contain animal by-products. This is an omnivore’s utopia, allowing for a lifestyle that involves the overconsumption of meats and animal by-products. The rampant meat industry has managed to condition people to disassociate the meats in our grocery markets and the animals from which they came. Most people have become unaware omnivores, consuming whatever meats are available to them. This shift of moral degradation is evident in how we process and consume our meats. We have become a selfish society that values our own convenience and affordability of meat rather than the consideration of the animal. This begs the question, is eating meat inherently wrong and should we forbid meat consumption under any and all circumstances? To fully address this issue, we must first define the moral status of animals. So, are animals equal to humans in worth and value and should they receive similar treatment?

Animal cruelty continues to plague the meat and dairy industry and a policy to reverse this is enacting stricter regulations on meat and dairy labels that explicitly state the additives and preservatives used on the product. Moreover, my policy will persuade people to purchase meat and dairy that is ethically raised and is not made with preservatives or additives, this is my value of health. Moreover, my policy is for those who eat meat and dairy and are unaware of the health side affects of consuming it and the animal cruelty that goes into producing a piece of meat or glass of milk, which encompasses my value of compassion. We are a compassionate species who turns the channel during an ASPCA commercial. We root for Nemo, Babe and Bambi yet we watch the movie whilst eating fish, pork or venison. The hypocrisy is unbelievable yet not talked about. Most Americans do not recognize this link between our compassion and the animals we eat and the hypocrisy that surrounds it. In this essay I address the compassion humans posses and how it is being wiped out through eating meat and dairy. I also address how we have the potential to rid the meat and dairy industry of the abuse. I will also discuss how meat and dairy is detrimental to our health.