The Monday, January 7, Wall Street Journal includes some bad news for horses -- but there is good news too: The article is on the front page of one of the world's biggest newspapers. Finally, animal suffering is being acknowledged in our society as a serious problem.
The front page story, by Paulo Prada, is headed, "Leaner Pastures: As Horses Multiply, Neglect Cases Rise" It is sub-headed, "Boomers Bought Them, But Can't Afford Upkeep; The Slaughterhouse Factor."
The article gives us information on the current crisis:
"Across the U.S., the number of horses whose owners won't or can't properly care for them is mushrooming. Spurred by retiring baby boomers and their penchant for second homes in the country, horse ownership boomed in the U.S. over the past decade. Americans own more than nine million horses today, up from just over six million horses in the mid-1990s, according to the American Horse Council, a trade association.
"Along with the boom came backyard breeding, as owners without the discipline or financial muscle to obtain award-winning genes settled for whatever nature produced. More than two million Americans own horses, and more than a third of those owners have a household income of less than $50,000. As the horse population soared -- and the economy ceased to gallop -- selling the animals became more difficult. Some owners could no longer afford their investment."
We learn that the "Unwanted Horse Coalition," estimates that there are over 100,000 such animals in the US.
And we read, "The price of hay...has more than doubled over the past year because of drought and record-high costs of fuel needed to grow and haul the crop."
Then the article mentions horse slaughter:
"Until recently, a little-advertised market for unwanted horses existed at equine slaughterhouses, which in 2004 killed an estimated 65,000 horses, largely for human consumption in Europe and Japan. But the last three such plants closed in 2007, under pressure from animal-rights groups."
The publisher of a cowboy magazine called Range is quoted:
"Animal lovers with big hearts and no idea what's required to take care of a horse have shut down slaughterhouses that were needed."
And we read:
"Now, some unwanted American horses wind up at Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses. But others linger and starve, often ending up at rescue homes and other charities."
The article begs for letters to the editor from animal advocates who recommend the control of breeding, rather than slaughter, as the solution to overpopulation.
You'll find the full article on line at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119967115694171373.html
(My thanks to Hillary Retting for making sure we saw it.)
The Wall Street Journal takes letters at wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure not to use any exact comments or phrases from me or from any other alerts in your letters. Editors are looking for original responses from their readers.
Please note: the point in the article about American horses being sent to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses drives home the need for the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would outlaw that transport to slaughter and thereby force more human solutions. Please visit https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_horseslaughter_notcosponsor to learn more about the Act, and to send a note to your legislators urging their co-sponsorship.
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)