Urge U.S. Congress To Pass The SAFE Act Which Would Ban Horse Slaughter In The United States; 23,000 American Horses Were Exported For Their Meat Last Year

Earlier this week, the ASPCA released new data from a national poll conducted by Lake Research Partners that reveals 83% of Americans oppose the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Opposition to horse slaughter has remained strong and even increased slightly since prior polling in 2012. This opposition extends across political parties, race, and gender, regardless of whether the respondent lived in a rural or urban setting.

Despite Congressional efforts that shuttered horse slaughterhouses on U.S. soil in 2007, tens of thousands of American horses continue to be shipped to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses that supply other countries with horsemeat. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers is working to close this legal loophole with the introduction of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, which would permanently ban horse slaughter in the U.S. and end the export of American horses for slaughter in other countries.

“In an era of rare political bipartisan agreement, this research confirms that the overwhelming majority of Americans remain strongly opposed to horse slaughter,” Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Government Relations, said in a statement. “The ASPCA is working resolutely to provide support for horses in need, but we cannot fully succeed while the slaughter pipeline remains open because it directly impedes the rehoming of horses.”

In 2021, approximately 23,000 horses were exported for slaughter. Research demonstrates that there are far better options available than slaughtering these sentient beings for their meat. The horse slaughter industry will only be stopped if Congress takes action, and when they do, research published in 2017 reveals that 2.3 million Americans have both the strong interest and resources to adopt a horse. With the equine industry and equine shelters working together to increase adoption of horses in need of homes and provide safety net programs to help keep owned horses in homes, every horse in need can be helped, if given the opportunity.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the ASPCA is hosting “Have a Heart for Horses” week, urging the public to contact their members of Congress and ask them to pass the SAFE Act, to ban the cruel practice of horse slaughter once and for all.

Learn more about the ASPCA’s efforts to ban horse slaughter and support the SAFE Act by contacting your lawmakers HERE!

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg