Horse slaughter

Since 2007 the United States has said no to horse slaughter. Now it's estimated that there are mo...  More »

Since 2007 the United States has said no to horse slaughter. Now it's estimated that there are more than 100-thousand unwanted horses in the US. What happens to those animals?North Dakota is looking for a solution. But is horse slaughter the answer? Ag. Reporter Sarah Gustin visits with those both for and aganist the humane harvest of horses. (Sarah Gustin / KX News) The last horse slaughter facility in this country closed its doors in 2007. John Mittleider with the North Dakota Department of Commerce says there is no law saying you can't process horses. So where's the problem? The meat needs to be inspected. Mittleider says Congress did pass laws that don't allow any USDA funds to be used for inspecting. Without the USDA seal of approval you can't distribute the meat. Meaning you can't market the product. For some the thought of horse processing is too tough to bear. For others it makes sense. (Rodney Froelich / Horse Producer) "As a horse person, there needs to be someplace else than just going out and disposing of these animals and throwing them in a pit, that is waste. I think 90 percent of Amercians don't want to see waste and that is what this is. Just pure waste." Froelich has been raising quarter horses since the 40s. Roughly 100 brood mares roam these hills near Selfridge. Froelich says horses aren't bred for slaughter. They are bred for use. Pleasure riding, rodeo and performance. But the reality is.... no slaughter facility, no market. (Rodney Froelich / Horse Producer) "We have seen a drop in price because on the other end that buyer might not be able to find a home for their older horses or their unuseable horses. So they are keeping them longer and it is costing them more, we have seen our market drop some too." Froelich says the low market kept one mare on his ranch till she turned 26. By not killing the horse, Froelich says we are killing the number of breeders in the state. He says many have just given up. (Rodney Froelich / Horse Producer) "It's not all about economics, but it has affected the economics of people raising horses because there is no place for them to go13:45 You can't keep feeding a horse 200 dollars worth of feed a year and get 50 dollars in return,maybe not anything in return." Froelich supports horse processing in North Dakota... He says there is a market overseas that we can help fill. (Rodney Froelich / Horse Producer) "It's not unlike the beef industry. When we raise cows and calves off of them, eventually they are going to run out of time on earth here. There has to be a place for them to go too. Now do we dispose of them and throw them in a pit no." (Sarah Gustin / Reporting) "On the opposing side horses aren't seen as an item for quick disposle. They're viewed more as friends." (Alison Smith / Triple H Horse Rescue) "Cows get an ear tag. Horses get names. That is what you do with a pet, even the horses that come in here. They all have names when they come in. And to me that is more of a pet. We don't kill our pets." For the past two years Triple H horse rescue has helped more than 100 neglected and unwanted miniature horses find a home. Alison Smith is the founder of Triple H...and doesn't believe in horse slaughter. Smith says there are other options like laying horses down, gelding incentive programs and adoption. (Alison Smith / Triple H Horse Rescue) "There are unwanted horses, there are old and chronically lame and injured horses that aren't going to find a home. Then I am just saying that they should be humanely ethusinized, instead of slaughtered." At Triple H prevention is key. The rescue does not allow breeding. Smith says males are gelded and the mares leave with adoption contracts to not become bred. (Alison Smith / Triple H Horse Rescue) "We are not being overrun by cats and dogs, we are not going to be over run by horses. But horses do live longer and people have to understand that. Like with any animal that comes with expense. Cliche, but if you can't feed them, don't breed them. That is our views." During the 2009 session the legislature passed a bill to study the economics of an equine processing facility in the state. A task force made up of members from the department of commerce and state livestock organizations is digging into the issue...and it's taking a two-phase planned approach. Phase one studies the legal issues surrounding the topic such as any regulations, as well as federal and state laws. Phase 2 involves the feasiblity, as well developing business plans and finding existing facilities around the state that could be used. (John Mittleider / ND Dept. of Commerce)"From our prospective one of the things that we try to look at is expansion of business opportunities in the state. So this would potentially take a resource that could be processed and utilized, probably not so much in the United States, but in foreign countries and provide some jobs for citizens in the state of North Dakota." The task force will report back during the 2011 session. It hasn't been confirmed, but there has been talk that there are parties interested in opening a processing plant in the state." Mittleider says the legislation to perform an economic study of an equine processing facility in the state passed virtually unanismously in both chambers.  « Less