This week will be a make-or-break time in Congress for horses.

April 23, 2007 - Thanks to the work of the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) in two federal courts, the last three horse slaughter plants in the United States, all foreign owned, have been shut down for now. But we are not in the clear just yet. In order to permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States, and to prohibit horses from being exported for slaughter, where they face longer transports and an even more grisly death, Congress must enact permanent protections for horses.

Starting on Tuesday morning, April 24, we need everyone who cares about ending horse slaughter to call Congress as part of our National Call-In Day.

TAKE ACTION

We need your help on two important actions this week:

1. On Wednesday, April 25, the Senate Commerce Committee will vote on S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. The U.S. Senator for Florida, Bill Nelson, serves on this committee, and must hear from you to protect horses from slaughter. Please call Senator Nelson at (202) 224-5274 and urge support for S. 311. When you make your call, you can say: "Hello, my name is [your name] and I'm calling from [your state] to urge Senator Nelson to protect American horses from ending up on the menu in foreign restaurants by voting YES on S. 311." After you make your call, click here to send a follow-up email to Sen. Nelson.

2. The very next day, Thursday, April 26, a bill (H.R. 249) to restore protections for wild horses from commercial sale and slaughter will be brought up for a vote in the full House of Representatives. Your U.S. Representative, Cliff Stearns, must hear from you. Please call Representative Stearns at (202) 225-5744 and urge a yes vote on H.R. 249. After you say your name and where you are calling from, all you have to say is: "I'm calling to urge Representative Stearns to save our wild horses from being sold and sent to slaughter by voting YES on H.R. 249." Then click here to send a follow-up email to Rep. Stearns.

Thank you for taking action to save horses. We have made tremendous progress, and thousands of horses have already been saved from slaughter. But we need to finish the job and shutter this barbaric business for good.

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

P.S. You can help spread the word about the National Call-In Day on Tuesday. Click here to download a flyer (PDF) to pass out to your friends and colleagues,