The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Passes House Vote

September 9, 2006

Dear Supporters,
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR503) passed through the House by an overwhelming majority (263 – 146) on September 7th.

Action Moves to the Senate
Now the action heats up and moves to the Senate. The Senate Bill, S1915, must be passed before the end of the year to become law. There is no time for celebration, for the job is only half done.

Some of you might have heard a rumor that the President will veto the bill. This is totally false and we have been assured that he will sign the bill once he receives it. The rumor is once again an attempt by the pro-slaughter folks to put more negative information out to the press, as is the rumor that this Act will prevent horse owners from obtaining an Agricultural Exemption and the very strange rumor that farriers will no longer be able to use nails! It seems that the pro-slaughter folks don’t think we can read!

On Monday morning everyone needs to start calling the Senators, all of them, with the exception of the co-sponsors, and ask that they co-sponsor S1915.

Click here to see how your Representative voted

Start with Your Own Senators
Of course, you have a lot more influence with your own two Senators and that is where you need to place the greatest effort. If they are not co-sponsors, tell them:

“As a constituent, I am asking that the Senator do everything he/she can to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S 1915) by both co-sponsoring and moving it to the Senate floor for an immediate vote.”

List of co-sponsors for S1915

Send Emails and Faxes
Of course, you have a lot more influence with your own two Senators and that is where you need to place the greatest effort. If they are not co-sponsors, tell them:

“As a constituent, I am asking that the Senator do everything he/she can to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S 1915) by both co-sponsoring and moving it to the Senate floor for an immediate vote.”

You should follow up your phone call with an email or fax sent immediately after the conversation. Make certain that the subject line states that you are a constituent. Tell them:

Dear [ Senator ],
I am asking that you please cosponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1915) and move this bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Despite the overwhelming, bipartisan efforts of Congress to ban horse slaughter for human consumption, it continues unabated. This Act will place a permanent ban and protect our American icons.

Complete list of all Senators, plus their office numbers

But don’t stop there!
Forward this Action Alert to all of your friends across the country and ask them to act now, and then continue to contact every Senator, even though you do not live in their state. During the final week of HR503 the offices of the Representatives were completely swamped with phone calls. That is exactly what must be done on the Senate side, and it must be done NOW.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that each of you starts calling on Monday morning. There are a very limited number of days left in this session, which ends at the end of the year. Both the House and the Senate break for the elections on October 6th, then will probably resume for a short time before Thanksgiving.

On a Personal Note:
I want to thank those who funded our trip to Washington DC through both donations and the purchase of the “Until They Are Safe” bracelets. The presence of three members of Habitat for Horses made a difference in the final vote, as a number of Representatives that we visited on Tuesday and Wednesday changed their minds as a result of the information we provided.

This final effort for a vote in the Senate will take place between now and the end of the year. We absolutely MUST work as hard as we can to obtain the passage of this bill. Your effort over the phone, by faxes and emails really does make a difference, as does your donations to help the horses we serve.

Visit our website for more details about Habitat for Horses to find out exactly what we do. We are a “Horse Protection Organization,” which is far more than a “rescue.” We currently have over 260 horses at both the ranch and in foster locations throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Georgia. Most of these horses came from our close work with law enforcement when owners failed to follow our direction in the proper care and feeding of their equine. Our first and primary goal is education on the nutrition, shelter and medical needs to equine. Failing that, we work with law enforcement to remove the horses, rehabilitate them and offer them for adoption to qualified homes.

“Until They Are Safe” Bracelets

The Wonderful Story of Twizzle
Read the story of Twizzle to understand the depth of our commitment, and then become a member of the largest equine group of our kind in the United States.

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Membership
Membership in Habitat for Horses is for horse lovers only, for people that want to help, but realize that their limited financial resources and a single cry against the injustice of abuse and neglect will never make a difference. Only through joining together can we unite our voices to change the lives of horses forever.

Habitat for Horses is composed of people from all over the United States. Your membership pays for the legal seizure and rehabilitation of abused and neglected horses.

We need your help because, just as you can’t do it alone, neither can we. Only with your help - financially, mentally and spiritually - can we change what we cannot accept.

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