http://www.salon.com/env/feature/200...rse_slaughter/

Sick sick sick. Horses are our friends. We stopped doing this to dogs and cats. Yet we still continue to mistreat these powerful creatures. Look at what the racing industry does.

So, our dogs and cats get to eat our friendly horses instead. This has been going on for yrs, people chose not to listen, but a few do.....

Would you rather pay triple to quadruple in price to feed your pets beef, wait a minute, maybe be will be our next animal friend is cow.....

Carrots anyone?????

Got any proof that horses are slaughtered to feed our cats and dogs and that stopping this practice would triple the price of cat and dog food?

Thats what they used for cat and dog food.Its sick yes I know but thats why can pet food is so cheap.People dont know that horses are used for pet food.

Not all pet food has horse meat/hair in it, yes hair. If most people knew what really went into making dog food, they would not be buying it. It's pretty gross, as to what dog food is made of, google it if you wanna know....

Although I've never had the opportunity to try it, I'd have no problem with consuming horsemeat. What bothers me about this article is the inhumane practices at the slaughterhouses. No animal should be made to suffer at the hands of a handler.

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When it comes to pet food....if it has a NAMED meat source (beef, chicken, fish, lamb, pork, etc) by law the ingredient HAS to be derived from that animal.

There are plenty of pet foods that contain only "named" animal ingredients, no "byproducts" and several pet foods that use only "human grade" meat products in their food. (I've hauled chicken livers & bulk beef from Tyson to two of the "higher end" dog food plants.)

Granted, you won't find these dog foods on sale at Wal Mart for $15 for a 50 lb bag, but I wouldn't feed that #### to my dogs anyway- it's mostly CORN. The food I feed is about $55 for a bag close to 40 lbs....lasts 3 small-medium sized dogs about a month and a half. Hardly breaks the bank- and there are plenty of foods with only "named" meat sources that cost less.

Cheaper pet foods have ingredients like "animal digest" or "animal fat"....if it just says "ANIMAL" it can legally be derived from ANY animal. Horses....or ANYTHING. I've spoken to a couple folks who have worked at rendering plants....in some places large roadkill (deer, etc) end up at rendering plants & the byproducts from the rendering go to pet food companies. Some animal shelters also call the rendering truck to dispose of dead animals on euthanasia day.

If it became illegal to use horse meat in dog food, it might drive up the cost of Ol' Roy and Kibbles N Bits, but it wouldn't affect the price of foods that use only ingredients from "named" animal sources. Plus it wouldn't address the use of rotting roadkill, euthanized pets from animal shelters (hiring a rendering truck is cheaper means of disposal in shelters that cannot be zoned to operate an incenerator)....etc. I'd rather have my dogs eating horse meat than eating roadkill.

I agree with Ducks.....my biggest qualm with the horsemeat thing is the INHUMANE slaughter methods. Stabbing them in the spine? Knocking them 2-3 times with the captive bolt gun? (There are videos online). I am a meat eater & advocate for animal WELFARE....if we're going to eat them, we need to take steps to ensure their suffering is minimal & their slaughter is quick and painless.

If we're going to get up in arms about horse slaughter JUST because we don't like the idea of somebody killing our "nice horsies", where do you draw the line between horses and cows? Pigs? Chickens? If Horses are our "friends".....why aren't cows, pigs and chickens?? Cows are smart, pigs are smarter- some folks even keep pigs as housepets. And I've got a couple friends who are pro dog trainers who tell me chickens can be "clicker trained" (google Chicken Camp). What magical quality makes horses "too good" to be used for meat, if you're OK with eating cows, chickens and pigs??

Unless you're vegan, it's a bit hypocritical to say its OK to kill & eat certain kinds of animals as long as they're not "cute and cuddly pets". Personally, my only qualm with Chinese & Korean cultures eating dogs and cats is also because of the INHUMANE slaughter & housing practices that go on. If the dog and cat-meat industry was regulated & humane standards enforced, I would *not* bat an eye at another culture eating a cheap and readily available source of meat (In fact I'd be curious to try it!).

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Us & The Dogs

-I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett

Would you care to elaborate what the racing industry does? This I would like to hear about from you. Do you have fact or is what you're going to post merely hearsay?

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You have to do what you love to do, not get stuck in that comfort zone of a regular job.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. This is it...
Lucinda Basset

I agree 100% and before some of you beat me up for it, let me say at present I have three very old Thoroughbreds here at the house and another horse that I pay to board. These horses require special "senior" feed and some medication. It's something that becomes a little pricey but you do what you have to do. They will stay where they are until they die, then will be buried on the farm. They are old friends, who paid their way and helped us get what we have. You don't mistreat your friends.
I understand that this is a part of life and that animals were put here for a reason. I can live with that. If the entire process was humane, I could live with that.
What I do have a serious and I do mean serious problem with is how horses are treated from the time they leave where they are until they are actually dead. They are terrribly abused for the most part and the people who do what they do should be accountable. Believe me if any of you go to any of the websites, you will be appalled, shocked and if you have any feelings at all, you'll be sick and saddened.
Sorry to be on the soap box but the way these horses are treated is horrendous to say the least. If any of you have ever gone to the sales, you'll know that it starts there. Did you know that a lot of good horses go to slaughter? Their owners think the horse is going to a good home and end up as meat. There are groups who try to buy all the marketable horses at these sales and save them. They are considered to be "rescues" and get a fresh start.
The ones that don't get saved are packed into livestock trailers and taken away. In Ohio if you see those trailers loaded with horses, you're supposed to call the state patrol and it'll be addressed.
I won't even post what can happen when those poor horses get to the "processors" some of it is to horrible to talk about.

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You have to do what you love to do, not get stuck in that comfort zone of a regular job.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. This is it...
Lucinda Basset