Auction Bill Passes Both Houses Providing Further Protections for Equines
For Immediate Release
Contact: Karin Carreau, Chair
HORSEPOWER, INC.
518-339-0765
HORSEPOWER, Inc, New York’s Equine Welfare Policy Organization worked to successfully pass another measure to protect horses, donkey and mules. Every year, thousands of horse auctions are held in the United States, attracting farmers, ranchers, pleasure-horse owners, riding stable operators, and unfortunately - slaughterhouse buyers. The equines run the gamete between healthy young thoroughbreds to broken-down old mules. The healthy ones may be fortunate enough to be purchased as inexpensive riding horses and ponies. However, some are too old, sick, lame, or neglected to work in any manner without violating the State law against cruelty to animals. As a result, many of these horses become victims of killer buyers at auction.
Some horses who are particularly malnourished are purchased by middle- men, who take them home, fatten them up, and return them to the auction for sale at a profit to the kill buyers. These animals may change hands repeatedly before they ultimately end up at the slaughterhouse door.
Despite the fact that the-last slaughterhouse in the United States shuttered operations in 2007, horse slaughter remains a pernicious and inhumane issue in the U.S. Since 2015, over 350,000 horses have been shipped over our borders to Mexico and Canada for slaughter by "kill buyers."
Such horses are often shipped for more than 24 hours at a time without food, water or rest, and suffer horribly along the way.
HORSEPOWER, working in partnership with the New York State Humane Association maintained that horse auctions should not be dumping grounds for unwanted, abused, and neglected animals just because their owners refuse or are unable to provide necessary vet care or humane euthanasia as required by law. Presently, it is a violation for auctioneers to accept abused or neglected horses. However, the existing penalty, which is a fine of $5 does not outweigh the financial benefit that these facilities receive by accepting these animals for sale to killer buyers. The fine has not been updated since 1965, until now…this week’s passage of a bill in both houses sponsored by Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow will change that. Once enacted, will increase fines up to $1,000 and affix misdemeanor penalties.
Senator Addabbo noted that “By increasing the penalty for auctioneers that accept abused or neglected horses, donkey or mules from a measly $5 up to $1,000 in fines — along with misdemeanor penalties — we believe it will better protect equines from being purchased by kill buyers.” He went on to say…“The fine for this practice hasn’t been amended since 1965, so it was past time to ensure that the fine matches the violation. I stand with my colleagues who passed this bill in both houses, and encourage Governor Hochul to sign it into law to better protect New York’s equine population from slaughterhouse buyers.”
Assembly sponsor Gary Pretlow echoed such sentiments and also noted that “It’s been said that ‘saving one horse won’t change the world, but it certainly will change the world for that one horse.’ This bill, in conjunction with our 2021 anti-slaughter law will work in conjunction to put an end to dumping injured and/or ill horses and as such, will, one by one, change the world for many horses to come.”
Karin Carreau, Founder and Chair of HORSEPOWER, Inc., noted that “this bill, in conjunction with our previous bill to ban the sale or transfer of a thoroughbred or standardbred horses for the purposes of slaughter will dovetail to strengthen our overall efforts to curtail the sometimes-egregious abuse of equines in this state.”
“Our organization is proud to work with Horsepower to end the unnecessary suffering of all equines. Our own members have reported seeing horses, donkeys, mules, and ponies suffering from extreme lameness, emaciation, and other maladies being sold "as is" at livestock auctions - as if they were but pieces of trash. The current penalty - again, $5 - functions as an almost laughable deterrent. In addition, each year, hundreds, if not thousands, of horses are trucked through New York to Canada, where their final destination is the slaughterhouse. Even worse, the USDA has determined they can go up to 28 hours without food, water, or rest. We will continue to work tirelessly with Horsepower until this ceases” said Susan McDonough of the New York State Humane Association.