I’m happy to report that a bill that would “prohibit any person from possessing, selling, importing, etc, a horse or horseflesh if such person knows or should have known that any part of such horse or horseflesh will be used for human or animal consumption” has passed both houses of the NYS Legislature and will only need the governor’s signature to become law. When (hopefully) that happens, NY will become the fifth state to shut down the slaughter pipeline (to Canada and Mexico).
While the legislation is not perfect, and while we still need a federal law (like the SAFE Act), this is obviously a win for horses (this bill, unlike a previous one that became law in NY, will cover all kinds/breeds, not just racehorses). HW, of course, actively supported the legislation, with a memo and heavy lobbying – office visits, phone calls, etc. So, we savor the victory and fight on…
This is great news, but as long as there are loopholes or any possible way to circumvent the laws against trading in horses/horseflesh for slaughter, there will be those people who get their kicks on breaking the laws against it.
This is great news for multiple reasons. 1. Any animal bill that passes state legislature (any state!) paves the way for more, especially when the people support it and use their voices to contact their lawmakers. 2. State legislation influences federal legislation! 3. Any legislation that prohibits the slaughtering of animals for human consumption is great for all animals. And the farm bureau tried to fight this bill and failed! Now it’s time to urge Governor Hochul to listen to the voices of the people and sign this crucial legislation into law!