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Letter: Congress should act to protect horses

(Paul Fraughton | Tribune file photo) In this 2005 file photo, Wayne Robb walks one the thoroughbred horses he tends to at the Barton Ranch in Duchesne County out of the barn for some exercise.

Nate Carlisle’s article highlighting Barton Thoroughbreds’ lifesaving decision to buy back 25 young horses at risk of being transported across the border to be slaughtered for food is a testament to the lifelong and unwavering commitment many in the horse breeding industry feel for the horses they have bred.

Breeders play a key role in preventing poor welfare and keeping horses safe from slaughter, and a growing number of breeders are stepping up to take lifetime responsibility for ensuring good welfare for their horses.

Thankfully, these 25 horses were saved in time, but until a ban on horse slaughter is in place, every horse, no matter how loved or accomplished, is just one bad sale away from meeting this unthinkable fate.

The ASPCA urges support of the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, HR 961. This bipartisan federal legislation would permanently ban horse slaughter in the U.S. and end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad.

Horse industry stakeholders and animal welfare organizations are joining forces to create equine welfare solutions. Now it’s time for Congress to join us in protecting our horses.

Emily Weiss, Ph.D., Stuart, Fla.

Weiss is a certified applied animal behaviorist and vice president for equine welfare of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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