Comment

Comment by Helen Taylor on April 21, 2010 at 6:40am

New website launched to help make votes count for horses

Leading international horse charity, World Horse Welfare, has launched a separate website to help horse lovers vote smart in the forthcoming General Election. The micro-site contains information on the key issues facing horse welfare in the UK, the sorts of things you could approach your local candidate about, as well as a facility to email your candidates.

A new Government could mean the chance to tackle problems such as the horrific long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter in Europe, improving and enforcing the current Animal Welfare Act and the ever-increasing threat of disease spread.

Director of Campaigns, Jo White, comments: “The General Election is an ideal opportunity to ask candidates what they aim to do about the issues, we, as horse-lovers, care about. If candidates hear from their constituents, they are more likely to move these concerns up the political agenda if they are voted in.

“Our 2009 SOS Survey highlighted that awareness and education still have a huge part to play to improve horse welfare in the UK, and the Government is key, particularly when it comes to improving and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. Anyone who cares about horses can now use this website as a ‘one stop shop’ for advice and information when contacting their candidates.”

Please visit http://bit.ly/a3bFH2 or www.worldhorsewelfare.org to find out more. For further information, please contact: 01953 497226.


ENDS


Notes to editors:

World Horse Welfare is a charitable organisation, and as such remains party politically neutral at all times. This site is intended to give voters the opportunity to contact their candidates about issues affecting horse welfare which the next parliament will need to address. It is not intended to give any information on which way to vote in the local or general elections.

Comment by Shelley CHDC on March 15, 2010 at 5:31pm

A discussion paper has been posted on the CHDC website:
What the New European Union Requirements for Imported Equine Meat Will Mean to North America’s Horse Industry (posted on the CHDC website):

http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/pdf/finaldisc100314.pdf

This paper discusses Canada’s planned compliance with the new European Commission (EC) measures for countries that export equine meat to Europe, and the impact they will have on North America’s horses. While the new rules are a positive step towards a necessary identification system for our horses, there are several major deficiencies with the measures Canada plans to implement. Most notably, there are several medications not permitted for equines slaughtered for food, including Phenylbutazone or “Bute” – the horse industry’s most widely used analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication. So commonly used, this drug alone precludes virtually all race and professional sport horses, as well as most pleasure horses, from entering the human food chain. Canada’s $90 million horsemeat and live slaughter horse industry is at a turning point. The 2009 announcement from the EC concerning drug residues in slaughter horses (details below) will have an immediate impact on all aspects of the horse industry when it goes into effect at the end of July. It has been a long-term concern for horse welfare proponents, since horses ingest and are administered veterinary medical agents not intended for food animals, that horsemeat is unsafe for human consumption. For this reason, these new EC regulations are seen as beneficial concerning protection of the human food chain. However, these new rules only address the concerns of the consumer, and don’t take the welfare of the horses affected into account. This paper will discuss the new regulations, as well as address the concerns of the horse welfare community related to the required quarantine of horses and the withdrawal of veterinary medical products for horses destined for slaughter. We will also discuss the obvious deficiencies and likely conditions that will develop as this new program evolves.

For the horses,

Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

info@defendhorsescanada.org

www.defendhorsescanada.org

Comment by Helen Taylor on February 26, 2010 at 5:13am

Please also join us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/horsecharity) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/worldhorsewelfare)
thanks!

Comment by Helen Taylor on February 24, 2010 at 4:29am

Today is the day that the recently adopted Written Declaration is handed to decision makers at the European Commission - please watch out latest film: www.youtube.com/horsecharity

We now need to keep pressuring the Commission to introduce a short, finite journey limit for horses travelling long-distance to slaughter in Europe. We need people from all across Europe to get involved!

Please email me for more details: helentaylor@worldhorsewelfare.org

Comment by Helen Taylor on February 22, 2010 at 9:14am

Europe gets behind the campaign to end the single biggest abuse of horses

World Horse Welfare and horse lovers across Europe are celebrating a giant step forward in the campaign to end the long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter.

The leading international horse charity has confirmed that the majority of MEPs across the European Union (EU) have supported Written Declaration 54/2009, calling for a review of the current legislation affecting horses transported across Europe for slaughter.

This milestone has been achieved following tremendous support in all 27 EU countries. This important accomplishment will be presented to the European Commission, which is responsible for drafting amended legislation impacting upon these horses.

This is an astonishing feat – only four other animal welfare Written Declarations have received this much support since July 2005 - and none of these involved horse welfare.
Tabled by MEPs Elizabeth Lynne (UK), Sidonia Jędrzejewska (Poland), Carl Schlyter (Sweden), on behalf of World Horse Welfare, Written Declaration 54/2009 raises serious concerns about the plight of 100,000 horses needlessly transported across Europe in horrific conditions every year. This is in spite of the fact that hundreds of slaughter houses line the transport routes, meaning that a carcase only trade is possible.
World Horse Welfare has been campaigning on this subject for many years, and believes that this Written Declaration will advance the release of a proposal to amend legislation. The charity and its supporters want to see the introduction of a short, finite journey limit for horses travelling to slaughter.

Jo White, Director of Campaigns, comments: “Having witnessed this abuse first-hand, I am absolutely thrilled that so many people have got behind the campaign, we couldn’t have done this without them. However this is just one step forward to end the single biggest abuse of horses in Europe, so we must not lose momentum. We need to ensure that pressure is maintained on decision makers to end these cruel and inhumane journeys.”

Roly Owers, Chief Executive, says: “I was overwhelmed by the number of people who have supported this issue. Without the tireless campaigning of our supporters, fellow European animal welfare charities and MEPs, the number of signatories may have been much lower. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to help and urge them to continue campaigning to end this unnecessary suffering – together we can make a difference.”

Long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter across Europe causes stress, injury, extreme exhaustion and dehydration, as horses are often transported for days on end without sufficient rest, food or water.

If you would like to make a difference, join the campaign: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/takeaction or call 01953 497262.

Comment by Barbara F. on November 21, 2008 at 3:01pm

Hannah,
I am so impressed with the work you do. I don't think I could deal with some of the abuse cases that you have had to face head-on. I wish you the best of luck and will do what I can to spread the word.