Horse slaughter. The topic ignites passion on both sides of the debate. Anti-slaughter groups see the practice as an inhumane and tragic end to an animal that some say occupies a gray area between livestock and pet. Their vocal opposition has led to a proposed slaughter ban that was passed by the House and, as of press time, remains in the Senate. (More on that in a minute.)
Anti-ban advocates see slaughter as a necessary evil until funding, or at least a plan, is in place to care for the tens of thousands of horses deemed "unwanted" that had previously been slaughtered. They say without it, these horses will flood a market ill-prepared to deal with them, so could face a lifetime of abuse or neglect.
Who's right? You may have your own strong opinion. In what's often seen as a collision between emotion and reality, there seems to be no middle ground. Both sides, after all, claim to be looking out for the horses' welfare. Here we'll provide an overview plus insights from those for and against a slaughter ban.
CLICK HER FOR PART ONE - Take a look at how experts on both sides of the slaughter debate lay out arguments on how to keep the horse's welfare at heart.
By Karin Winegar
CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO - In part two of our special report, we explore the options available--currently and potentially--to deal with unwanted horses.
By Karin Winegar
