Serving BUTE for dinner. Horse meat, cruel with a deadly dash of chemicals.

Liberal Minister Terry Redman approved Horse Meat for Human Consumption in Western Australia. Horses are NOT bred for human consumption, over 50,000 ex race industry horses are sent to slaughter alone EVERY YEAR in Australia, the rest are mostly unwanted pets and victims of neglect.

“The Prince of Horse Flesh” Butcher Vince Gareffa and Minister Redman refuse to name the source of the unfortunate horses they kill for human consumption, however it is 99% certain that horse meat contains the toxic chemical BUTE – below are just some of the side effects and reasons Humans should NEVER ingest this chemical.

Liberal Minister for Agriculture Terry Redman

Cruelty and Horse Welfare aside, can the Minister assure us that this Meat is SAFE for Human Consumption and 100% Bute Free? PLEASE ASK HIM TODAY, Contact his Office and DEMAND this information:

Email: Minister.Redman@dpc.wa.gov.au
For more contact information: http://www.premier.wa.gov.au/Ministers/Terry-Redman/Pages/Contact-The-Minister.aspx

Must Read – A letter from S Lloyd to Minister Terry Redman who approved the Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption

Letter from S Lloyd to Minister Terry Redman Regarding his decision to approve the slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption in W.A:

Dear Mr Redman.

Before you ignore this as another “Please don’t eat the pretty ponies because we love them” letter, I beg of you to grab a coffee, sit down, and actually read what I am about to say – I promise it will only be full of hard facts that you should take into serious consideration while deciding whether or not the legalization of horse meat for human consumption in WA (and Australia as a whole) was a good or bad move.

Firstly, let me bring to the forefront, the dangers of having horse meat on the shelves.

The health risks. Even oversea’s markets are slowing down rapidly as the health risks involved in the market of horse meat is being found out loud and clear, take a read of this article.

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/134

Let me bring to your attention these two snippets.

“Add to that the dangers of American horsemeat from the toxic drugs given to horses here as established in a recent study published in the peer reviewed journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology,

Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, and, said Holland, “it would make no sense and, in fact, would be irresponsible for legislators to promote horse slaughter with this bill”. The bill was then sent for “summer study”, essentially withdrawing it for the session.

“The demand for American horsemeat may soon plummet and end altogether, especially in the European market. Indeed, the second largest grocer in Belgium and Holland pulled American horsemeat from the shelves. “

What is Phenylbutazone?

Commonly known as “Bute” within the horse industry, it is THE most single used drug for Equine health and wellbeing – it is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug used in 98% of Race Horses and 95% of recreational horses – staggering yes?

It doesn’t come in just one form, here is a list for you to browse over.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm186621.htm

Another article:

http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/erbe/2010/4/5/horse-slaughter-is-cruel-and-bute-in-the-meatkills-humans.html

“Causes serious and lethal idiosyncratic adverse effects in humans. Sixty-seven million pounds of horsemeat derived from American horses were sent abroad for human consumption last year. Horses are not raised as food animals in the United States and, mechanisms to ensure the removal of horses treated with banned substances from the food chain are inadequate at best.”

Another article for you to read.

http://www.flyingfilly.com/drugs_in_horsemeat.htm

But it’s not just the drugs, but diseases as well, as is brought forward in this snippet of information in the above reading.

” Equine Infectious Anaemia in horsemeat”

It’s not a drug, but a disease. EIA, Equine Infectious Anaemia, and the “virus reproduces in the liver, spleen, kidneys, heart, cardiovascular system, and other organs in the horse’s body. When an infected horse dies or is destroyed, lesions can also be found in the lymph nodes, and even in the nervous system.” What does Mississippi State University recommend an owner to do with these horses? “Should a horse be identified as positive, the owner has three options. First, the horse can be humanely destroyed; second, it can be sold for slaughter; or third, the horse can be quarantined.”

In other words, the horsemeat that is being eaten could be taken from an infected horse.”

And a little closer to home.

“If you eat horse meat, you should be concerned about the deadly Hendra Virus. Transmitted to people through tissue or secretions of infected horses, either by injection or orally, it has a high incidence of mortality. Australian veterinarian hospitalized on 8/26/07 for infection contacted while performing autopsy on infected Thoroughbred.”

Australian’s have already died from Hendra Virus Mr. Redman, and the fact is, many more could die from it through ingesting diseased meat.

But Wait, there is more!

Aside from the use of worming agents and pastes in our horse’s to keep their worm count down (which I might add, is not accepting in any regulation drugs/medications allowed to be given to animals heading for human consumption), you have the problem of how many worms a horse can be host to.

Example: If a human has a worm count of 1, then a horse has 100,000 – nearly double that of a cow.

Here it is, in writing.

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-3096.pdf

Secondly, let me discuss with you the means horse’s are slaughtered for human consumption.

The Captive-Bolt Gun. This weapon is not a humane option for equine’s because the gun was originally designed for the Bovine brain and skull which is different to the skull and brain of an Equine. Not to mention, of how different the two species of animal react in situations – a horse is a flight animal, and is far more highly strung than that of a cow, making current abbitors unsuitable for the slaughter of horse’s.

http://www.manesandtailsorganization.org/captive_bolt.htm

Let me draw to your attention a few snippets from that above link.

“In a study conducted at Hanover University, EEG and ECG recordings were taken on all animals to measure the condition of the brain and heart during the course of slaughter and stunning. EEG readings showed that although the animals were apparently unconscious soon after stunning with the penetrating captive bolt, they were experiencing severe pain immediately after stunning.”

Also:

“Due to the inherent differences in skull structures of bovines and equines, each species reacts to the captive bolt differently. The brain of an equine is further back in the skull compared to a bovine. The equines regain consciousness and are not insensible to pain shortly after they are shackled and hoisted. Therefore, they are very much aware of being butchered alive.”

And finally

“The use of the penetrating captive bolt gun does not meet the AVMA Panel’s criteria regarding “loss of consciousness and death without causing pain, distress, anxiety, or apprehension.” Unlike bovines (which the penetrating captive bolt was designed for) equines possess different skull structures, are flight animals, and attempt to flee the ‘knock box’ or ‘kill chute.’ That being the case, it takes numerous attempts before the animal is properly stunned, if this is achieved at all.”

I know, it’s easy enough to ignore these facts when they are in writing, so I urge you to take the time to sit down and have a look at this site (I hope you haven’t eaten recently).

Video #1

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter02.mov

~ This horse is shot deliberately in the shoulder by a captive bolt to make the horse lift it’s head, causing a great deal more stress and pain.

Video #2

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter03.mov

~ The same horse as above is already down in the kill chute, is hit not once, but twice by the bolt

Video #3

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter04.mov

~ Another horse panics, falls over and struggles to regain footing and then paws at the chute while waiting for the captive bolt gun to be fired. Extreme an unnecessary stress.

Video #4

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter05.mov

~ Horse is hit with the captive bolt gun, goes down, but is still conscious and partly sits back up again.

Video #5

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter06.mov

~ Continued on from Video 4, showing the ‘shot’ horse in extreme distress, shaking it’s head from the wound and pain, is then finally shot again.

Video #6

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter07.mov

~ “Horse’s do not know what is going on” – clearly showing the strong flight response and stress during the process in the kill chute.

Video #7

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter08.mov

~ Still evading the bolt gun, clearing showing extreme signs of stress (white of the eye showing etc) while looking up at the slaughter-house work man.

(If this hasn’t made you absolutely sick by now Mr. Redman, I will be very, very shocked. But wait, there is more…)

Video #8

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter09.mov

~ Same horse finally shot, then shot again, and shot for a third time.

Video #9

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter10.mov

~ Horse dropped from the box still struggling for a few seconds before finally stopping.

Video #10

http://www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter12.mov

~ Horse being bled out, while mucles tense and the head his arched back – alive or dead? These reactions are from a horse that is still very much aware of what is happening.

I think I’ve made my point about the Captive-Bolt Gun, yes?

Now, I know there have already being three horse’s slaughtered in WA and the meat is already being sold, and I did hear those horse’s were shot using a .22 Rifle instead of the Captive-Bolt Gun. A step forward? Not so much. When horse’s are held to be shot, they need to be extremely still to get a clear, clean shot to the forehead so they are rendered unconscious and killed instantly, instead of minutes later. I have some more video footage to show to you, so again, I do ask of you to sit for a few minutes and have a watch of these disturbing images.

Part I of III:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcz4wa_bouvry-video-summary-part-i-of-iii_animals

Part II of III.

http://comedytv.magnify.net/video/Bouvry-Video-Summary-Part-II–2

Part III of III.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcz36g_bouvry-video-summary-part-iii-of-ii_animals

Clearly a .22 Rifle cannot do the job humanely as well, am I correct?

In short – both these methods are not humane in the slaughter of horse’s for human consumption, and when any animal is brought to a slaughter house, it’s welfare and the humanity of how they are ‘slaughtered’ is suppose to be top of the list, yes? Obviously it is not. Now I understand this footage is not from Australian slaughterhouses, but Mr Redman, let’s face facts here – it is done the same the world over, in the north, in the south, in the west and in the east. It’s all the same, just different locations.

So, with everything laid out on the table in front of you Mr Redman, I do believe I have made a very strong case that should ask, beg and plead of you to reinstate the ban of horse meat for human consumption within WA, IE: making it illegal again, and to also fight for this same legislation throughout our entire country.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

S Lloyd

 

WA State Election 2013 – Will the WA Liberal Party’s approval of Horse Slaughter for consumption by humans affect your vote?

Let us know what impact the WA Liberal Party’s decision to approve the slaughter of horses for Human Consumption in WA and Australia, on your Vote in the State Election in 2013!

Have Colin Barnett and Terry Redman and the Liberal Party in WA lost your vote?

VOTE IN OUR POLL NOW!

Horse Meat for Human Consumption – Where do these Horses come from?

Over 40,000 Horses EVERY year are killed in Australia for “Horse Meat”. Apart from in WA, the sale and consumption of horse flesh is prohibited in Australia, but the slaughter and export of the meat is legal. There are two export-accredited abattoirs licensed to deal in horse meat by Austrade. Both abattoirs are owned by the same company based in Belgium. One is at Caboolture (Meramist Pty Ltd) in Queensland, and the other is on Marsham’s doorstep at Peterborough (Metro Velda Pty Ltd) in South Australia’s wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. It’s been operating for more than 35 years. The slaughter is perfectly legal but not openly discussed. Austrade lists one of the companies involved as an exporter of “game meats”. The government takes a cut with a $5 per head “National Residue Levy”.

Horses are not farmed specifically for meat here: horse meat generally comes from the feral horse population or failed or retired sports horses. There are about 1.2 million horses in Australia with about one third classified as brumbies or feral horses. Each year between 30,000 and 40,000 horses are processed for human and pet consumption, with most coming from the thoroughbred and standardbred (harness) racing ranks. Around 20% of these horses – 8000 – come from feral stock, ie. brumbies.

Eva Berriman, a veterinarian, qualified technical teacher and technical writer from Queensland writes in her article Horse Slaughter and Horse Meat: The Facts ”As with cattle and other types of livestock, the best meat comes from younger animals in good condition with quality muscling. So it is not the old, broken-down horses tired of living that are killed at these two horsemeat abattoirs – they go instead to one of the 30-odd knackeries throughout Australia, there to be processed for pet food, fertiliser, hides etc. No, it is much younger horses mostly still in their prime which are slaughtered for human consumption.

 

 

A visit to a Knackery (Horse Slaughterhouse)…in her own words

The following is a “diary entry” of a passionate Horse Rescuer and Horse Welfare Activist, Amanda Vella. This is her own account of a visit to a Knackery.

Not exactly the best way to spend a sunday afternoon. 

We arrived at the gates of this old country knackery, and we could see the horses in the pens.. waiting. My freind whistles out to the horses and a few call back, one is a big pally mare with a roman nose.. She is beautiful. We walk up the old rocky drive way to a tin shed that looks normal in the country but its far from normal. At the front of the door way, lay the raw rib cage of the last slaughtered horse. We walk up to the tin shed and see more of the horse waste.. Some guts, hooves and a little chocolate brown horsey’s head… Its disgusting and heart breaking and my freind says to me “harden up princess”.. She was right, i had to harden up…. This is how things are done in the country…. 

The slaughter man see’s us and he comes over, his hands were covered in blood, his clothes and even his face.. It looked like something out of a horror movie and my friend says to me “if he comes out with a chainsaw, im outta here”.. She wasnt joking… 

We chat to him and he agrees to let us have a look, and I fall in love with the pally mare.. There is no way im leaving her.. We also fall in love with a little stock horse colt… On one side of the pen is a TB with a broken leg, he was there for a reason.. In the pen next to him is another TB thats completely blind, he to was there for a reason. There was also a number of brumby foals and a few ponies.. ..

We try to catch the pally mare, she is so scared.. My friend slowly gains her trust, i stand by and watch… We walk her out, past all of her pen mates remains and load her onto the float without a problem, she is happy to leave… We go back for the colt and spend a while trying to gain his trust, but he is unhandled.. The slaughter man comes out to let us know he is sending more into the shed, we hear two gun shots.. I look up towards the shed and he throws a little brown head out onto the pile of waste, i can see its tounge hanging out of its head… Very sad…. 

We decide that we cant catch the little colt and make the very hard decision to leave him there, he was next in line to die… 

The mare travels home well and is placed in her new paddock, she is happy and settled.. A lovely mare named “sweet heart”… I still smelt like death and i can still smell it now…

Vince Gareffa – Prince of Tainted Horse Flesh

Mr Vince Gareffa of Mondo Butchers continues to sell Horse Meat in W.A and throughout Australia. http://www.mondo.net.au/

Although Vince has been quoted as saying “mentally I find it quite a hurdle” (selling Horse Meat), the butcher has urged Australians to open their minds, declaring the product is no different from the meat of other animals slaughtered for consumption.

“We’ve got so many horses running in the wild, and we kill camels, we kill kangaroos, we kill emus,” Mr Gareffa told AAP.

“There’s no way in the world it’s any different. It just does happens to be more emotional. (As pet) dogs become an emotional thing, horses are an emotional thing.

“But the cows, the sheep, the pigs, the chickens are sick of it. They’re sick of the racism against certain breeds of animal.”

Vinces lack of tact and mocking disregard for the bonds and connection thousands of Australians have with Horses as companion animals, is on display with that comment. He is of course, purely in this for profit – to the detriment of horses in our country.

In approving the slaughter of horses for human consumption in Australia, Agricultural Minister Mr Terry Redman attached conditions including the presence of a WA Meat Industry Authority inspector during processing.

According to the federal department of agriculture, between 30,000 and 40,000 horses are slaughtered every year for pet food and human consumption overseas. A reportedly 7 out of 10 horses butchered for their meat in Australia are racehorses.

In a letter by animal advocate Chantal Buslot of Belgium, she states:

Does Australia need to add horses to our plate? There is already a long list of animals that are exploited for their meat, and to add horses to this list for Australian consumption is immoral.

One of the major suppliers of horses for human consumption is the racing industry which breeds approx 30,000 horses each year. Approx 70% of these horses are simply not “good enough” and will be discarded without running a single race.

If Western Australia is to please minority groups; those Europeans who have a taste for horse flesh, will WA take the next step and cater for Asian cultures? Will the WA Government permit the slaughter of cats and dogs for their flesh? What is the difference between eating one pet and eating another? Horses are of course pets to many Australians.

Furthermore, you are all well aware of the toxicity of horse meat, poisoned with phenylbutazone, a banned substance in accordance with the Health of Animals Act and the Meat Inspection Act as described via other country parameters. Tainting the food supply with such toxins is not only negligent, but it is also immoral. It is also important to recognize that European markets are increasingly rejecting horse meat from Western countries where horses are routinely treated with such prohibited substances, and Australia will be a known target of such disapproval as well.

Contact the Australian government with your opposition at the email addresses below. Visit our ACTION PAGE to do more.

1. premier@dpc.vic.gov.au
2. wa-government@ dpc.wa.gov.au
3. Minister.Redman@dpc.wa.gov.au
4. Minister.Castrilli@ dpc.wa.gov.au
5. leader@loop.wa.gov.au
6. eric.ripper@ mp.wa.gov.au

Horse Meat – It is a Night Mare for these creatures

From sale yard to transport to slaughter house – Horse Meat is CRUELTY on a plate. These animals suffer immensley. They are merely “pickings of the discarded and unwanted” – Horses who are no longer winning races, are not fit to breed, or have no homes to go to as there are simply too many horses in Australia as a result of this over supply.

Horse Meat is misery. Horses are flighty animals, they easily scare, they are large and strong and do not take well to transport, heavy handling (as is done in slaughterhouses to force them towards slaughter) and the eventual cruel end at slaughter.

Australians do not want to see Horse Meat on the menu – these animals are our companion animals, children’s pets, Policemens partners in protecting the community, therapy animals for disabled children.

Minister Terry Redman, Minister for Agriculture in W.A sees horses as merely a profit margin, another animal he can add to his portfolio of “industry” in Australia – and by granting ONE sole butcher a license to sell this meat – has condoned the cruelty suffered by these animals with no due process, consideration for their welfare or accountability to the public to ensure the safety of this meat.

Some may say Horse Slaughter is humane – however take some time to explore that for yourself. There is nothing humane about being injured or ill and being transported for days in cold or heat, frightened – to be deprived of food and water for extended periods prior to transport – to then your brutal death. Falling from a great height with a bullet wound to your head, or being stunned through your skull which often does not even work. This is the cruel reality that exists in this country – and we do this en mass to the very creatures who work to serve us and be our beloved companions. Where do we move the line in the sand to now?

DEMAND THAT THIS LICENSE IS REVOKED! Contact your local MP and raise your concerns, search your local member here: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/find-your-local-mp.htm

DON’T VOTE LIBERAL! Governments are most often concerned about their vote count, rather than addressing real issues. If you don’t vote for them because of this, you are sending a clear and direct message about your choices as a voter in this country.

SIGN OUR PETITION! We need your help to show the Government the real concern amongst the community.

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