Horses in Our Hands ramps up efforts to ban horse slaughter

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Horses in Our Hands (also known as In Our Hands Action Fund), a 501(c)(4) equine-welfare organization, is calling on American citizens across the country to write to their federal legislators urging them to pass the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act of 2019, H.R. 961/S. 2006, which permanently bans horse slaughter in the U.S. and prevents the export of horses for the same purpose.

Since May, when Horses in Our Hands launched its campaign, supporters submitted more than 66,000 letters to members of the U.S. House and Senate via the organization's website. Additionally, supporters submitted 1,000 letters to the editor, several of which have been published in major newspapers, including an op-ed by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, which appeared in the September 8^th issue of "The Kansas City Star."

With the support of celebrity partners including Tony Robbins, Julianne Hough, Melissa Etheridge, Willie Nelson, Katherine Kelly Lange, Bo Derek and Bonnie Jill Laflin, Horses in Our Hands has far exceeded its initial fundraising goal and continues to generate significant monetary donations.  

"We're grateful to the thousands of Americans who continue to make their voices heard," said Siri Lindley, co-founder of Horses, a former two-time world champion triathlete and coach. "Last year, 60,000+ mostly healthy horses were needlessly and brutally slaughtered. We must put an end to this inhumane practice once and for all."

In addition to founding Horses in Our Hands, Lindley and her wife, Rebekah Keat, also a former world champion triathlete, are owners of Believe Ranch and Rescue, a 501(c)(3) in Longmont, Colo., where they have rescued 116 horses in three years.

Horses in Our Hands is the only equine welfare-specific organization lobbying congress for the permanent ban on horse slaughter during the current legislative session. The organization is working with Chris Heyde, a leading animal protection representative, to pass bills in the U.S. Senate and House. In addition to writing both pieces of legislation, Heyde has been leading on this issue for nearly 20 years, beginning in 2001, when his undercover operation led to the closure of all U.S. slaughterhouses.

"We closed slaughterhouses at home, but we must finish the job by making the closures permanent and making it illegal for middlemen to take horses out of country for slaughter," Heyde said. "Horse slaughter is a demand-driven industry. Without slaughterhouses, most horses would go to responsible new owners or taken in by the large number of horse rescue organizations. I call on lawmakers to protect these gentle, majestic creatures by passing the SAFE Act."

Horse slaughter is both bipartisan and widely supported. In the U.S. House of Representatives, 231 representatives—both Democrats and Republicans—have signed on as co-sponsors to the SAFE Act. Nationally, polling shows approximately 80% of Americans opposed to the slaughter of horses for food. For more information on how to support a ban on horse slaughter and the passage of the SAFE Act, visit: www.horsesinourhands.org.

For more information about Horses in Our Hands, please contact Lisa Palacio at 973-850-7317 or [email protected]

Horses in Our Hands
Horses in Our Hands is a 501(c)(4) dedicated to lobbying congress to pass the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, which calls for a ban on horse slaughter in the U.S. and prevents the export of horses for the same purpose. Last year, more than 60,000 horses were exported to facilities in Canada and Mexico, where they were brutally slaughtered to provide horse meat for sale in Europe and Asia. Though there has been a federal de facto ban on horse slaughter, "kill-buyers" or middlemen in the U.S. continue to ply their trade, purchasing horses, often from unsuspecting owners, and then packing them into overcrowded trailers for the harrowing journey to slaughterhouse.

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SOURCE Horses in Our Hands