On September 8, 2006, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States.
The bill failed to pass the Senate, but it prompted the only two states with horse slaughter facilities, Texas and Illinois, to pass subsequent state laws that shut down the facilities.
It was a win for the animal rights activists, but the unforeseen consequences hit the equine industry harder than anyone predicted.
Buyers from Canada and Mexico, where processing standards are less than adequate, began buying unwanted horses at pennies on the dollar. The number of abandoned horses skyrocketed and the value of the wanted ones plummeted. Owners could no longer sell their horses for a marginal return.
Rosy Erganian, now 54, has owned horses all her life. Five out of her current nine horses are rescue horses. She has devoted her time, money, property, and life to the caring and rehabilitation of unwanted horses.
Her story is one of thousands like it.
Photos © Jason Lenhart
1 comment:
love it.
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