Where Are Horse Kill Pens Located?

Most kill pens are located in areas where there are enough horses to fill the slaughter trucks regularly — and, in the killing business, this means multiple truckloads per week.

Are there horse kill pens in the US?

Slaughter houses for horses are illegal in the U.S., but it’s still legal to ship horses to facilities over the border, and the USDA sets the rules for it all. On Friday, November 11th, 26 horses were posted for sale on the Bastrop Ship Pen Facebook. Four were sold, with a total price of $2625.

Are there horse slaughter houses in the US?

Slaughtering horses for food is illegal in the U.S., but a market exists beyond our borders, in Europe, Japan and Russia. This is why brokers called “kill buyers” send trailers full of horses, both wild and domestic, into Mexico and Canada, where slaughter is legal. Last year, 81,573 horses made the trip.

How does a horse end up in a kill pen?

Where do kill pen horses come from? Kill pen horses come from local livestock auctions, Craigslist ads, free-bee ads, and even websites like Dreamhorse if a horse is being under-valued enough. There can be many reasons a horse ends up there: bankruptcy, sudden hardship on the farm, death in the family, etc.

Does the US ship horses for slaughter?

Plants in the USA that slaughtered horses for human consumption were closed in 2007 and since that time increased numbers of horses from the USA have been transported to Canada or Mexico for slaughter (4).

Are there still horse slaughterhouses?

For example, Texas, California and Illinois have banned horse slaughter within their states but those laws have no impact elsewhere.

How much does a horse cost from a kill pen?

When rescuing a horse from a kill pen, it is common for the new owner to purchase or bail‐out the horse; this fee can range from $100 to $1,000.

Where do horses go to get slaughtered?

In most countries where horses are slaughtered for food, they are processed in industrial abattoirs similarly to cattle. Typically, a penetrating captive bolt gun or gunshot is used to render the animal unconscious.

What state has the most slaughter houses?

How many horse slaughter houses are in the US?

Now that there are no horse slaughterhouses operating in the United States, horses are being shipped to other countries to get around the process and the laws.

Is it painful for a horse to be euthanized?

Loss of consciousness should come before loss of muscle movement to ensure the painlessness of the procedure. They also must minimize or eliminate any pain, anxiety or distress of the horse prior to loss of consciousness. Gunshot to the head is painless, humane and immediate if it is performed properly.

What do they do with slaughtered horses?

Thousands of American horses are sent to slaughter every year and the vast majority would be rehomed; not every horse going to slaughter needs to go to rescue.

Why are horses shot and not euthanized?

When the horse is shot the effect is instantaneous although you need to expect some reflex limb movements. Two advantages of shooting are cheaper disposal and euthanasia. It is sometimes a better and more dignified end for a horse that is very needle shy.

Where do they eat horse meat?

In many other nations, however, eating horse meat is no big deal – and in some cultures, it’s even considered a delicacy. Mexico, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Poland and China are among the nations where many people eat horse meat without a second thought.

Why can’t you eat horses in the US?

U.S. horse meat is unfit for human consumption because of the uncontrolled administration of hundreds of dangerous drugs and other substances to horses before slaughter. horses (competitions, rodeos and races), or former wild horses who are privately owned. slaughtered horses on a constant basis throughout their lives.

Who eats slaughtered horses?

The top 10 horse meat-producers order are China, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Russia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Kyrgyzstan. Surprisingly, although horse meat is consumed in most of Europe and Asia, there are a few countries that stray away from eating horse.

Does Taco Bell use horse meat?

A Taco Bell spokesman said the company had voluntarily ordered testing of its beef products in light of the scandal affecting other European retailers and food manufacturers. “Based on that testing, we learned ingredients supplied to us from one supplier in Europe tested positive for horse meat,” he said.

Who got caught selling horse meat?

A gang of six people accused of stealing horses for slaughter and selling the meat to restaurants disguised as beef has been arrested in southern Brazil, according to officials.

What shop was selling horse meat?

Burger King, which had more than 500 fast food outlets in Ireland and the UK at the time, dropped Silvercrest as a supplier, using suppliers in Germany and Italy instead, after horse meat was found in their supply chain.

What caliber is needed to kill a horse?

Humanely killing horses
For adult horses – a rifle should deliver at least the muzzle energy of a standard 0.22 magnum cartridge.

Can you buy a horse from a kill pen?

The good news is that you can buy horses out of kill pens. The kill-buyer will usually take for the horse what they would get for the price of their meat.