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\n The SAFE Act could ban horse slaughter in the U.S., along with the export of American horses for slaughter. What are the next steps?\n <\/p>\n
Update February 27, 2025:<\/strong> The SAFE Act, which would ban the export of U.S. horses for slaughter, was reintroduced in the Senate\u2014just ahead of National Horse Protection Day on March 1. Backed by a bipartisan coalition, the bill would expand the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act, which was included in the 2018 Farm Bill.<\/p>\n Ready to take action for horses? <\/strong><\/p>\n Contact your representatives and demand that they support the SAFE Act to ban horse slaughter once and for all:<\/p>\n\n \n The SAFE Act promises to end the slaughter of U.S. horses, but it must first make it into the Senate Farm Bill and pass. Organizations like Animal Equality and the ASPCA are urging legislators to include this Bill, which would protect over 20,000 American horses from export and slaughter.<\/p>\n The Save America\u2019s Forgotten Equines Act (SAFE Act) would federally ban horse slaughter in the U.S., as well as the export of American horses abroad for slaughter.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHorse slaughter is a cruel and inhumane practice that must finally be put to an end. That is why I am joining my colleagues in introducing this bill that will permanently end the practice of slaughtering horses in the United States and will stop the shipment of thousands of American horses to slaughter across our borders\u201d. \u2014Senator Corey Booker<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The slaughter of horses in the U.S. occurred as recently as 2007. The practice has since dissolved when Congress took away funding from USDA inspectors to oversee horse slaughterhouses. Only USDA-approved meat can be sold to the public\u2014meaning selling horse meat is effectively illegal.<\/p>\n The U.S. shifted focus to transporting horses outside its borders. Every year, over 20,000 horses are sent to Mexico and Canada. Old, injured racehorses and former companions are sold at auction, then transported hundreds of miles in overcrowded trucks. They suffer injuries, weight loss, fatigue, dehydration, and shipping fever\u2014a respiratory disease associated with long-distance transport.\u00a0<\/p>\n Animal Equality\u2019s undercover investigation found U.S. horses awaiting slaughter in Zacatecas, Mexico. Here, horses were found with yellow USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) stickers. Their origin was confirmed by a veterinarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n Animal Equality has also investigated the slaughter of American horses in Mexico. These animals were often killed while conscious.<\/p>\n \n
\nWhat exactly does the SAFE Act for equines mean?<\/h2>\n
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Is horse meat legal?<\/h3>\n