08/16/06 Horse Slaughter Bill

Horse Slaughter Bill has Complications for Farmers and Ranchers. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The House is set to vote on horse slaughter legislation when they get back from recess in early September. It's a touchy subject that has many farmers, ranchers and horse owners concerned. American Farm Bureau Farm Policy Specialist Kelli Ludlum says some horse owners need the income from processing to be able to afford humane euthanasia for their animals. LUDLUM: The problem is that most horse owners whose horses would end up abandoned or uncared for in the first place don't have the financial resources to pay for euthanasia if they don't receive anything in terms of value for the horse itself. It costs as much as $200 to $300 to dispose of a horse if you pay a renderer to do that and euthanize humanely. Whereas if you provide the horse to a processing facility the processing funds help to offset that cost of humane euthanasia. Ludlum says this legislation could set a bad precedent. LUDLUM: We are very concerned that this does set a precedent to go beyond the equine industry into beef, pork, lamb; other more traditional livestock species and ban those products as well. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. We are an odd society, while animal lovers among us have persuaded Whole Foods grocery stores to stop selling live lobsters; most have remained notably silent about the atrocities animals endure in China. Last month we learned that 50,000 dogs were killed in China in an attempt to stop a rabies outbreak. Try vaccinations! The dogs weren't "put to sleep" as we have compassionately coined lethal injection for mans best friend here in America. No, in China dogs were clubbed, electrocuted or beaten to death often in front of their owners. Where is the outrage? Naturally PETA is calling for a boycott of Chinese's products and I hate to admit on this issue I am inclined to agree with them. Yet I haven't heard the animal rights uber-celebrities utter a peep. Tell me Sir Paul, Pamela; Mary Tyler Moore why so intimidated by China? I think rather we are so tickled by the dollar signs associated with westernizing this behemoth through our Wal-Marts our rock concerts our fast foods and fashions that we chose to ignore their hideous abuses of both animals and people, sadly because in our culture we pander to prosperity Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.