AQHA Falsely claims Landrieu bill would ban all horse transportation

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) issued a press release containing misleading statements, including one that upset Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The AQHA stated in essence that passage of the amended Horse Protection Act banning slaughter and export for slaughter, the Senate version of the bill (S. 311) introduced by Landrieu, would ban all horse transportation.

Sen. Landrieu was quick to fire back, and released the following:

November 30, 2007

WASHINGTON – The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) released a press release today mischaracterizing S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, claiming that the bill would limit horse transportation for any reason.

“The horse slaughter bill is essential to protecting some of America’s most beloved animals,” Sen. Landrieu said. “The bill does not ban horse transportation; it only bans transporting horses if the animals are intended to be slaughtered for human consumption. This practice is cruel and inhumane, and I will continue to fight to ensure that it never happens again.”

In their press release, AQHA falsely claims that “[m]embers may sell horses unaware of the buyer’s intent with the animal and to where it may be transported, possibly resulting in legal ramifications for the seller.”

S. 311 includes a “knowingly” requirement. Innocent owners and transporters will not be affected by the legislation; only those who knowingly transport, buy or sell horses with the intent to slaughter them for human consumption would be in violation of the law.

The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote as claimed by the AQHA, but Sen. Landrieu is fighting to pass the bill quickly to protect America’s horses.

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Source: Press Release

Note: Sen. Landrieu’s Senate seat is under threat. Her challenger is Treasurer and Republican John Kennedy who is already declaring himself the frontrunner. BayouBuzz tell us that: