by John Doe 36 Replies latest jw friends
I find many of the reponses here very disturbing. Would you slaughter a cat or a dog that was starving? I have a friend that takes in abused and abandoned horses, and rehabs them.
Here is her webpage of saved rehabed horses. If you have the time please take a look. From near death back to absolutely breathtaking animals.
http://www.devonbelanger.com/website/optional/OurRescueHorses.html
Thanks. r.
Would you slaughter a cat or a dog that was starving? I
Yes, I would.
From an attorney on another site who works on animal rights issues. I can word it no better, so I'll post his thoughts:
I don't really see what the objection would be. You have these horses, they are unwanted, wasting away, and presumably suffering, so you have two choices:
1. Euthanize them, as you would a pet.
2. Slaughter them (humanely, etc.), and utilize the remains for some socially productive purpose.
So pick one.
You will notice the absence of the usual third option: place them in a horse rescue organization, either for re-homing or to live out their days in a pastoral setting. I don't view this as a viable large-scale solution for horses any more than I do for the more traditional companion animals. On a small scale, to the extent that dedicated groups and volunteers are able to provide the necessary facilities and care, go for it. Farm sanctuary places are living reminders that consumption comes at a cost. Sometimes seeing first-hand the lives that were spared makes us just a bit more mindful of how we consume the products derived from the lives that were not.
I don't foresee horses becoming a food source in this country, ever. There is just too much psychological baggage attached to horses for that to happen. That said, most of my belts and all of my gunleather is horsehide...and I sleep OK at night.
In my animal law capacity, I have far less of a beef (no pun intended) with slaughter and consumption than I do with it in the factory farming/mass-scale slaughter context. The laws in my state are actually pretty good regarding companion animal abuse, neglect, and proper care, and we're seeing improvements in enforcement. What is lacking tends to be on the federal Animal Welfare Act side of the coin. But that's a different discussion altogether.
What I try to have is a level of compassion for the dignity of living beings of all sorts to live and die in a decent fashion. Starving in a guy's field, because he ran out of money to feed you, is not a decent life or death for a horse. Being abused or exploited is not a decent life. Being confined to an unnatural and unduly small space is not a decent life. Being used to test cosmetics or household chemicals or some other crap we know full damned well shouldn't be ingested or put in one's eyes is not a decent life.
Contrast that with a deer that spends its days in the woods and fields until, early one November morning, a shot rings out and it drops to the ground, dead, soon to become the focus of many family meals for a reverent hunter and his/her family...there is dignity in that life. Ditto for the trout that gets caught in the afternoon and cooked over a campfire as the sun sets. Even livestock, cared for properly and given adequate space to do the things that come natural to them, can experience a life of dignity.
Obviously, I don't fit in well with the majority of the PETA/AnimalRights crowd. I think it is a question of minimizing harm and maximizing respect, rather than the plants-only perspective that so many others advance. The sad part is that there a lot of people like me, yet most are afraid to open their mouths around others who take animal welfare seriously for fear of the most petty sort of retribution, so our position goes largely unheard within our community and in the broader society.
Anyway, that's my 2c.
I've eaten donkey and it was excellent; I would have no qualms eating horse. It is possibily healthier than beef; at least the donkey I had was lean.
With respect to the OP, there was a recent scandal in my own neck of the woods with an animal sanctuary for abandoned animals that started killing animals it thought were expendible even though they were not sick and it was the mission of the sanctuary to care for the animals (and on that condition that many have donated their horses and other lifestock to them).
Hard times for all apparently.
We slaughter thousands of cows every day, I imagine people from India might think that pretty barbaric, and cruel. As long as it's done humanely the owners should be allowed to send their horses to slaughter.
It's bad enough when humans have to pay for other human's mistakes, but when helpless animals suffer and/or get destroyed because of people's negligence, it makes it all the worse.
It seems to me that the Horses can be sent to areas in the wild where there is enough food to eat and graze, and can be at peace in an area without humans. There are Animal refuges and rescues that can prepare wildlife to survive on its own without the help of people.
And, the people that leave their Animals to die because they no longer want them or can't afford them, need to be prosecuted. A lot of times, if they really cared about their Animals, they could change their own lifestyles to be able to facilitate the care of their pets who rely on them. What happened to personal responsibilty?
animals is animals...i respect those that feel differently and only eat plants...but i like to grill meat, fish, and plants........oompa
Let me say this, I am shocked at the level of cold hearts against suffering animals, including talking about eating them. Donkeys, horses, etc.
Whats next, dogs and cats? I would not be suprised.
A lack of human compassion for our animal friends eventually reflects a lack of compassion for suffering humans. If you can make your heart cold enough in one area, you can get just as cold in another. It's the reason animals are used for testing, butchered for their skins, tusks, and organs for supposed sexual inhancemet in other parts of the world.
They are considered worthless alive.
How sad so many people here feel the same.
I hope you enjoy your horse and donkey meat. (GAG)
r.
restrangled...are you a vegan?.....oompa
restrangled, you seem to be suffering from a disconnect from reality. Humans eat animals--we're not herbivores. Furthermore, consumption of animals is present throughout the animal kingdom.
Additionally, many here are making the point that banning slaughterhouses is greatly increasing the suffering of animals, calling into question the banners's motives.
