WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauds the U.S. Congress for voting to prohibit the use of tax dollars to inspect U.S. horse slaughter facilities, reinstating a ban on domestic horse slaughter for the 2014 fiscal year, and thanks President Barack Obama for signing this measure into law.

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ASPCA President & CEO Matt Bershadker said, "This clear message from Washington echoes the opinions of an overwhelming number of Americans from coast to coast: horse slaughter is abhorrent and unacceptable. We thank Congress and the administration for halting efforts to resume horse slaughter on U.S. soil, and urge them to maintain this growing momentum by swiftly passing the SAFE Act, permanently closing the loophole that still allows horses to be exported for slaughter. Horse slaughter is inhumane, whether here or abroad, and a lasting end to this reckless practice is the only just solution."

While the provision in the FY 2014 spending bill, spearheaded by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and the late Bill Young (R-Fla.), protects American communities from the devastating environmental and economic impact of horse slaughter facilities, it does not prohibit the transport of U.S. horses for slaughter across the border to Canada and Mexico. To address this issue, Sens. Landrieu and Graham, and Reps. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (S. 541/H.R. 1094)—bipartisan legislation that would end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA®Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation's leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

SOURCE ASPCA

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