Press Release from Animal’s Angels
Official inquiries at the Jerez horse slaughter plant in Mexico have been announced by the EU. After meeting with Animals’ Angels in November of last year, EU officials responded to our formal complaint regarding conditions and treatment of horses at slaughter plants in Mexico.
Both the Mexican Embassy and the Mexican Ministry of the Economy received courtesy copies of the recent letter announcing the investigation. EU authorities stated that AA’s complaint spurred the response.
In addition, the Mexican Department of Agriculture has been contacted and required to provide information regarding the official checks put in place at the plant verifying the adequate implementation of Council Directive 93/119/EC.
The EU response marks the first time the commission has initiated an investigation based on complaints from an animal welfare organization.
“As you know,” writes the EU Animal Health and Welfare Director, “the European Commission attaches great importance to animal welfare. Animals are recognized as sentient beings by Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union…”
The director goes on to state that after analyzing the Animals’ Angels report, they would consider such conditions at the Jerez plant as “not equivalent” to Article 13 requirements. Practices at the plant, such as “when unfit horses are dragged on the floor causing additional pain” [documented in Animals’ Angels investigation], would be clear violations of EU requirements.
EU rules are extremely strict in regard to animal welfare. An investigation of the Jerez horse slaughter plant by EU officials signals serious concern and will likely cause major changes in plant operations. The total revocation of the plant’s permit to export horse meat to EU countries is also possible.
The letter also addressed our concerns concerning drug residues in horse meat, acknowledging that the current system is inadequate. The EU is “currently in a process of strengthening the controls in the implementation of the Community legislation on residues,” the Animal Health and Welfare Director writes. An inspection mission to Mexico is planned.
These will not be the only challenges the Mexican plants and their Belgian owners are facing. In April, Belgium consumers were shocked by video reports of blatant cruelty at the plants. The reports, produced by GAIA and Animals’ Angels, received national news coverage. In the aftermath, several meetings with the largest grocery chains in Belgium and the Netherlands have taken place.
Pressured by a flood of letters from outraged consumers to their corporate headquarters, Delhaize has announced they will no longer accept horse meat from Mexico & Brazil. Makro & Colruyt have issued statements that they will not buy horse meat imported from outside Europe. Several other grocery concerns are considering similar steps.
Read more about the campaign in Belgium… What can we do? Tell the European Commission what you think! Please participate in the EU’s recently announced online survey and help improve EU policy on animal welfare. The survey ends on July 1, 2010 so please don’t delay. Do it today. Let them know how you believe EU policies should be re-evaluated.
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Congratulations Animal Angels and hats off to EU for looking tino this. And to Mexico for accepting the documents (they didn’t have to).
That video has caused me to boycott all tourism to Mexico or purchase of products from Mexico. One realilty check tells me though that Mexico has no animal cruelty laws or concerns, it is cultural. They now want to force horse tripping down our throats in some bizarre attempt to make it a racial predjudice thing. A whole other discussion.
Another reality check tells me that many, many countries that I buy from, and that I would love to visit have many various horrendous cutlural practices, including and far beyond animal cruelty.
The big reality check is that Mexico will continue horse slaughter whether EU buys or not. So, anyone new, hold on for a long fight.
This is a HUGE victory non-the less. It’s all about chisseling away and then holding ground – persistance and fortitutde, with a few, often very few, huge victories like this one along the way.
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What can we do? Send the European Commission the Bouvry Video and THIS:
Click to access FootageIndexBouvry.Final.pdf
If they can make it through both without puking, they have stronger stomachs than mine! Make sure to mention these horrors occurred in a nation that is part of the British Commonwealth, and prides itself on being civilized and humane.
I’m sure Mexico’s government and people claim these traits as well. I’d like to get some feedback from Mexican citizens after they’ve both seen the video and read the text.
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Just search Horse Tripping, Mexico Rodeos and Bull Fighting on the internet and You Tube. There are advocates from Mexico or Mexican decent promoting those in our country. There may be some movements in Mexico to become more humane towards animals, but not many and they are not very vocal, and that is their business with their animals anyway – but not with our animals. I get arguments that it is their culture and stay out of it – I agree and then I counter point – keep your culture of animal cruelty across the border and be happy – it is not our culture. This is not a racial profiling thing, as they try to argue. It is not about religion or ethnic origins, it is about our culture and not allowing inhumane practices into our country from elsewhere, from ANYWHERE.
I can’t watch Lindas link.
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The work that AA does is so, so critical. They do more than follow the equines. They do so much more.
Thank you AA USA….this is possibly a very big deal. Scum will find ways to continue, but this is huge and shows that a major market, which will also affect Canada is more thoroughly regulated than the Wild ,Wild West on Crack South of the Border is….and even Canada is screwed up. Can you imagine what Mexico is like?
Hey…you all have to listen to the jerks in Congress grill BP CEO Hayward (CNN, FOX, CSPAN). It is sickening. Some good questions? Yep, but the main culprit here is us, DOI….not the extraction trolls. They did what they did (or didn’t) because the were chronically allowed to.
But good news from AA…thanks Sonja and crew.
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Denise, I goofed. Se my reply intended to you above.
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Character is what one does without being told or when no one is looking.
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Believe me, I know about Mexico and lived in Central America for awhile. I’m not pleased what they do with their humans, much less their own animals for that matter, but this ugly is happening to OUR equines.
I don’t buy ANYTHING FROM MEXICO OR CHINA. Horse Slaughter is just an example of one. Read what happens to the equines that even Mexican EU sh*thouses won’t take after that horrendous journey. ….our magnificent equines treated like this brings heartbreak and sorrow that any decent human can’t ignore. But it does seem our Congress can ignore.
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Try to find a coffeemaker that wasn’t made in China! Let me know where to find.
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OMG, I started to watch the first video and could not get past two minutes. I can’t believe humans can act like this. Shutting the gate on that horse’s leg was incomprehensible. These are animals not men! And OUR horses are going down there.
I’m an 82 year old Grandmother. I sign the petitions and call the people involved here, and donate to two rescues; but my poor brain can’t take much more of this.
I just wish I could get more folks involved.
Keep up the effort R.T.
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I’ve suffered through a lot of these videos over the years because I feel I need to see what’s happening so I can describe it to others. But crushing that horse’s leg in that gate – that was the WORST. When I heard that bone crunch, I was sick. I don’t think I will ever get that sound out of my mind. I agree with you – WHAT are these creatures? They may look like humans but they are not like any humans I ever know. Monsters!
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FYI: Some of you already may have seen an HSUS video on TV that shows and talks about a white horse “slaughtered for its meat”, and a roan with a big gash on its face. This is the first time I’ve ever seen horse slaughter mentioned in any of their videos, but maybe I missed something.
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Mexico is known for animal cruelty!I rescue reptiles and iguanas are my passion.In some parts of Mexico they have finally gotten some protection but they are still regarded as bushmeat.Female iguanas that are gravid(carrying eggs)are captured and cut open alive to remove the eggs which are a delicacy and supposed to increase a man’s you-know-what and the still living animal with entrails hanging out is thrown back into the bush or they sow it up with thread in the belief that it will somehow survive that.This is done all over Central America.Although Mexico has a tradition of horsemanship,they see horses or animals as a resource and nothing else.But with pressure from outside,that might change.It was pressure like that that got the sea turtles some protection and iguanas some and some other species.Just keep up the phone calls and emails and letters!
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Tell the European Commission to be carefull when they go to the border in mexico to ‘inspect’ the horse slaughter house. More people have been killed in that border town with madmax like drug-lord fights than lost in the entire Vietnam war. Even the best hotel in Monterray, on a hill was just over run by some gang, they opened room doors and pulled out people they were ‘looking’ for and they found them after a while down a deep mineshaft along with about 50 other dead people.
The business/companies/ set-up by the border for the cheap-mexican labor support slaughterhouses for horses in the first place. One eu company which will I’m sure just move to canada after a while and the slaughterhouses will continue to butcher horses for cheap meat to feed the poor factory workers.
I lived in mexico city for a year and colombia sa for another year. Tell the eu to bring plenty of bribes and personal guards to mexico. They can ‘buy’ anything they want, even a perfect white glove ‘inspection’ of the slaughter plant.
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If they get out of Mexico0slaughter- I hope that European Commission doesn’t try to deal with old slaughterhouse sue and her 501c rescue slaughterhouse by railroad lines!
EU close YOUR slaughterhouse in mexico and don’t try to make deals with anyone in America. we do not want you in our country!!
AA rocks!!
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May any despicable so-called human being that deliberately harms a creation of the good Lord, face their Judgment Day as the bible predicts…EU close your ruthless slaughterhouse in Mexico and don’t try to make deals with anyone in America. We do not want you in our country!!
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Dispicable cruelty !!!!!! Please report all BLM misdeeds including sending wild horses to slaughter , 3 striking horses , BLM adoptees going to slaughter to : REPORT ALL DPT OF INTERIOR/BLM/MMS/USWS- LIES CORRUPTION ANIMAL ABUSE/ECOCIDE http://www.doioig.gov/hotline
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I am ashamed at how the human race can lower itself in their behaviour. I would love to load up these people and put them through exactly the same routine that these poor horses go through before they meet a terrible fate! Just give me ten mins with these people and a big stick and watch me go!!!!!
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Igoumenitsa Geek port. What is being done by the EU about the diabolical attrocious horrific transport of old and wounded horses from Greece and the Balkans into Italy to the salami meat factories. We europeans call ourselves civilised yet nowhere at any government levels are laws being passed and inforced making it a crime to commit such dreadful inhuman crueltieas to animals that spend their lives working for people and are practically a member of the family.
Do you also know that those horses who are not sent to Igoumenitsa are tied up with a short rope in the countryside to starve to death or be bitten to death by packs of dogs, or what is even easier to do with your beloved donkey that has carried the heavy loads for you all his life is to push him down a chasm in the mountains.
Dear friends of the horses if you are not dealing with this department would you please be so kind and pass this message on where it can have the most impact.
Yours sincerely Zasha v. G.
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Sorry but that video just pissed me off!!!
Those horses deserved to live **tearing**
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Congratulations. It is a great comfort to know that you exist in this world.
No wonder nobody belongs any more to the human race, since nobody’ s chakras are open , and as the greek philosopher Aristotle says in his book on Metaphysics there is an other race of inhuman beings who belong to another species that he calls two-legged monsters. They have taqken over the plaqnet and rule the world throu all these horific monstrosities.
The AA belong to the true human beings since you are fighting for the wellfare of the animals who are really holly because they have got all their chakras wide open.
The degenerating of the human race to the inhuman condition happens when because of the lack of Eros the chakras stop functioning completely.
Who on the highest EU animal wellfare level should be contacted in order to stop the nightmare that happens in Igoumenitsa Greece concerning the export of poor old or woundwd horses to Italy to become salami? How many die on the way?
Please try and do your excellent work you did to help the mexican horses.
\Zasha and Kostas, two true animal lovers.
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