On January 25, Representatives Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Ed Withfield (R-KY) introduced H.R. 297, legislation that will repeal the last minute amendment slipped into the 2005 Consolidated Appropiations Bill by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) last November that allows the commercial sale of wild horses, thus opening the door for long protected wild horses to be slaughtered.

H.R. 297 would restore the ban on the commercial sale of wild free-roaming horses and burros granted by Congress 33 years ago through the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The bill has recently been referred to the House Committee on Resources.

A Senate version of H.R. 297 has been introduced last March 9 by Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV). The Senate bill, S. 576, would restore the federal protection for wild horses removed from the WFHBA by the Burns' Amendment in the same way as H.R. 297. more >>

Immediate action is needed in order to ensure the passage of this vital legislation.

See actual bill, H.R. 297.

How you can help
Contact your US Representative and ask him to cosponsor H.R. 297. You may also contact all the members of the House Committee on Resources and request that they cosponsor this legislation and urge them to quickly bring it to public hearing.

Download list of members of the House Committee on Resources with phone and fax numbers.

To find out who your Representative is, visit Contacting Congress or Congress.org

Written letters and faxes are much more effective than emails. Phone calls are also a good way to contact your legislators.

Also, contact your two US Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 576, the Senate version of H.R. 297.

Don't forget as well to request your Representative to cosponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503), which will ban the slaughter of horses, both domestic and wild.

It is very important as well to get the word out about this legislation. Contact your local and state newspapers, TV and radio stations about H.R. 503 and horse slaughter. Writing letters to the editor to your area's newspapers is an excellent way to inform the public. Links to local, state and national media can be found at Newslink.org.

Additional information on H.R. 297
Wild Horse Preservation
SAPL

Background information on horse slaughter
http://www.horse-protection.org
http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm
http://www.justsaywhoa.org

Take action to end horse slaughter
You can learn more on horse slaughter and how you can help on the Against Horse Slaughter Yahoo group. Join now!

You can also join us on the Habitat for Horses Members' Against Horse Slaughter forum.

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