Horses deserve a dignified end

Regarding Jeff Klinzman's guest column (“Horse slaughter: A humane necessity,” Sept. 26) in favor of horse slaughter: I agree that exporting horses from the U.S. to slaughter is tragic and inhumane.

However, rather than establish a domestic horse slaughter industry, we should not only ban horse slaughter in the U.S. but also their export for slaughter. The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, currently in Congress, would do just that.

Klinzman's appreciation for the horses he has worked with and cared for is obvious in his column. All horses deserve an equally dignified end.

Those who would establish a domestic commercial horse slaughter industry have made it clear that they would use the same acquisition and transportation infrastructure that exists today and a slaughter process closely modeled on that used for cattle - one that is demonstrably ill-suited to horses.

An inhumane death in a U.S. slaughterhouse following an east-west transport as opposed to an inhumane death in a Mexican slaughterhouse following a north-south journey is hardly an improvement.

The cost of humanely euthanizing a horse when necessary is part of the responsibility one takes on when owning a horse. The cost of disposing of a horse after euthanasia is no different from if the horse had died a natural death. We don't excuse irresponsible care of other animals, why should we do so with horses?

Bernie Lettington

Cedar Rapids