Urge Congress to Cosponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act
Dear John,
The bipartisan Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 4241) has been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives. Led by Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Dina Titus (D-NV), this legislation would prohibit the interstate transport of horses in a motor vehicle containing two levels stacked on top of one another.
The measure would ensure that horses are not hauled in double-deck trailers, which are designed for shorter animals. Such vehicles fail to provide enough space for horses to stand in a natural position with their head raised. The US Department of Agriculture itself recognizes the inhumane nature of transporting horses using double-deck trailers, noting that these vehicles "do not provide adequate headroom for equines" and that trailers with "two or more permanent levels" simply cannot "accommodate adult equines, especially tall equines."
No horse should have to endure a long journey unable to stand upright and in a cramped position that can cause permanent injury. These trailers, when crammed with horses, are also unsafe on the road--they have been involved in several horrific traffic accidents, resulting in severe injuries and the brutal deaths of many horses. |