An Army of Advocates Descending on Washington in Support of The Upcoming SAFE Food SAFE Horses Rally

Photos available: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cnxdevryp1bw07n/AABD3GgANOGeutm0XKKb83Oaa?dl=0

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2016 -- Food safety and equine advocates are joining together in the nation's capital to protest American horse slaughter, and show support for the SAFE Food SAFE Horses Coalition's march on Washington, DC. The rally will be held on September 22nd beginning at 10 AM in front of the USDA Whitten Building at 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW and proceed down Independence Avenue to the Capitol, http://www.yes2safe.org/news/safe-food-safe-horses-march-on-dc-2016. From the Center for Food Safety to wild horse advocates, the mission is to warn the public about the health risks associated with US-sourced horsemeat which enters the global food chain, as well as the indecent treatment the horses receive in route to slaughter outside our regulated borders. These issues go hand-in-hand with the current plight of America's wild mustangs who are also ending up in the slaughter plants in Mexico as the brutal war of extinction is being waged against them.

Over 80% of America is in the dark that our horses are still being slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands every year, and over 70% of the medications our horses receive are not FDA approved or are BANNED for food animals. This represents a grave threat to the food supply in light of escalating trends of global food adulteration & food fraud.

A variety of speakers from the coalition, which represents over 1.5 million people, will give voice to this movement along with other equine supporters who are assembling, wearing purple shirts to demonstrate their support of the SAFE ACT S1214/HR1942 and a Ban on Horse Slaughter, asking Congress to cease the unregulated export & slaughter of American horses, which would prevent contaminated, non-FDA approved meat from entering the global food supply. Currently 226 members of Congress support HR1942/S1214 the Safeguard American Food Export Act.

An estimated 150,000 American horses are shipped long distances across US borders to slaughter. These animals spending days without food or water, crammed tightly in large hauling commercial trucks, a nightmare situation before the brutal slaughter process even begins where they are rendered for food consumption. This exploding situation also leads to the spread of contagious diseases into the horse network. The horses found in the kill pens are often stolen property or sourced from classified horse-for-sale advertisements, livestock auctions and downsizing breeding or racing operations. America's horses are companion animals, athletes, performance horses, and have had frequent exposure to NON FOOD, equine-only approved medications that are not safe for human consumption and yet these horses end up in slaughter plants in Mexico and Canada via open borders for kill buyers.

SFSH (SAFE Food SAFE Horses) rally goals this September 22 in D.C.:

* Compel Congress to pass the pending SAFE Act S1214/HR1942 & ban horse slaughter.

*Alert Americans and all governments to the health risks associated with US-sourced horsemeat

*Expose the USDA which is allowing FDA companion animals (horses are highly medicated as athletes and performance investments) and NOT safe food.

*Expose the USDA which does not regulate this industry AT ANY LEVEL. Allowing for stolen horses, sick horses, race horses and all nonfood raised horses to enter GLOBAL food supply.

*Demand that Congress enforce the protections granted to America's iconic wild horses in 1971 - To STOP the land grab motivated by private interests.

*To educate the public that our horses, wild and domestic, are facing unprecedented horrors in their theft, their transport, their inhumane deaths at the hands of foreign butchers. The animal that helped us explore, form, build and create our wonderful country is suffering unspeakable horrors due to private and corporate greed. Our Congress has turned its back on our horses, in exchange for monetary contributions.

Find out how to help support this timely effort at www.Yes2SAFE.org
For more information on SAFE Food SAFE Horses and the September 22nd rally
Contact: Jane Blais, [email protected] or phone: 352 318 4602

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41231

CONTACT: Heather Freeman
         Media & Public Relations
         [email protected]