Wild horses at Return to Freedom’s San Luis Obispo satellite sanctuary. Photo by Irene Vejar.

Update: On April 9, AB 128 passed out of the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee on a 10-1 vote.

Almost 82,000 American horses, domestic and wild, were shipped to Mexico and Canada. Horses from California were among them despite the 1998 passage of Prop. 6, which made illegal the transportation of California horses to other states and countries for slaughter as well as banning both horse slaughter for human consumption and the sale of horsemeat in the state.

Assemblymember Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, has introduced new legislation, Assembly Bill 128, intended to strengthen California’s anti-horse slaughter law.

The bill would: clarify that it is unlawful for any person to have, import, export, sell, buy, give away, hold or accept any horse in California for any commercial purpose, including but not limited to human consumption; require the minimum bid for all horses sold at public or private auctions is set above the current slaughter price; require any person purchasing a horse at auction to sign a sworn statement acknowledging that state law prohibits the sale or resale for slaughter for any commercial purpose.

Take Action

California residents: Send a message urging your Assemblymember to support Assembly Bill 128.