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Community Corner

Governor Christie, The Champion of New Jersey's Horses?

When Governor Christie signed A.2023/S.1976 in September 2012, he appeared to many horse advocates and horse lovers to be the champion of all equines in the State of New Jersey. The kudos he received were well deserved, that is if one ignores the fact that horse slaughter is alive and well in the State at Bravo Meat Packing in Carney’s Point, “Specializing in Manufacturing Exotic Carnivore Diets Since 1960.” Regardless of repeated efforts made by various horse advocacy groups and individuals, Governor Christie continues to ignore the existence of an operation that starves, maims and ultimately slaughters horses in the State of New Jersey. Governor Christie was not the champion of all horses in New Jersey when he signed A.2023/S.1976. He certainly was not the champion of all horses when he signed a bill that prohibited the transport and slaughter of horses solely for human consumption. The following is a quote from Governor Christie taken from an article on www.examiner.com: “This bipartisan measure is a nod to our decency and respect for horses in our state, ensuring that no horse is slaughtered in New Jersey for human consumption. It also ensures that our highways will not be used to transport horses to slaughter in other states which have not enacted a similar ban on the practice." He was not the champion of the horses at Bravo packing who are slaughtered to be fed to the big cats at Great Adventure. Evidently, Governor Christie is unconcerned with the horses at Bravo, not their welfare, and most certainly not their slaughter. According to a reliable source, “Christie's rep personally told me that Christie will take zero responsibility for the bill's wording "oversight" and that he is not interested in shutting down Bravo Packing because "it's a small plant with smaller scale humane and sanitation issues that are not of his concern." The atrocities perpetrated on the horses at Bravo Meat transcend one’s worst nightmare. Monty Merola, a man who knew no compassion for horses but reveled in his self-appointed role as torturer and slaughterer, died of terminal throat cancer in 2009. Remaining members of the Merola family and employees still starve, torment, shoot and slaughter horses at Bravo Packing. While the language of the law mirrors that of the Safe Act (HR 1094/S.541), the bill which is presently awaiting passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, Governor Christie as well as Assemblyman Ronald Dancer(R) of Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Mercer Counties and Senator Raymond Lesniak (D) of Union County who introduced the bill most certainly must that been aware that a slaughter house was “processing” horses for the consumption of animals at Great Adventure. Is there a difference between killing a horse “for human consumption” rather than for “animal consumption?” Was the “bipartisan measure” a nod to decency and respect only for those horses at risk of human consumption? Yes, according the wording of the bill, now law. Clearly the intent of New Jersey law is commendable and addresses the need to eradicate the horrific transport and slaughter of American horses. What it does not do is to protect all horses from slaughter and that, given the existence of Bravo Meat, is unacceptable and it is the failure to protect these horses from slaughter that must be addressed. Thus, in order to demonstrate that he is an advocate for all of the horses in New Jersey, Governor Christie must put pressure on his state Senate and Assembly to present him with a bill for signature that dictates the closure of Bravo Meat .now. His signing of the original bill that become law in New Jersey appears not to have been motivated by a love of horses or compassion. Had it been, there would no longer be a Bravo Meat or horse slaughter in New Jersey. Until he steps up and ensures that a far more comprehensive law is on the books, one that prohibits the transport and slaughter of all horses in New Jersey Governor Christie is just as guilty of murdering horses for consumption by animals at Great Adventure as those who work at Bravo Meat Packing. Please call the Governor’s Office and make your voice heard. There is no place for a slaughter house, the starvation, torture and slaughter of horses in the State of New Jersey. (609) 292-6000 http://www.animalsangels.org/investigations/horses/bravo-packing-carney%... http://bravopacking.com/

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