A Letter from Willie Nelson

Posted Nov 11th 2007 4:30AM by TMZ Staff

Willie Nelson

Dear Friends,

Our horses need your help! Join my family, Bo Derek, the Barbi Twins and a host of others in the fight to save our horses.

Horses are living legends of American History yet we continue to slaughter over 100,000 horses annually. Thanks to Animal Welfare Institute, (AWI), U.S. slaughterhouses were closed down. However, the cruel business of slaughter continues by crowding horses in trailers for over 700 miles to Mexico and Canada, without food or water. These plants in Mexico are killing the horses savagely, by multiple stabbings until they drop to their knees in order to slit their throats, causing them to suffer slow painful deaths.

Once again, it's time to flood the phone lines and emails of our legislatures. Ask them to co-sponsor and demand a vote on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R.503/S. 311).

Come join us on Capitol Hill, November 13th and 14th to support this bill. For more information visit www.awionline.org and to find your member of congress go to www.compassionindex.org/search.htm. If you would like to join me in adopting a horse please visit www.habitatforhorses.org.

Aloha and Peace,
Willie Nelson

Amy Nelson

Filed under: Music, Critters

Comments [38]

Digg it Del.icio.us My Yahoo Sphere RSS MySpace Permalink Email

Reader Comments

(Page 3 of 3)Previous 15 Comments

31. I am so excited to read this, I have sent a number of emails to Ellen's show, since she is a huge animal supporter, asking to give this attention. I've emailed my congressman - nothing back from him. I will show this to everyone I know to get involved. If you were to see pictures or video of this, you would know this is purely Hell on Earth for these unfortunate beautiful creatures. They are slaughtered in the most inhumane way. Thanks Wilie and all the other supporters!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 9:26AM on Nov 13th 2007 by gingersnap

32. DON'T BE FOOLED!! Read the legislation for yourself before backing this ridiculous bill!
The way this is written American equestrian's will not be able to compete internationally!!
This includes the Pan Am games and any Olympic events!!!!! It doesn't only include the slaughter of horses!! You gotta wonder about the IQ of the congressmen and women.

Posted at 3:46PM on Nov 13th 2007 by amy

33. Thank you Willie for your thoughtful and truthful information about horse slaughter. You are absolutely correct about this issue. The horrific practice advocated by the AVMA must be stopped. The AVMA by any standard is pro-slaughter and this organization does not rise to the level of "expert" by any stretch of the imagination. We must stop the transportation of our American horses across both borders. Call your representative and both senators and urge them to co-sponsor HR 503 and S311. The AVMA is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the slaughter industry. Save our horses.

Posted at 10:25PM on Nov 13th 2007 by Facts

34. Please remind voters and congressmen that theAmerican horses that are slaughtered in Mexico and Canada for human consumption in foreign countries are not feeding the poor nor ridding the US of sick , old or unwanted horses. Most of the horses come from breeding horse farms that are nothing more than the equine version of a puppy mill. When killers stop paying hundreds of dollars for their cast-offs these "breeders" will quit over-breeding.

Posted at 11:03AM on Nov 16th 2007 by Betty Wilkinson

35. Thank you Willie for all your help and support. It's wonderful to see a good man can't be kept down. I also want to thank your daughter and Bo for all the support they have given our horses, you and the rest of us horse lovers. With high hopes of opening my own horses (small!) in the next year - praying for my grant to go through. Take care, have a Blessed Life and thanks again.

Posted at 5:10PM on Nov 16th 2007 by Cathy

36. I saw the other day on a Spanish TV station the absolutely brutal way these horses are treated. It was horrible. I applaud Willie Nelson for using his celebrity to try and stop this horrific act.

Posted at 8:28AM on Nov 18th 2007 by Cristy

37. Regarding comment #32 again not true, your info is false false false. Stop trying to spread false inforamtion regarding the bill.

Posted at 1:29AM on Dec 3rd 2007 by Laura Boothby

38. Hey you guys! It's obvious that you all love and respect horses and really care about their lives ending with diginity. There's no reason to be calling each other names!
I don't know how to decipher congressional bills, and if you do more power to you!
But I do know, having had it happen to me as a child, that horses do die. We called our local slaughterhouse to take away the half ton carcass, being unable to handle an on the spot burial...or what? Cremation? Exactly what is the financially viable solution that should be implemented when one of your horses dies? Or you can't afford hay anymore and it's too old to sell and the humane society would get on your case if you starve it? Can only the very wealthy keep horses because they are the only ones who can afford to send it to a spa-death?
Horses have been farm animals for as long as there have been farms. Humane treatment is laudable and desireable of course. But how many of you guys have followed the whole process from ownership to disposal of the half ton carcass? How many of you have heard from the BLM about how many unwanted horses are dumped on governament land to starve to death? Is that preferable?I don't know the answer to these questions, and if you do I want to hear from you!

BTW. Jen's show is a great show and a credit to the radio station.

Posted at 2:42PM on Dec 29th 2007 by Lisa

Previous 15 Comments