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As North Dakota officials prepare to look into the possibility of opening a horse slaughterhouse in the state, horse owners polled in a recent nationwide survey say the number of unwanted horses is increasing.
The survey, released on July 9 by the Unwanted Horse Coalition, polled more than 20,000 horse owners and about 2,200 rescuers and veterinarians with 87 percent of them saying unwanted horses have become a "big problem." Three years ago it was 22 percent.
The survey also found that 63 percent of horse rescue and retirement facilities are filled to capacity, with 38 percent of them turning away horses.
Why the influx? Amid the deepest recession since World War II, 81 percent of respondents said people could no longer afford their horses, which can carry an average annual price tag of $2,300.
The survey also found that 61 percent of horse owners say the closure of the only horse slaughterhouses in the United States is contributing to the perceived influx of unwanted horses.
Meanwhile, the North Dakota Legislature approved a $50,000 study this year for the Department of Commerce to test the waters for a potential horse slaughterhouse in the state.
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