Today, Equine Advocates and HORSEPOWER honored five New York State lawmakers with Special Equine Protection Awards for their outstanding work to successfully pass legislation banning the slaughter of horses (and all equines) for human and animal consumption. We presented awards to Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Senator Michelle Hinchey, and Assemblymember Gary Pretlow in the Legislative Office Building in Albany, NY. We also honored Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Donna Lupardo. We can’t thank these these individuals enough for helping New York set the gold standard for anti-horse slaughter legislation in the nation.

Susan Wagner and Karin Carreau-Spencer, head of HORSEPOWER, in a joint statement about these special awards say, “The long fight to end the slaughter of horses in New York took tremendous dedication and work. Now it is time to celebrate, recognize and express our gratitude to these wonderful lawmakers on behalf of horse lovers all across this great state for making history and finally getting this done. Bravo!”

New York’s horse slaughter ban was signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on December 13, 2023, and it went into effect on April 11, 2024.

Here are some comments from these lawmakers and well-deserved honorees:

“As someone who grew up with a love for horses, I was proud to help pass anti-slaughter legislation to ensure that in New York, these incredible animals are protected” said Senator Michelle Hinchey, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. “I’m honored to be selected as one of this year’s recipients of the Special Equine Protection Award, and I thank Equine Advocates and HORSEPOWER, INC. for their work to support and protect equines across the state.”

“Banning horse slaughter, assuring implementation and holding bad actors accountable was a long time in the making and I’ve been honored to be a leader in such efforts and remain committed to future efforts,” said Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Racing and Wagering.

“After nearly 20 years of carrying this important bill, I am thrilled that New York has finally put an end to the horse slaughter pipeline that has run through our state,” said Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation. “I am humbled to receive this honor, but this was a team effort. This achievement would not have been possible without my colleagues, particularly Assemblymembers Lupardo and Pretlow and Senator Addabbo; and especially the persistence of advocates for equines across New York.”