Advocates on both sides of the horse processing issue have posted petitions on a U.S. government website that allows the public to inform the Obama administration about issues important to them.

The We The People website allows the public to create petitions on a range of issues including agriculture, the economy, and the environment. Petitions that receive 5,000 signatures within 30 days of their posting, will be reviewed by the White House staff before being submitted to the appropriate policy experts for an official response.

A Sept. 22 petition posted on the site calls on the White House to restore humane horse slaughter on grounds that reestablishing horse processing in the U.S. will improve equine welfare and create jobs. Conversely, a petition posted on Sept. 23, asks the Obama administration to support passage of the bills, on grounds that banning horse processing in the U.S. would enhance equine welfare.

At press time on Sept. 30, the pro-slaughter petition had received 1,327 of the 5,000 signatures needed by Oct. 22 to warrant administration review and the anti-slaughter petition had posted 3,016 of the 5,000 signatures needed by Oct. 23