Whilst you feed your dogs meat you cannot criticise Knackers. Over here there is often a steady trade in horse meat, it cannot go alive out of the country unless valued at over $400. so we still have some control over the 'cruelty' aspect. Even so I have known standard Shetlands bought out of the yearly sale, going for an average of $200 for a licensed ( and Shetland licenses are like hens teeth) 39" stallion, that I would have been happier going to his death than the lives they were going to. These ponies were on the streets of Dublin for the Wednesday market, sold to the Tinker kids (Aaah- well, it's part of their culture!!) and being ridden round the streets the same day. Some of these animals were foals and still had the market stickers on them. Sometimes, just sometimes, they are better off dead!!!