U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo in Albuquerque, N.M., threw out a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States, Front Range Equine Rescue and several other animal protection groups on Nov. 1. The lawsuit, filed in July, was seeking to block horse slaughter on the basis that the environmental impact hadn’t been properly considered.
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials approved the opening of a new equine slaughterhouse in New Mexico on June 28. The approval, a grant of inspection, was issued to Valley Meats Company in Roswell, N.M., and a second approval was issued to Responsible Transportation of Sigourney, Iowa, on July 2. USDA officials stated they expect to approve other applications soon.
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted on June 13 to eliminate funding for federal meat inspections at horse slaughter facilities. If it makes its way through the entire legislative process, this would effectively stop efforts to resume horse slaughter in the United States.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., and Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., forbids the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect horse-processing plants in the 2014 fiscal year.
On March 12, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports Act, which would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States and prohibit the transport, export or import of horses intended for slaughter or horsemeat.
Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal signed HB 122 into law March 9. The law provides the Wyoming Board of Livestock with three options to deal with abandoned, stray, feral or abused animals which enter into their jurisdiction. The Board may take the animal to public sale, which was the only option prior to this legislation, or may now send the animal to slaughter or destroy the animal.
The Board of Livestock is working in conjunction with The United Organizations of the Horse to execute this law.
Beginning July 31, 2010, all horses slaughtered for human consumption in Canada must arrive at the slaughterhouse with an Equine Information Document according to a new mandate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The EID will positively identify the horse with a photo and a description and will also contain a record of medications administered to the horse for at least the previous six months. The owner must sign off on this document.
Two provisions in a new piece of government legislation will directly affect horse welfare and horse slaughter in the United States. On Oct. 8, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives approved the final version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2997).
This bill addresses concerns about horse welfare after the last of three U.S. horse slaughter facilities closed in 2007.
Two provisions in a new piece of government legislation will directly affect horse welfare and horse slaughter in the United States. On Oct. 8, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives approved the final version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R.2997).
The only horse slaughter plant currently operating in the United States is in DeKalb, Ill., but that may soon change as a bill to outlaw horse slaughter for human consumption in Illinois goes to the Governor Rod Blagojevich to sign.
On Wednesday, May 16, the senate voted 39-16 to stop Cavel International from continuing to slaughter horses and ship their meat overseas. A spokeswoman for Blagojevich said he is likely to sign the bill but must review it first.
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