The spending bill passed yesterday by the House and Senate includes a provision to stop efforts at resuming horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States. The Humane Society, which opposed slaughter, supports this move. Eighty percent of American oppose the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement, "we Americans care for horses, we ride horses, and we even put them to work. But we don't eat horses in the United States. And we shouldn't be gathering them up and slaughtering them for people to eat in far-off places. We stopped slaughtering horses on U.S. soil in 2007, and it's the right policy to continue that prohibition." Sponsors of the amendment include Representatives … [Read more...]
Iowa Company Drops Horse Slaughter Plans
Responsible Transportation has dropped its plan to slaughter horses at its facility in Sigourney, Iowa following a a federal judge's injunction of the practice while a legal challenge raised by animal rights groups plays out in court. The company, one of two nationwide that were granted federal permits for horse slaughter, couldn't afford another delay and now plans to focus on beef, the company's president, Keaton Walker, told the Associated Press. Valley Meat Co. of Roswell, N.M., the other company that was granted a permit, has not announced a change of plans. Although selling horse meat in the U.S. is not legal, these companies could export the meat for sale in other countries. Horse slaughter, which has been banned in the U.S. since 2006, was set to begin again this summer in Iowa … [Read more...]
Horse Slaughter on Hold as Animals Rights Groups Raise Legal Challenge
Horse slaughter, which has been banned in this county since 2006, was set to begin again this summer in Iowa and New Mexico. But a federal court has issued a 30-day injunction as a lawsuit filed in July by Front Range Equine Rescue, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and other horse advocates works its way through the court system.When the 30 days is up, the court will decide whether or not to extend the order. Horse meat processed at the Iowa and New Mexico plants cannot be sold as human food in the U.S. But it can be processed for export at facilities where no other animals are slaughtered and no other meat is processed. “We’ve won a temporary but life-saving reprieve for horses, and it’s good news indeed that the kill boxes in New Mexico and Iowa will be empty of … [Read more...]
Valley Meats in NM Gets USDA OK for Horse Slaughter
Horse slaughter is set to begin at Valley Meats Co. in Roswell, NM and facilities in Missouri and Iowa will be approved in the coming days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA's FSIS). The agency issued Valley Meats a grant of inspection clearing the way for the company to become the first facility to slaughter horses in the U.S. since the practice was banned in 2006. In 2006, Congress withdrew funding for inspectors at horse slaughtering facilities creating a de facto ban. The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) requires federal inspection of animals slaughtered for human food. The funding was briefly restored in the 2012 budget but not included in 2014 budget, so what will happen with Valley Meats and the other facilites is … [Read more...]
White House Budget Has No Funding for Horse Slaughter Inspection
The White House 2014 budget does not have any funding for horse slaughter inspection. There is no money available to inspect horse meat under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act, or the Code of Federal Regulations. This will prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption in this country. There has been a ban on horse slaughter in this country since 2006, but a rider that prevented the USDA from financing the inspection of horse meat was let expire in 2011. Horse meat has been in the news since a European scandal this winter which revealed that horse DNA was found in some products labeled beef that were sold in the UK and other countries. The problem with horse meat is that the animals can be drugged with hormones and other … [Read more...]
Oklahoma OKs Horse Slaughter
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has signed into law a bill that legalizes processing horse meat for export. Oklahoma is one of several states moving to legalize horse slaughter now that the federal ban on it has been lifted. From 2006 to 2011, Congress withheld funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to inspect horse meat, creating a de facto ban on horse slaughter in the U.S. During the ban, some horses were shipped to Mexico or Canada for slaughter, others were abandoned by their owners who thought it too costly to transport them, according to a report form the Government Accountability Office. “Unfortunately, the 2006 federal ban on horse processing plants has made this situation worse. After the implementation of that ban, the Government Accountability Office reported a … [Read more...]
