The resumption of commercial horse slaughter in the United States was blocked on Friday, January 17, when President Obama signed a congressional budget bill that removed funding for USDA inspection of horse slaughter plants. This action on the part of Congress and the President effectively takes horse slaughter in this country off the table for now.
Horse Slaughter
10th Circuit Allows Horse Slaughter Plants to Commence Operations
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter
In an order dated December 13, 2013, a copy of which can be downloaded here, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied an emergency motion for injunction pending appeal filed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups. The motion sought to halt horse slaughter…
Humane Society, et al File Appeal after Federal Judge Dismisses Horse Slaughter Suit
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter
As discussed in this prior post, the Humane Society of the United States and a variety of other groups and individuals brought suit to permanently enjoin the slaughter of horses at two plants that had been granted Food Safety Inspection Service permits.
On November 1, 2013, after originally granting a temporary injunction staying operations…
Federal Court Blocks Horse Slaughter at Two Plants
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter
On August 2, 2013, judge Christina Armijo of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque granted a 30-day temporary restraining order preventing the commencement of horse slaughter at two plants—Valley Meat Co. LLC in Roswell, New Mexico and Responsible Transportation in Sigourney, Iowa.
Earlier this summer, both of those…
Why Banning Horse Slaughter is Such a Terrible Idea
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Legislation
Author’s Note: This post is purely editorial in nature. The views expressed in this post are 100% mine. I have not canvassed my clients or the other members of my firm to get their take on horse slaughter, nor do I intend to do so. My views are not necessarily the views of my clients, my firm, or …
Current Status of Federal Laws Affecting Horse Slaughter
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Legislation
I have been working on a post outlining my personal stance on whether horse slaughter should be resumed in the United States. Last week, we discussed the legal history of horse slaughter in Texas. To provide a more complete backdrop for my upcoming post, I am providing for you this week a summary of federal laws addressing…
Legal Background of Horse Slaughter in Texas
By Alison Rowe on
Did you know that horse slaughter for human consumption has technically been illegal in the State of Texas from 1949 to the present? The laws surrounding horse slaughter in the United States are complicated, and they vary from state to state. Below is an overview of the legal history of horse slaughter in Texas, from 1949 to…
Horse Slaughter Among Agenda Items at Texas Senate Committee Meeting
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Legislation
The Texas Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs met this Tuesday to discuss, among other things, the impact of to the closure of horse slaughter facilities on the agricultural sector of the Texas economy. A copy of the meeting notice can be downloaded here.
The Committee heard both invited and public testimony on the…
Horse Slaughter Legislation Update
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Legislation
As of this week, a New Jersey bill prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption has passed both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. If Governor Chris Christie signs the bill, New Jersey will become the fifth state to proscribe horse processing within its borders. California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois have enacted legislation prohibiting horse processing…
U.S. Supreme Court says States Cannot Regulate Activities at Slaughter Plants
By Alison Rowe on
Posted in Agencies & Organizations, Horse Slaughter
On January 23, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that while states may be able to enact laws banning the slaughter of horses, states cannot impose their own laws governing how animals are handled and processed at federally-regulated slaughterhouses. A link to the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion can be found here.
This opinion was…