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In the latest in a series of blows to the foreign-owned horse slaughter
industry, a federal district court ordered March 28 a shut-down of a U.S.
Department of Agriculture program that allowed the slaughter of American
horses for human consumption to be paid for by the slaughter houses. The
program was put into place shortly after Congress voted in 2005 to cut federal
funding for inspections of horsemeat.
The Humane Society of the United States was the lead plaintiff in the case,
and it is asking USDA secretary Mike Johanns to immediately withdraw all
inspectors from the three remaining horse slaughter plants in the United
States to comply with the court’s order.
“This latest ruling restores the will of Congress and should shut
down all three U.S. horse slaughter houses,” said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS
president and CEO.
In January, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous opinion
upholding a Texas state law banning the sale of horsemeat. Two of the three
slaughter plants in the U.S. are located in Texas. The third plant is located
near DeKalb, Ill., and last week a committee of the Illinois legislature
approved legislation to ban horse slaughter by a vote of 8-4.
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