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Illinois horse slaughter ban stands up in court.

A decision by U.S. District Court judge Frederick J. Kapala upholding a new Illinois law that prohibits the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the law, which took effect immediately, on May 24. Shortly thereafter, Cavel International, the nation's only remaining horse slaughter facility, filed suit seeking to block enforcement of the law.  

Earlier this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a similar effort by the horse slaughter industry to overturn Texas' law banning the possession of horse meat for human consumption. 

The district court rejected each and every one of Cavel's legal claims, for substantially the same reasons provided by the Fifth Circuit in the Texas case.

"Today's court decision should signal the end of the line for the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry in the United States," said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of animal protection litigation for The HSUS. "Two federal courts have now made clear that horse slaughter must end.  Now it's up to Congress to finish the job and protect American horses from being exported to foreign abattoirs in Canada and Mexico for human consumption overseas."

In his ruling, Judge Kapala concluded that the Illinois law falls well-within the state’s authority to legislate for the protection of people and animals because “the Illinois General Assembly could have reasonably concluded that, based on our cultural history, our society views horse, along with dogs, cats, and some other creatures, as companion animals” and it is therefore “cruel and immoral to slaughter horses for human consumption.”  

The HSUS is represented by Belgrade and O'Donnell, P.C. and Schiff Hardin LLP, who are providing pro bono legal services, as well as lawyers with The HSUS' animal protection litigation section.