 |
| iStockphoto.com |
| American horses are safe from slaughter |
by Kathy Covey
The United States became a safer, more humane place for horses March 28 when a court decision effectively shut down the last operation slaughtering horses for human consumption.
U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted a request by The HSUS to halt the U.S. Department of Agriculture's indirect participation in the slaughter. The 51 page ruling [PDF] calls for the USDA to immediately stop conducting inspections of horses at slaughter facilities. Read a summary of the ruling [PDF].
The ruling puts an end to a scheme by slaughter houses to pay to have USDA inspectors visit. The scheme was put into place shortly after Congress voted, in 2005, to cut federal funding for inspections of horse meat.
|
Save America's Horses |
|
The need for a federal ban on horse slaughter is greater than ever. We have just a few months to make this victory permanent, as the current limit on funding is in place only until the end of September. Act now to help secure a permanent, federal ban. |
The court decision comes just days after The HSUS filed a notice of intent to sue the DeKalb, Ill. slaughter house for dozens of violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
For the first time in years, trucks loaded with horses intended for slaughter are now being turned away from the DeKalb plant. The HSUS is preparing a team to provide a safe haven for horses already loaded on trucks headed for the Illinois slaughter house.
