Court Blocks Missouri Horse Slaughter Plant
Front Range Equine Rescue Press Release Sept 20, 2013
A U.S. District Court judge in New Mexico issued a temporary restraining order to block federal inspections at a Missouri horse slaughter plant, in response to a motion filed by The Humane Society of the United States and Front Range Equine Rescue, along with other horse protection organizations and several individuals. Earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced imminent plans to provide inspections at the Missouri plant Rains Natural Meats, which would allow the facility to begin slaughtering horses for human consumption.
“This is a temporary but important reprieve for horses,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior vice president of animal protection litigation for The HSUS. “The horse slaughter industry is a predatory enterprise that buys up young and healthy horses and kills them to sell the meat to Europe and Japan. We will continue to make the case that the U.S. should reject this industry, just as we would reject a slaughter industry for dogs or cats gathered up under false pretenses and killed as a food export commodity.”
This order comes on the heels of a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico granting a motion filed in July by The HSUS and Front Range to temporarily block similar inspections that USDA had authorized at horse slaughter facilities in New Mexico and Iowa. That temporary injunction remains in place pending the court’s consideration of a lawsuit filed by The HSUS and Front Range alleging that USDA violated the National Environmental Policy Act by authorizing inspections without conducting the necessary environmental review.
Shirley Mix
It is a terrible thing to kill something that has done so much to help humans in their quest for movement
from East to West. And many other things that are too numbers to list.
mary Gardner
So sad please help stop this!!
Sue Wallis Lies
Good!
Arlene
I want to hear all Horse slaughter is stopped for ever !!!!!!!!!
Judy Wendt
I second that sentiment, Arlene.
D.K.
I hope that this plant in Gallatin never opens.
Horses being shipped for slaughter are not required to have health certificates. This means all types of diseases could enter our state. The USDA has no business getting mixed up in this!
Furthermore, there are over 100 equine drugs that we (the collective horse owners) give our horses that make them unfit for human consumption.
Also, I would be worried about horse thieves stealing my horses for slaughter since we no longer allow hangings for horse thieves.
Finally, slaughter houses want the healthy horses and never the old or sick horses. These are horses that could benefit the community as therapy horses for children and veterans.
Marion Mohrman
I hope that this plant in Gallatin never opens.
John
Thank God,for each victory,small,and large–All slaughter of all animals for whatever reason needs to END, on the 6th day of Creation, God gave dominion–NOT the green light for abuse, destruction, or profit.Only for stewardship, and protection and respect for what HE created, and entrusted to man to preserve
Sally Pool
Many years ago I belonged to a group in Mo called MASH,
Stands for Missourians against slaughtering horses.
We finally got the plant shut down by videoing them dumping blood in the river.
They would also kill the pregnant mares and throw the foals on the dirt to die.
Disgusting people and barbaric practices. This thing needs to stop and we need to keep them from transporting them across
the borders as well.
jfinch
Agreed 100% Sally. Those idiots that say, “At least it would be under the watchful eye of the USDA and done a lot better than in Mexico,” have no idea what the US slaughterhouses were like. Dallas Crown was pure hell for a horse the moment they got off the trailer. Nothing but psychopaths who hated horses and pretty much all living things worked there. “Better in the US” simply means the psycho cowboys get more money.
Sue Sinden
We need to shut this down forever!!! Horrible way to die!! I would rather put a horse down by injection that have them experience this!!!
karen
I have the same concern as DK – my horses being stolen for slaughter. Many if not most boarding stables have no security at night. Horses in pasture, same thing. I find this very scary!