Now that legislation has been signed lifting the federal ban on horse slaughter– the focus among horse groups is finding suitable plants for processing.
Sue Wallis, co-leader of United Horsemen and the International Equine Business Association, tells Brownfield they have a great network across the country looking for facilities in places where meat processing is common practice. They are considering, Wallis says, “Those facilities that are existing, that are already processing large mammals and that could be relatively, quickly, retrofitted for the unique characteristics of horses.”
Wallis says the horse processing facilities that were shuttered in 2007 when amendments passed banning the USDA from inspecting horse meat – will not be reopened because those states where they are located have passed laws banning horse slaughter (Texas, Illinois, California and Florida).
Once plants are in place, Wallis says, it’ll take years to recreate the market and reverse the damage done to the welfare of horses that have been left behind.
Wallis says, “When an industry takes as big and as deep and as hard of a hit that the horse industry has taken, it’s gonna take awhile.”
Wallis says the tide turned away from the animal rights/anti-slaughter movement when the Congressional G-A-O report this spring detailed the problems that were caused by the elimination of horse processing in the U.S. She believes that knowledge and understanding of the situation will prevent most other states from enacting horse slaughter bans in the future.
GAO Report: Unintended consequences from cessation of domestic horse slaughter
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Stolen horses don’t go to slaughter at least that is what the folks at Horse Grooming Supplies forum say. One poor lady is fearing the plant that they want to open in MO which is too close for her comfort.
Go ahead and battle with them, they attacked her just for being scared for her horses.
Sorry let me rephrase that, they say it isn’t common, it happens but they check for brands, chips etc