Horse Processing Injunction Lifted

An emergency stay on domestic horse processing in the United States was lifted late Friday by the 10th federal appeals court in Denver, which means that horse processing plants could have FSIS inspectors in the very near future. The appeals court panel announced its ruling that animal rights groups had “failed to meet their burden of proof” necessary for continuing an injunction. Just last month the HSUS was granted the temporary emergency injunction continuing to prevent USDA inspections at processing plants that had been approved for horse slaughter. This now leaves just a couple of issues to be resolved on the state level which are expected to be cleared up in a matter of days. The New Mexico plant has been granted a waste water lagoon permit and the same is expected to transpire shorty for the plant in Missouri. HSUS has of course done its typical and stated that it will “continue to fight for America’s horses”. There’s no doubt that this volatile issue will continue to divide horse rescue and animal welfare groups, ranchers, politicians and Indian tribes about what is the most humane way to deal with the country's horse overpopulation and the rising number of neglected and starving horses around the country.