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sitaangelPosted on Tue, Mar. 14, 2006
Federal judge refuses to close horse slaughterhouses
BY BARRY SHLACHTER
Knight Ridder Newspapers
FORT WORTH, Texas - Groups opposed to horse slaughter suffered a setback
Tuesday when a federal judge in Washington refused to temporarily stop
equine processing at three Belgian-owned plants in Texas and Illinois.
In February, the groups filed a suit challenging fee-for-service
inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after Congress cut off
funding through September. They also requested an emergency order to
halt operations at the plants, which processed 94,037 head in 2005.
The Humane Society of the United States and three other groups said they
were disappointed by the judge's move Tuesday, saying, "We stand with
the majority of Congress and the American people who want our horses
protected, not butchered for French and Belgian dinner plates."
The plants - Beltex in Fort Worth, Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas, and
Cavel International in DeKalb, Ill. - said an amendment to an
appropriations bill never stopped horse slaughter, only the funding for
inspections until the end of the government's fiscal year.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found no grounds for an
injunction and noted that closing the plants would hurt hundreds of
workers as well as zoos that rely on USDA-inspected plants for some
animal diets.
"These radical (animal protection) groups are determined to stop the
meat-processing industry with whatever it takes - full-page ads in The
New York Times or filing frivolous lawsuits with no standing," said
Charlie Stenholm, a former Texas congressman who is now an industry
lobbyist. "I've not seen them put one penny of their money toward
actually caring for unwanted horses. It's a problem they'd like to sweep
away and pretend doesn't exist."
Meanwhile, Mark Calabria, an attorney for Dallas Crown, said that this
week he will appeal the unanimous decision by the zoning board in
Kaufman to order the 40-year-old plant closed because of neighbors'
complaints about foul smells.
The plant's parent corporation, Brussels-based Chevideco, owns similar
facilities in Argentina, Romania and New Zealand.
Judge won't stop slaughterhouses; appeal weighed
09:57 PM CST on Tuesday, March 14, 2006
By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON – In a major legal blow to horse advocates, a federal court
Tuesday refused to halt horse meat production at two Dallas-area
slaughterhouses and another in Illinois.
Congress cut off funding last fall for Agriculture Department
inspections of horses destined for the butcher shops and restaurants of
France, Belgium and a handful of other countries.
Animal-protection groups believed that would shut down the industry,
which processes 88,000 horses a year, on March 10. But slaughterhouses
offered to pay for the inspectors and the USDA agreed, arguing that
Congress only cut off funds – it didn't repeal the law requiring
inspection of animals meant for human consumption.
The animal advocates disputed that view and sued to stop the
fee-for-service plan. But Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly sided with the USDA, finding that Congress had taken
only
a "half-step" toward eliminating horse slaughter when it cut off
funding.
Horse lovers were disappointed and may appeal.
"Congress intended to stop horse slaughter by ending the funding for
horse slaughter," said Mike Markarian, vice president of the Humane
Society of the United States. "There's no American constituency for
horse slaughter. There's no American demand for horse meat. It's a
fringe industry, and it needs to go away."
Horse meat is not sold for human consumption in the United States, and
all three slaughterhouses are foreign-owned.
The judge found "strong arguments on both sides." But she dismissed two
of the three claims against the USDA, ruling that the animal-rights
groups lacked legal standing. She let the processing continue, at least
for now, though the Kaufman plant could be shuttered this year by local
officials who have deemed it a public nuisance.
"It is clear that the current process is, in many ways, less than
ideal,
bringing with it significant issues regarding the conditions which
these
horses face and the humaneness with which their lives are ended," the
judge wrote.
"On the other hand, the public certainly has an interest in ensuring
that meat and meat products produced in this country are 'wholesome,
not
adulterated, and properly marked, labeled and packaged,' " and in
protecting an export market.
A spokesman for the slaughterhouses, former Abilene Rep. Charlie
Stenholm, said the Humane Society "lost a very important battle today,
and animal agriculture won. These radical groups are determined to stop
the meat-processing industry with whatever it takes."
He argued that horse owners would face economic hardship if they lost
the option to sell unwanted animals. "No other suitable system exists
to
take care of these animals humanely," he said.
The court fight has brought to light details about the industry.
According to affidavits from company executives, Dallas Crown Inc. in
Kaufman exports 4,000 tons of horse meat for human consumption, and
sells 750 tons to U.S. zoos. Beltex Corp. in Fort Worth exports 5,000
tons and sells 1,000 tons to zoos. Cavel International Inc. in DeKalb,
Ill., exports 8,000 tons.
Federal judge refuses to close horse slaughterhouses
BY BARRY SHLACHTER
Knight Ridder Newspapers
FORT WORTH, Texas - Groups opposed to horse slaughter suffered a setback
Tuesday when a federal judge in Washington refused to temporarily stop
equine processing at three Belgian-owned plants in Texas and Illinois.
In February, the groups filed a suit challenging fee-for-service
inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after Congress cut off
funding through September. They also requested an emergency order to
halt operations at the plants, which processed 94,037 head in 2005.
The Humane Society of the United States and three other groups said they
were disappointed by the judge's move Tuesday, saying, "We stand with
the majority of Congress and the American people who want our horses
protected, not butchered for French and Belgian dinner plates."
The plants - Beltex in Fort Worth, Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas, and
Cavel International in DeKalb, Ill. - said an amendment to an
appropriations bill never stopped horse slaughter, only the funding for
inspections until the end of the government's fiscal year.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found no grounds for an
injunction and noted that closing the plants would hurt hundreds of
workers as well as zoos that rely on USDA-inspected plants for some
animal diets.
"These radical (animal protection) groups are determined to stop the
meat-processing industry with whatever it takes - full-page ads in The
New York Times or filing frivolous lawsuits with no standing," said
Charlie Stenholm, a former Texas congressman who is now an industry
lobbyist. "I've not seen them put one penny of their money toward
actually caring for unwanted horses. It's a problem they'd like to sweep
away and pretend doesn't exist."
Meanwhile, Mark Calabria, an attorney for Dallas Crown, said that this
week he will appeal the unanimous decision by the zoning board in
Kaufman to order the 40-year-old plant closed because of neighbors'
complaints about foul smells.
The plant's parent corporation, Brussels-based Chevideco, owns similar
facilities in Argentina, Romania and New Zealand.
Judge won't stop slaughterhouses; appeal weighed
09:57 PM CST on Tuesday, March 14, 2006
By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON – In a major legal blow to horse advocates, a federal court
Tuesday refused to halt horse meat production at two Dallas-area
slaughterhouses and another in Illinois.
Congress cut off funding last fall for Agriculture Department
inspections of horses destined for the butcher shops and restaurants of
France, Belgium and a handful of other countries.
Animal-protection groups believed that would shut down the industry,
which processes 88,000 horses a year, on March 10. But slaughterhouses
offered to pay for the inspectors and the USDA agreed, arguing that
Congress only cut off funds – it didn't repeal the law requiring
inspection of animals meant for human consumption.
The animal advocates disputed that view and sued to stop the
fee-for-service plan. But Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly sided with the USDA, finding that Congress had taken
only
a "half-step" toward eliminating horse slaughter when it cut off
funding.
Horse lovers were disappointed and may appeal.
"Congress intended to stop horse slaughter by ending the funding for
horse slaughter," said Mike Markarian, vice president of the Humane
Society of the United States. "There's no American constituency for
horse slaughter. There's no American demand for horse meat. It's a
fringe industry, and it needs to go away."
Horse meat is not sold for human consumption in the United States, and
all three slaughterhouses are foreign-owned.
The judge found "strong arguments on both sides." But she dismissed two
of the three claims against the USDA, ruling that the animal-rights
groups lacked legal standing. She let the processing continue, at least
for now, though the Kaufman plant could be shuttered this year by local
officials who have deemed it a public nuisance.
"It is clear that the current process is, in many ways, less than
ideal,
bringing with it significant issues regarding the conditions which
these
horses face and the humaneness with which their lives are ended," the
judge wrote.
"On the other hand, the public certainly has an interest in ensuring
that meat and meat products produced in this country are 'wholesome,
not
adulterated, and properly marked, labeled and packaged,' " and in
protecting an export market.
A spokesman for the slaughterhouses, former Abilene Rep. Charlie
Stenholm, said the Humane Society "lost a very important battle today,
and animal agriculture won. These radical groups are determined to stop
the meat-processing industry with whatever it takes."
He argued that horse owners would face economic hardship if they lost
the option to sell unwanted animals. "No other suitable system exists
to
take care of these animals humanely," he said.
The court fight has brought to light details about the industry.
According to affidavits from company executives, Dallas Crown Inc. in
Kaufman exports 4,000 tons of horse meat for human consumption, and
sells 750 tons to U.S. zoos. Beltex Corp. in Fort Worth exports 5,000
tons and sells 1,000 tons to zoos. Cavel International Inc. in DeKalb,
Ill., exports 8,000 tons.
