Marathon Pundit: Illinois horse slaughterhouse may reopen

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, granted an emergency request for a stay to the Belgian company Cavel, Inc., which until March operated the last slaughterhouse in the United States that processed horse meat for human consumption.

That could mean Cavel's DeKalb, Illinois plant may reopen soon. Until it closed down, the plant slaughtered about 1,000 horses a week--the meat was shipped overseas.

However, the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune is reporting tonight that the plant has no USDA inspectors--no inspectors, no meat processing--that's the law and it's a good one.

Federal funding for those inspectors was pulled last fall by Congress, but Cavel and another firm that operated two Texas horse slaughterhouses worked out a compromise to pay for those inspectors out of their own pockets, but a US district judge ruled that practice was illegal.

But Cavel's victory may be short lived. Last month the Illinois House of Representatives, with the encouragement of Bo Derek, voted to ban the killing of horses for human consumption. And the US House of Represantives has its own bill that would apply nationwide.

Related posts:

Bo Derek rallies horse slaughter opponents to victory in Ill. House

Horse of a different color on abandoned equines story

Abandoned horses in Eastern Kentucky

Horses reprieve from slaughterhouse only temporary: UPDATED

Hey, another horse slaughter post

Last US horse slaughterhouse shut down, unwanted horse problem will worsen

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