By Dan Flynn of Food Safety News
USDA meat inspectors are now set to provide inspection services to qualified applicants
“Don’t Slaughter Us” ~ by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
The federal court in New Mexico next Friday will hear the motion for a preliminary injunction against USDA granting inspections to equine meat packing houses that are close to opening in New Mexico and Iowa.
It is the hearing that Bruce Wagman, the top attorney for animal welfare groups, said had to happen last month to stop what would be the first horse from legally going to slaughter in the U.S. since 2007.
Wagman is asking the court to grant a preliminary injunction against USDA based on arguments that providing inspection services requires environmental review by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
If the long list of animal welfare groups does not prevail in the federal court hearing on Aug. 2, Valley Meat Company in Roswell, NM is ready to begin equine meat packing operations as early as the following Monday, Aug. 5. Responsible Transportation in Sigourney, IA could begin horse slaughter in an old Louis Rich plant just as quickly.
New Mexico cancelled Valley Meats’ wastewater discharge permit last week, a move that will not stop the horsemeat packing from proceeding, but rather will require the more costly transporting of wastewater.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King intervened in the federal case brought by Wagman’s animal welfare groups. King claims chemicals from the treatments horses receive contaminate all horses. USDA plans post-mortem inspections to check on drug residues in horses.
The possibility of horse slaughter beginning in New Mexico also brought out Robert Redford, “The Electric Cowboy,” to campaign against it with former Gov. Bill Richardson. Redford owns property near Santa Fe and now claims residence in New Mexico after a long association with the Sundance Ranch in Utah.
If and when packing horsemeat resumes in the U.S. and it’s for human consumption, it will be only for export to the many countries around the world where human consumption of horsemeat is common. Any sold in the U.S. would be for non-human consumption, such as to zoos.
A ban on horsemeat packing lasting about 5 years was imposed during the Bush Administration, and then lifted by the Obama Administration after Congressional auditors questioned whether horses were experiencing more inhumane conditions.
USDA meat inspectors are now set to provide inspection services to qualified applicants, at least up until the moment when Congress tells them differently.
And there is a move to do just that in the budget Congress may adopt later this fall.
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Related Articles
- Permit denied for NM horse slaughter company (rtfitchauthor.com)
- We must oppose slaughter with all our might, says Robert Redford (horsetalk.co.nz)
- Letter to Editor Questions Horse Slaughter Plant in Iowa (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Redford, Richardson Fight Against Horse Slaughter (abcnews.go.com)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I guess now we’ll see how far the payoffs reach. Will those b……s get to this judge or will it be a fair trial? Who knows? They’ve overridden the vast majority of people in this country…run over us with their bulldozers and their money. They’ve destroyed our wild house herds, they’ve destroyed or wild population. They see trying hard to destroy our freedoms and our health, our lives. This all runs through my mind. Where is this country heading or do we even have a democracy? Big Ag has worked real hard to destroy the likes of us and big oil had worked hand in hand with them. At we strong enough to take them on? I hope so.
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Dear sweet Terri, My thoughts to a T!! It feels so hopeless.
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Doesn’t Valley Meats still have to prove they have a viable plan to transport & DISPOSE of the waste water? – Won’t that take some time? If not, they’ll still will be able to dump it anywhere they want, unless the “authorities” are following them constantly. Since the Roswell mayor has been a partner with Valley Meats all along – this explains why Valley Meats only had to pay $5k of an $86k environmental fine – its time the FBI & OIG investigate the graft & fraud in this industry across country. If they can investigate Clinton for a surreptitious BJ in the Oval office – they can certainly investigate this with as much zeal.
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So true Terri Russell. When did “We the People” loose control? When was it politicians decided to make up our minds for us rather than listen to us? After a disappointing appearance before the House Committee on Natural Resources Sally Jewell clearly demonstrated she was in over her head. Even though she said during confirmation that she would base her decisions on the ‘best available science’ that was not the case when questioned about the Wild Horse and Burro issue. She relied on the BLM’s propaganda.
If you want to help us do something about this…even if it’s just to make noise and be heard…sign the petition asking the President to replace the Secretary of the Interior…
http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-replace-interior-secretary-sally-jewell
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Well Said Terri and Steve,……
Signed days ago…….
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Also signed it days ago, Steve
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“We the People” stopped being the voice in this country when we stopped caring enough to be actively involved in the political process! The people in this country are moving around, day after day, living their lives in a bubble. Heaven forbid they decide to look beyond that bubble and open their eyes and see what is happening around them! There are so many people that have absolutely no idea what is happening in this country. I am the bearer of not so great news for people every day who just stand there in disbelief over what I am telling them about the slaughtering of our horses and the take over of our food safety by companies like Monsanto. I tell them about fracking and they respond by saying, “What the hell is that?” Also, talk is cheap! Change is a verb, it takes action people! To say one thing and then do the other is a hypocrite and I believe that hypocrisy is an epidemic in this country. With all of that said, I must also say that I have never met a more intelligent, caring, and dedicated group of people fighting to ban horse slaughter as well as many of the other injustices facing this country. I am proud to fight alongside you each and every day and just knowing that you all exist in this capacity gives me both strength and purpose. Our horses will win in this court battle and we will all be celebrating the passage of the SAFE Act one day as well!
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Dear Susan, I pray you are right about us celebrating!! You can tell anyone & everyone to go to: YouTube.com & ‘put in’ “Horse Slaughter Houses” to see the truth about this Horror! Sadly, I know what you said about the bubbles people are in is all to true or Why else would this have gotten so far?? I am so sick at heart & soul about this.
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There is a post going around at FB to ask more formal Horse Groups to sign on to this. It was stated only 8 have? Are there not many more than that who are active currently?
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Please sign these petitions today:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/ban-horse-slaughter-now
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/925/215/246/stop-horse-slaughter-factory-in-missouri/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/boycott-valley-meat-company-say-no-to-horse/
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I was sent another email from gov.com the past two weeks and at least 4 more have signed on to co-sponsor H.R.1094. There must be at least 120 co-sponsors in the House if not a few more but no new co-sponsors in the Senate other than the original 24 that signed on and introduced Bill S. 541. Unless something drastic happens neither bill will be moved up. It will die just like all the rest of them have done the past ten years. The way bills like this are handled is something I have never liked at all. There needs to be changes made that will allow a bill like H.R. 1094 to be moved to the floor to be voted on without the Senate being needed to pass it. The US Senators are the ones that are paid off to ignore any anti-horse slaughter bills introduced. These payoffs run in the thousands of dollars from lobbyists.
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Please let this slaughter stop. I see Robert Redford is joining a national lawsuit to prevent horse slaughter. The horses need us.
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We have to stay focused on being POSITIVE….Miracles do happen. Someone has to sue the US Government for exporting UNSAFE, outright TOXIC meat. Horses are NOT raised for food and thus some random testing just isn’t enough. The meat is toxic to animals as well, so do they want to kill the zoo animals too? It is like living in fricking “Zoombie land” They just shovel the TRUTH under the table going ahead slaughtering innocent horses whose meat is unsafe to eat anyway. I want to see them applying the same food safety regulations to horses, then how many wants to go ahead and make a “business” of horse slaughter? Not too many because it will be costly.
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Strange – I commented on the Food Safety News site yesterday – went to moderation – never showed up on the site. So I commented today – same deal. And very low key comment. It appeared they hadn’t closed the comments – what gives?
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OK – I take it back – eventually my comments did show up! I spoke too soon. Sorry
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