By Milan Simonich as published in The New Mexican
“De Los Santos “a serial violator of environmental laws” when he slaughtered cattle at his plant…”
Eager to Kill and Butcher Companion Horses
State District Judge Matthew Wilson of Santa Fe heard two hours of arguments Friday before extending a temporary restraining order against De Los Santos’ business, Valley Meat Co.
Wilson scheduled another hearing for Jan. 13 to more deeply explore state Attorney General Gary King’s lawsuit claiming that De Los Santos’ slaughter plant near Roswell could contaminate the food chain and harm the environment.
King’s staff was not prepared to question witnesses at Friday’s hearing, having had only three days to prepare during a week punctuated by the New Year’s holiday, Wilson said.
Blair Dunn, the lawyer for De Los Santos, asked Wilson to make the state post a bond so that De Los Santos would be compensated for financial losses if he eventually prevails in the lawsuit. Wilson declined to do so, but said he would revisit Dunn’s request during the next hearing.
Dunn said King, a Democrat who is running for governor, had not sued Valley Meat Co. because of any legitimate concerns about public safety. Rather, Dunn said, King’s lawsuit was calculated to advance his campaign for governor.
“Their real goal is to harass this company. … This is a politically driven issue,” Dunn said.
De Los Santos’ opponents include actor Robert Redford and many other New Mexico politicians, including Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and former Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat.
They have said a horse-slaughter plant is not the kind of business that New Mexico wants or needs.
Dunn and De Los Santos counter that horses already are being yanked from American soil, hauled on excruciating trips and killed for food. In 2012, about 158,000 horses from the United States were transported to Mexico and Canada, mostly to slaughterhouses.
King did not appear in the courtroom. One of his assistants, Ari Biernoff, argued the merits of King’s lawsuit.
Biernoff said De Los Santos had publicly announced that he would slaughter horses even without a permit from the state Environment Department for disposal of sewage water.
Biernoff called De Los Santos “a serial violator of environmental laws” when he slaughtered cattle at his plant. Given De Los Santos’ track record, King felt obligated to sue in the public’s interest, Biernoff said.
Just as important, Biernoff said, Valley Meat Co. now proposes a more controversial business venture that could put the public health at risk. Many horses are drugged during their lifetimes, and turning them into food could put people at risk, he said.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
OMG theres that Horrible photo up close personal of the Serial Horse murderer, when you are going to show that Horrible mans photo, please give warnings first !!!!!! I can never forget what he looks like, embedded in my mind , trying to get that face out of my mind !!!!! it makes my blood run cold !!!!!!
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Regardless Dunne and Santos are Quoted in this article And others stating the Will Illegally push the meat out of the Country. Canada plants sell to the EU And the butchering would occur within the United States of America where the USDA/ FSIS have jurisdiction which in turn has No lawful agreement with the European Union for the Regulations on the Meats. Therefore, regardless wherever in the world the horses come from, when slaughtered in the USA they fall under thst agreement which Bans the meats. So Even shipment to plant in Canada for resell is ineligible. As well they are proving that they will go to any length to Not follow the rules. This alone in Dunnes submitted documentation to the Judge should get the Restraining Order Securex. Federally they cannot export the meats to Canada because they.exchange with EU. Talk about a mess! Im tired of Dunne and Santos Wasting Tax Dollars pursuing this. When they finally Lose Can they be Counter Sued for Expenses Incurred for All these Lawsuits they brought? Im thinking the Tax.payers should get the money back for the Welfare of the horses.
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Interesting that Dunn & De Los Santos wants the Attorney General to contact the New Mexico Environmental Department – they’ve been bought off too – the original $86,000 environmental fine they put on De Los Santos last year was “settled” for ONLY $5k – There is also a credible rumor that the Mayor of Roswell is Valley Meats’ “partner”. The NM Attorney General is on board with the horses because he really feels its the right thing to do – has nothing to do with “politics” as Dunn would want us to believe – If it was politics, then Gov Martinez would do more than giving this issue lip-service – she is one of the most In-effective Governors this state has ever had – Gary King would be much better!!
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Ya know, this is an example of why we need to rethink the laws in each state. Horse protection laws are a must. And need to Declare specifically what cannot be done to them . If there is a single loophole people drive semis through them.
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Sorry posting again. But if they are upset horses go from USA to Canada or Mexico then why is it okay for them to ship from Canada Back again to New Mexico? Do these two hears voices in their heads? Because they cant get the humane part down!
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“In 2012, about 158,000 horses from the United States were transported to Mexico and Canada, mostly to slaughterhouses.”
You have got to be kidding me. This is disgusting!!!!!!
OMG….those poor babies…do these kill buyers have a conscience at all !!!!
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No, Nancy. Nor heart, nor compassion or anything else to do with humane behavior.
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Sorry Nancy , they dont , no morals either !!!!! they are sociopaths , no feelings………
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That is one smarmy looking man. Gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I see his picture.
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That piece of Human garbage , that photo belongs on a bottle of Arsenic, should replace the skull and cross bones…………on anything with lethal contents…………..
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You gotta love a lawyer who stands by his client no matter the cost. This latest excuse about King’s running for Governor is getting old. King has said in the past that he’d sue if VM prevailed in other hearings.
Now Attorney Dunn is asking yet another entity to post bond in case they lose.
As slimey as this case is–I think Dunn asking for yet another round of bond money is inappropriate. This guy has to know by now how unpopular VM’s has become. I wonder what will happen to him AFTER VM’s is finally closed once and for all.
USDA and I think the State of CA shut that slaughter house down (for cattle) after GROSS abuse was uncovered. It wasn’t just the abuse it was the history of violations to boot. Why can’t NM do the same thing here?
Whether this man slaughters horses, cows whatever–he has a history of non compliance. That should render him persona non grata with the USDA.
If he so desperately wants to slaughter animals there is a slaughter house (Michigan I think)that has been closed down 4 times in the lat year for violations. I’m sure he could get hired on there, slaughter cattle to his hearts desire (making sure that appropriate people are onscene for kosher slaughter)and he’d be free from harassment! Sounds like a win win for everyone! Except Attorney Dunn who wouldn’t have a client any longer…
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and think about it . this is a brand new judge in new mexico and was suppose to hear family oriented cases ,i really think i like this judge or maybe speaking out of turn . but i’ll take this as a really good sign. we need to stop the the transports. hey, not to get off the subject but has anybody heard if they have pressed charges against that tom davis ? he is another one who should be made to prove what he did with the horses he received. miss sally jewel also should be accountable for the horses sold to tom davis !!!!! some one should be accountable for their lives!!!
also every horse being held in those corrals should be micro-chipped so they can be followed and accounted for. for that every horse in america should be too.
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Cindy, I read someplace they let the statute of limitations run out so neither Tom Davis or Ken Salazar will be held accountable for approx. 1700 missing horses. Our new DOI Secretary evidently consulted with Salazar as well so there’s no reason to think anyone in our current government finds any of this situation unacceptable.
We’ve got midterm elections in 2014 (YEAR OF THE HORSE!) so we all have to sharpen our pencils and our voices and get people accountable for their actions, or removed from office. Tag, you’re it, everyone who can vote!
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I oppose horse slaughter for the numerous reasons we have discussed on this blog and other sites over hte past four years. However, I think if we are aware that there is an article authored by a scientifically credentialed political agent that arguing that if you are trying to get rid of a culturally popular invasive species, the last thing you should do is eat it because it adds to the value of the animal making it even harder to get rid of it. Since the author of this story is also the author of alien, non-native, feral, exotic, invasive, pest (of plants) theory that FWS, TNC, and the IUCN began trying to implement before the ink was try on the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act, I think it is worth noting that there are many in the agricultural community that believe the slaughter of horses is necessary to protect animal agriculture producers from extremist animal rights and or environmentalists. People who are fighting for their way of life and the right to use land the way their families have for generations have a heck of an incentive to fight. De Los Santos is a totally unsympathetic character, and in my opinion, this whole battle over the NM plant is evidence of the duplicity within this administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S.D.A. is trying to make it appear as if it is following U.S. law, so we won’t suspect that they have actually used the 1997 Update of the IPPC in force 10/02/2005 and intend to use horse slaughter to eradicate our NATIVE horses while they pretend they do not know their status as native species.
At some point, these people much be held accountable. The NAS Report on the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program was managed through the PNAS Agriculture committee, and the issue of whether or not the horse is native or not was fixed through the use of Dr. Beth Shapiro’s email rather than going to the research study that she had been the 42 person credited that actually found no genetic differences old word Equus caballus and New World Equus lambei. They are the same species. There may be some breed or phenotypical differences as the scientists have found in other members of the caballoid family, but this was nothing but a fix that the USDA and NAS was hoping they could use to extend this game a little longer. We cannot stand for it.
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HH, it’s a bit hard to understand your post exactly, but I have been reading about this mysterious scientist for some time but without any success in learning his or her name. Are you saying here this person is a Dr. Beth Shapiro? You are saying her email was used but do you mean by her or by another? Can you provide a link or title to the article you reference here? I’d sincerely like to shed some light on this puzzling information.
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I doubt the BLM will ever be held accountable for anything they do because this government is rotting from the inside out. It is so corrupt with both parties so untrustworthy that this is the reason that horse slaughter is still being fought today.
It seems that from what I found out yesterday if companies want a bill to be passed in congress they have to pony up payoffs to the Speaker of the House or it’s not brought up for a vote. I don’t think Russia was this bad during the Cold War but it sure puts me in mind of what was going on in Germany under Hitler from the history books I have read.
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I want to add a PS to my comment please go to judicialwatch.org to find out who the most corrupt politicians are for this year. I doubt it will surprise anyone.
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Thank you Barbara i copied the address and will take a look
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