Slaughtering horses for human consumption is now prohibited under a new Illinois law signed today by Governor Rod Blagojevich. The Humane Society of the United States praised lawmakers for enacting the legislation, which closes the only horse slaughter facility currently operating in the United States.
"The slaughter of horses now will become a historical footnote in Illinois, as it should be," states Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "Today, the Governor put an end to a cruel commercial enterprise that put rationalizations ahead of rational thinking."
House Bill 1711, sponsored by Rep. Bob Molaro (D, 21) and Sen. John Cullerton (D, 6), makes it illegal for any person to slaughter a horse for human consumption. H.B. 1711 was passed decisively by the Illinois Legislature, with a Senate vote of 39-16 and a House vote of 74-41. Gov. Blagojevich signed the bill, which goes into effect immediately, today.
The Cavel International horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb, Ill., was the only active plant in the country killing horses for human consumption. It was shut down in March when a federal court ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture could not provide inspections of horses about to be slaughtered, but re-opened when the court of appeals decided to allow Cavel International to resume slaughtering horses while their appeal makes its way through the courts.
The HSUS wrote to Cavel International officials today to urge them to relinquish horses currently in their custody, en route to the facility or on Cavel property to sanctuaries. The HSUS and the Society for Animal Protective Legislation have offered to coordinate the rescue and adoption of those animals.
Representative Janice Schakowsky (D-9/Ill.) is leading the effort in the U.S. Congress to pass a separate bill, H.R. 503, which would ban horse slaughter for human consumption nationwide, and ban the export of horses for slaughter outside the U.S.
"The passage of the Illinois legislation makes enactment of the federal ban on horse slaughter a very urgent matter," said Pacelle. "Thousands of horses face grueling trips to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico unless Congress acts now to protect them."
Facts
- According to the USDA, 100,800 American horses were slaughtered in three foreign-owned slaughter houses in 2006. Another 30,000 were sent to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.
- Residents who live near the slaughter facilities joined The HSUS in filing suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The residents reported "blood spills and overflows that clog up the local wastewater treatment plant and septic systems," "smell[s] so bad that we cannot open our windows," and "horses' cries [that] wake me up in the night and upset me so much that I have trouble sleeping."
- The court characterized the USDA's environmental review of these impacts as "deafening silence," and concluded "there is no evidence whatsoever that the agency head
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