The only horse slaughter plant currently operating in the United States is in DeKalb, Ill., but that may soon change as a bill to outlaw horse slaughter for human consumption in Illinois goes to the Governor Rod Blagojevich to sign.
On Wednesday, May 16, the senate voted 39-16 to stop Cavel International from continuing to slaughter horses and ship their meat overseas. A spokeswoman for Blagojevich said he is likely to sign the bill but must review it first.
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The two other U.S. horse slaughter plants in Texas were shut down earlier this year when, on March 5, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 1949 state law banning the sale of horsemeat for human consumption.
Cavel was also shut down briefly when a federal court ruled that the U.S. Food And Drug Administration officials couldn’t inspect the plant, even for a fee. The slaughterhouse can’t operate without inspections. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted Cavel an emergency stay on May 1 while an appeal of the ruling to end the fee-for-service inspections is considered.
