Illinois to resume slaughtering horses

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Cavel won a temporary restraining order to keep slaughtering

A U.S. District Judge in Illinois ruled on Friday morning that Cavel International can resume slaughtering horses for the next 10 days at its facility in DeKalb, Ill.

Cavel is suing the state of Illinois over a law banning horse slaughter in that state. The law was signed on May 24, but the next day Cavel asked for a temporary restraining order requesting that it be allowed to re-open for 10 days.

Additional court hearings are currently scheduled for June 12 and 14.
In the coming days, the law firm of Patton Boggs will be filing documents with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of the Animal Welfare Institute and the Society for Animal Protective Legislation. Both organizations strongly oppose horse slaughter and have publicly denounced Friday’s ruling.

Cavel is the last horse slaughterhouse of its type in the United States.

24 COMMENTS

  1. What can be done to sto this? Texas stopped it. Why won’t this state do it. I shudder to think of what these poor horses are going to go through as this plce rushes to slaughter as many as possible “just in case” they get shut down. I pray that God will have mercy on these poor creatures and not allow them to suffer.

  2. Poor horses. I hate slaughter. I have seen pictures of what they do to the horses, it is crule! and painful. I pray that the world (someday) will stop this this slaughtering of horses. So no more will have to go through with it. I would rather die in the sea, then at a slaughter house! STOP THE SLAUGHTER!

  3. Slaughtering horses is a very cruel thing. Many people in America and even around the world love these beautiful creatures. Many of us including myself think Illinois is making a huge mistake of giving them 10 more days to slaughter our horses. We know this is this is the only slaughtering buisness of horses but this could risk the population of the horse. They could possibly become extinct if we keep doing this. Please consider this comment and think about all the horse lovers in the world devastated about this terrible thing.

  4. I don’t know who the US District Judge is that made this ruling, but he needs to be removed from office. No one in their right mind would approve of horse slaughter. Cavel being the last slaughterhouse in the US should say something about how the American people feel. I say close it down now!

  5. I don’t know who the US District Judge is that made this ruling, but he needs to be removed from office. No one in their right mind would approve of horse slaughter. Cavel being the last slaughterhouse in the US should say something about how the American people feel. I say close it down now!

  6. I think this is horrible, Roy Rogers didn’t eat Trigger!!! How can we as Americans support this. All of the state politicians that support horse slaughter should look at their dog or cat each night and think how they would feel if someone ate their pet.

  7. This is awful and simply disgusting. I find it appalling that our country (or in this case, just Illinois) would pass a law and then bend the rule for ten days, especially when it involves the murder of innocent animals. I am a 13-year-old vegetarian, and I am a big supporter of animal rights. I find this just inhumane and frankly unacceptable. Why would Cavel sue the state? Why not just find a different job, one that does not involve the pointless slaughter of such beautiful and majestic creatures. The horses that are killed are either stolen or sold, and most of them have had hard pasts. A bunch of them are “retired” race horses, aka horses that are too weak or old to race and are therefore killed. I do not see how the government can pay for retirement homes but refuse to give horses a happy end at a horse sanctuary. Slaughterhouses are just disgusting and inhumane. They should not be allowed anywhere in the world, and most definitely not in the country that claims to be so righteous and full of justice.

  8. I think that they r opening just to slaughter as many horses they can in those few days, so they cann shove it in animal actvists faces !

  9. First – I need to say I’m a horse lover. I’ve owned horses for over 20 years. I believe that slaughter is 1)horrible – if not done with compassion for the animal every step of the way, and 2) UNAVOIDABLE. Until there is enough donor money to PROPERLY care for the TENS OF THOUSANDS of unwanted horses out there, slaughter is the only cost-effective humane option for ending their lives. If someone can no longer care for a horse and they have no other options available to them to get rid of the horse – that horse will be neglected or starved to death. Check out the websites and see how many horses are listed as FREE. Some have been listed for months. Not everyone can afford to feed and care for a horse after they lose their jobs. And a whole lot of people have lost their jobs in the past 5 years! I wish it was otherwise, but this country doesn’t have enough tax money available to care for it’s PEOPLE, so you know animals are toward the end of the government list. The money HAS to come from horse people. I personally don’t have the money to donate and still give my horse the proper care. I don’t see an alternative. The government doesn’t have the money, and with the cost of living going up every day – most of us don’t have any money to spare either.

  10. I don’t think that Cavel should have been able to resume slaughtering. I hope that they lose their suit and lots of money in the process.

  11. I have to agree with TJ. I think everyone is focusing on the wrong thing. Banning horse slaughter will have a very negative affect on the horse industry and the lives of many unwanted horses. I do think however that they should find the most humane way possible to end the horses life before processing. That should be our main focus. An unwanted horse will currently go to auction and be slaughtered but if we get ride of slaughter it will die a far worse slow death by starving because no one can take it.

  12. I think that slaughtering of horses should continue. I have 7 horses that I love dearly, but what do you do with a horse that should become crippled or lame, especially a gelding?? I do not have the money to be able to properly care for it, especially if it is a young horse when hurt. Will the humane shelters take in my horse? Also, if a horse is untameable and dangerous what do you do with it? The likely hood that a dagerous horse will settle down is almost none at times. Someone could get very hurt. However, I do NOT agree with the slaughter of usable horses.

  13. I can not believe that a U.S. District Judge can be so heartless to let horse slaughtering to continue even for 10 days. But it seems the norm for anyone in power to be heartless. They think oh it’s just a horse, dog, cat, an animal, it has no feelings so why should I care if it gets slaughtered, abused, abandoned, whatever! I live in Mississippi and am trying to get my state legislature to stop the transporting of horses to slaughter the Senate has approved the bill so far, it’s the House of Representatives that need to be swayed now. But good luck to the law firm of Patton Boggs. Illinois please stay on this and try and keep that slaughter house closed or get it closed permanently. There are other jobs out there, you slaughter house people.

  14. As long as it is done humanely slaughtering should be allowed. Horses are livestock animals no different than cattle. I would not eat my own but do not have a problem with it being done humanely. Beats having owners starve thier horses when thay can’t sell them whien they become old or sick. It is also what drives the price of horses up in the industry. These so called animal rights people need to look at the big picture. Surprised they aren’t trying to ban wild animals hunting for their food.

  15. I oppose slaughter and believe the communities and vets, and the govt need to sponsor facilities that desire to become foster homes and adoption centers as well support 501c3 organizations to take in these horses. I know there are issues that may be out of ones control, but the fact is we don’t eat our family!

  16. THE USDA NEEDS TO STOP THE CRUEL TREATMENT OF ALL ALL ALL ANIMALS ACROSS THE US. BETTER HUMAN METHODS SHOULD BE MADE LAWS FEDERAL LAW THAT IS. MAKE IT MANDATORY TO ENSURE HUMAN TREATMENT OF ALL ANIMALS DURING RAISING FOR FOOD AND GOING INTO SLAUGHTER. AND CLOSE ANY FACILITY THAT DOESNT COMPLY. PERIOD, WE ARE LIKE A BUNCH OF DAMN MONEY HUNGREY JERKS IN THE COUNTRY AND THATS ALL THAT MATTERS NOTHING ELSE.

  17. I cannot believe that they are going to do that. I know that there are a LOT of unwanted and abused horses in the world. If we had more foster homes the horses and all other animals would be better. Even if all the states outlawed slaugher in the US they could take the horses to Mexico and get them slaughtered there. So maybe they should outlaw slaughter everywhere. So then all horses could be safe. Someone said that if horses are unsafe and mean even if they are trained then they should be humanely euthenized but ONLY if that is the last solution.

  18. Horse slaughter is not only cruel and inhumane to horses, it is harmful to humans as well. In its lifetime, a horse is given medications and other toxic substances that would be harmful to humans and animals that consume its meat. Horse meat is not sold in the United States, but it is exported to other countries.
    Horses are beautiful, intelligent animals that bring joy and friendship into our lives. We need to protect these sensitive animals from being killed.
    Horses can’t speak for themselves, but we can be their voice. Let congress know that Americans won’t stand by while these precious animals are butchered.
    Please don’t be a bystander, be a rescuer! Follow this link to act today:
    http://act.wildhorsepreservation.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13157

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