Judge to Decide on Opening of Horse Slaughter Plant in Roswell

By Associated Press

A judge in Santa Fe is expected to decide Monday whether a Roswell company can start
slaughtering horses.

State District Judge Matthew Wilson is hearing a request from Attorney General Gary
King to issue a preliminary injunction against Valley Meat Co

King has filed suit against the company, alleging its operations would violate state environmental and food
safety laws.

The plant was blocked from opening last year after animal protection groups filed a federal lawsuit against the
Department of Agriculture for issuing permits to Valley and two other companies that would become the first
domestic plants to slaughter horses in seven years. A federal judge in Albuquerque threw out that lawsuit. And
after a federal appeals court declined to keep the plants shuttered, King filed the state suit.

King argues horses are given drugs not approved for animals that are to be slaughtered for human consumption.

Valley’s attorney, Blair Dunn, says because the meat would be shipped overseas, the state lacks jurisdiction.

Dunn has accused King of conspiring with animal protection groups to block a lawful business with a frivolous
lawsuit to further his gubernatorial bid.

Valley Meat and companies in Missouri and Iowa last year won federal permits to become the first horse
slaughterhouses to operate sinceCongresseffectively banned the practice by cutting funding for inspections at
plants in 2006. The last of the domestic plants closed in 2007.Congressreinstated the funding in 2011.

Valley Meat owner Rick De Los Santos has led the effort to force the Department of Agriculture to permit the
horse slaughter plants, sparking an emotional, national debate on whether horses arelivestockor companion
animals.

Animal protection groups argue the practice is barbaric.

Proponents argue it is better to slaughter unwanted horses domestically than have them shipped thousands of miles
to Canada or less humane facilities in Mexico.

Originally
Posted By The Santa Fe New Mexican