Obama Administration Proposes Ban on Horse Slaughter

The Obama administration has included a proposal in its 2014 budget that would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. This move has been met with mixed reactions from various stakeholders.

Proposal Details

Technically, the proposal would prevent money from being spent on inspection of horse slaughtering facilities. Without inspections, facilities could not legally operate. The proposal was greeted enthusiastically by horse lovers and animaladvocacygroups.

However, it was met with dismay by those who have been working to get slaughtering facilities up and running again.

Background and Implications

The ban on horse inspections started with a provision in the 2007 budget. The last two slaughtering facilities in the country closed that year, and the number of horses shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter began to escalate. The provision was left out of the budget bill signed by President Obama in 2011.

The issue became prickly this year, after Ikea, Nestlé, and other food companies found traces of horse meat mixed in with ground beef in products sold in Europe.

Industry Reaction

A. Blair Dunn, a lawyer who represents the owners of a New Mexico facility that was hoping to begin slaughtering horses for human consumption sometime this summer, said his clients were disappointed that the Obama administration had been swayed by horse advocates. “I know of a few members ofCongresswho are not likely to let it remain in the budget,” Mr. Dunn said. “All this means is more debate and more hardship for my clients because they’ve made these investments to modify their plant already.”

Originally Posted By The New York Times