Iowa: Horse Slaughter Plans Dropped Amid Legal Battle

An Iowa company has decided to abandon its plans to slaughter horses after a federal judge issued a temporary ban on the practice. This decision comes as part of a lawsuit filed by animal welfare groups. Responsible Transportation, which owns a slaughterhouse in Sigourney, was one of the two companies that had secured federal permits for horse slaughtering. However, its president, Keaton Walker, announced that the company could not afford to wait for further court deliberations and would instead focus on cattle operations.

The other company with a permit, Valley Meat Co. of Roswell, N.M., remains committed to pursuing its plans. According to company lawyer Blain Dunn, Valley Meat has been at the forefront of efforts to convert its cattle plant into a horse slaughterhouse, pushing for over a year for the necessary permissions.

The lawsuit was filed by the Humane Society of the United States and other groups against the United States Department of Agriculture, challenging the permits issued for horse slaughtering.

Originally reported by The New York Times.