Our View: Is Horse Slaughter Making a Comeback?

For a few more days, at least, New Mexico will not be the home of a horse-slaughtering plant. A lawsuit by Attorney General Gary King asking that the plant be prevented from opening will go before a district court judge on Friday, and representatives of the Roswell-area slaughterhouse also say they are waiting to see whether they will receive a required wastewater discharge permit from the state Environment Department. The hearing Friday, to be heard by Judge Matthew Wilson in Santa Fe, will consider whether to extend a temporary restraining order or issue a preliminary injunction, either of which would stop the plant from opening. Owners had promised to be slaughtering horses on New Year’s Day. That didn’t happen.

Legal and Environmental Concerns

Removing the emotional bits of the argument — and they are powerful because of the connection between people and horses — King is focusing on the slaughterhouse company’s record, which he says has failed to comply with state environmental and safety laws over the years. The company’s attorney says King’s charges are unfounded; Judge Wilson, of course, will decide. A separate federal lawsuit is being heard as well, and the whole opening could be upended if the company doesn’t win the necessary permits. There is always the possibility, too, that the U.S. Congress will return to a previous practice of not funding inspectors for these plants; if there are no inspectors, the plants can’t open and the horse-slaughtering business can’t take hold in the United States.

The Ethical Debate

The issue of whether horses should be slaughtered for food is highly charged, especially given the reality that the country has an overpopulation of horses. Killing the iconic animal for meat might be considered cruel, but so is starving to death.

Economic Implications

The company, Valley Meat, says its business will bring work to the Roswell area, reviving a dormant industry. When the cattle business was hard hit by drought, the slaughterhouse closed. Since, Valley Meat owners decided to use the facility to slaughter horses and send the meat out of the country.

State Reputation at Stake

We have said before that the slaughter of horses for food is not good for New Mexico — any jobs gained in Roswell will be overshadowed by the black eye the state would receive nationally. New Mexico does not need to be the subject of boycotts from people who won’t spend their tourism dollars in the state that leads the nation in slaughtering horses. (Our incidents of animal abuse already have resulted in a Facebook page titled, “Boycott this pit called New Mexico.”)

Future Prospects

Now, it remains to be seen whether the laws on the books can prevent this industry from taking hold. If New Mexico laws are not strong enough, Congress still can act. That way, as a nation, the United States can step back from horse slaughter.

Originally Posted By The New Mexican