By By Pat Raia | the Horse
The Valley Meat Co., fired the latest volley in the battle surrounding the opening of a horse processing plant in Roswell, N.M., this week when it sued New Mexico Attorney General Gary King for slander.
Horse slaughter has not taken place in the United States since 2007 when court rulings and legislation shuttered the last domestic processing plants. Prior to 2007, USDA personnel carried out inspections at horse processing plants until Congress voted to strip the USDA of funds to pay personnel conducting those inspections. In 2011, legislation reinstated USDA funding for U.S. horse processing plants and, in June 2013, Valley Meats Co. LLC in Roswell, N.M., received FSIS permit, which allows placement of personnel at the plant to carry out horsemeat inspections.
If you’d like to discuss equine law, contact Adam Trenk, atrenk@roselawgroup.com