Update April 18, 2012: New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has asked US Dept. of Agriculture to deny authorization for Valley Meat Co. to proceed with plans to open the nation’s first facility for slaughtering horses for human consumption since 2007.
"Despite the federal government’s decision to legalize horse slaughter for human consumption, I believe creating a horse slaughtering industry in New Mexico is wrong and I am strongly opposed," Martinez said in a statement. New Mexico’s Attorney General Gary King agreed having such a facility is a "terrible idea". New Mexico State Land Commissioner Ray Powell said he would "strongly oppose" a horse slaughter facility in his state. Powell noted that humane euthanasia is a realistic alternative. "New Mexico can do much better by this intelligent and gentle creatures", said Powell.
Valley Meat Co. has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its 7,300-square-foot plant outside of town.
For more on this, read Animal Law Coalition’s original report below.
Original report, April 10, 2012 (Larkspur,Colorado) – Through its own investigation, Front Range Equine Rescue (FRER) has discovered that Valley Meats Co.,3845 Cedarvale Rd., in Roswell,NM, has applied for inspection of horses to be "custom slaughtered" and "processed" for human consumption. According to the facts uncovered, the facility has been involved in extended discussions with the Denver office of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS inspects animals and meat in American slaughterhouses under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. READ MORE from R.T. Fitch and Habitat for Horses about this FRER investigation…..
FRER and the Humane Society of the U.S. have also filed petitions with the FDA and USDA to block slaughter of some horses for human consumption on the basis they are not qualified under FDA regulations and should be "U.S. condemned" by the USDA.
Dave Duquette who has been sniffing around Oregon state and local agencies and Northwest Native American tribes with talk of building a horse slaughter plant near Hermiston, Oregon, did announce at a February 10, 2012 meeting in Pendleton, Oregon that New Mexico would be the site of a horse slaughter house. For more on Duquette’s plans….