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Cavel Wins Appeal in Federal Court

July 19, 2007

A federal appeals court has given the nation’s last remaining horse slaughter facility a new lease on life -- allowing Cavel International to resume operations in Illinois that provide American horse meat to diners in Europe and Asia while the court considers Cavel’s case.

The DeKalb, Ill., slaughterhouse appealed a recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that shut the plant down two weeks ago, and yesterday the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted its request to remain open.

Cavel has filed a lawsuit that challenges a law passed by the Illinois legislature and signed into law in May banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

“This court ruling flies in the face of public opinion and is deeply disappointing for horse lovers, the people of Illinois and a majority of Americans,” said National Horse Protection League spokesman Alex Howe. “We will work tirelessly to make sure Cavel’s doors are closed permanently and our horses are protected from ending up as European entrees.”

US District Court Judge Frederick Kapala ruled on July 5 that the Illinois law was constitutional and shut down the Cavel plant for a second time. Cavel is a Belgian-owned company that exports all of its horse meat.

The U.S. Court of Appeals will release opinions on the decision and a briefing schedule in coming days.

A federal law banning horse slaughter in the U.S. is awaiting a vote in Congress. HR. 503 and S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, would make it permanently illegal to slaughter horses in the U.S. and prohibit the transport of horses across national borders to be slaughtered in other countries such as Mexico or Canada.