Animal rights groups must post $500,000 bond to continue fight against horse slaughterhouses

Animal rights groups trying to put a stop to proposed horse slaughterhouses in New Mexico and Iowa were ordered by a federal magistrate on Thursday to post a bond of nearly $500,000 to cover "the companies’ costs and lost profits for the next 30 days should the animal rights groups lose the case," The Associated Press reports. Last week a temporary restraining order was placed on the plants. Within the next 30 days a hearing on the temporary bans will be heard in federal court.

Pat Rogers, who represents Responsible Transportation, the Iowa company, told the AP, “The bond requires the plaintiffs to put their money where their mouth is. There are real-life consequences to these actions and we’re appreciative of the judge recognizing that." Attorneys said their clients could lose more than $1.5 million in lost revenues in one month. Attorneys for the animal rights groups argued that the estimated losses "were highly speculative and the result of creative accounting." (Read more)

Both slaughterhouses had planned to open this week, but were blocked from doing so on Aug. 5 by a New Mexico federal judge who said the Department of Agriculture should have done an environmental review before granting inspection to the meatpackers.