In recent news that will surely get animal rights activists in an uproar, Congress lifted a ban that has been in place for the last five years which prevented slaughterhouses from slaughtering horses for human consumption. According to a November 30th report by ABC News, the Congressional ruling stemmed from a bill that President Obama signed on November 18th which reversed the ruling made by congress in 2006.

The horse meat will most likely be exported to Europe and Asia since most cultures in America do not consume horse meet. States like California have strict laws on consuming horse meat and are still expected to remain in full force despite the Congressional ruling.

The majority of Americans still view horses as pets and are publicly protesting this ruling. However, advocates for horse slaughtering have stated that because of this ban, sick or lame horses have been left abandoned or had to be shipped to Canada or Mexico where they could be slaughtered.

The last horse slaughterhouse was closed in 2007 in Illinois, which is another state with strict horse consumption laws. However, since the ban, states like Colorado have shown that horse neglect has gone up 60% since prior to the ban in 2006.

The USDA said they would inspect any horse slaughter house upon opening, to ensure that they met federal laws. The horse slaughtering industry is expected to bring in over sixty million dollars per year and is expected to be up in running within two to three months. As of now, many citizens and animal rights activists across the nation are trying to fight this ruling.