Supreme Court to weigh in on California downer law
Arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court over Califoria's livestock downer law are set to begin on Nov. 9. At issue is whether California has the authority to ban the slaughter of animals too sick or hurt to stand., reports the Press-Enterprise.
The law was passed in 2008 and barred California's meat packers and slaughterhouses from selling, buying, butchering or holding non-ambulatory animals. The law was prompted by the Westland/Hallmark animal abuse case, where beatings of downer cattle by company employees were secretly videotaped. At the time, most downer cattle were rejected from the food supply, but they could still be slaughtered for beef after approval from a federal veterinary inspector.