First NY arrest under 2024 horse-slaughter ban signals crackdown

New York state police stopped a truck in St. Lawrence County carrying 25 slaughter-bound horses from Rotz Livestock of Pennsylvania, marking the first arrest under the 2024 ban on selling or transporting horses for slaughter; investigators linked the shipment to a Canada-bound pipeline and traced activity through New York with help from Animals’ Angels and partners. The horses were taken to a veterinary clinic for care and will be put up for adoption, while charges against the driver and potential action against Rotz Livestock are being considered, illustrating cross-agency cooperation to curb an interstate horse-slaughter pipeline.