On Sept. 23, Tim Curry, district attorney of Tarrant County, Texas, filed a notice of appeal in the case that many thought would have permitted the slaughter of horses in Texas.

A month earlier, U.S. District Judge Terry Means ruled that the possession of horse meat for sale for human consumption was not illegal under Texas law. The judge also issued a permanent injunction against Curry to enjoin him from prosecuting the plaintiffs for violating chapter 149 of the Texas Agriculture Code. The plaintiffs in this case were the two Texas-based equine slaughter plants–Beltex in Fort Worth and Dallas Crown in Kaufman–and one Mexican-based plant, Empacadora de Carnes de Fresnillo, which ships horse meat internationally from Texas airports.