United States-Casualty (Downer) Cattle.

UNITED STATES- ANIMAL RIGHTS AND CASUALTY CATTLE.

Several animal-rights organizations signed on Tuesday to defend a new California law targeted by meat-industry groups in a recent federal lawsuit.

The law bans the sale or distribution of food made from livestock too ill or weak to stand. It arose from last year’s nationwide beef recall after a video showed workers abusing cows at a Chino slaughterhouse.

Two industry groups went to court last month to challenge key parts of the law as unconstitutional.

In its lawsuit, the National Meat Association argued that the state’s small-hog industry should be exempt from the law. In a follow-up filing, the American Meat Institute contended that most of the state law should be thrown out because it illegally pre-empts federal meat-inspection rules.

Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office is defending the state. His office has not filed a response to the industry suit.

Tuesday, the Humane Society of the U.S., Farm Sanctuary Inc., the Humane Farming Association and the Animal Legal Defense Fund made it clear that they will defend the law.

"While state defendants’ interest is the administration of their legal obligations on behalf of the general public, including the meat industry, proposed defendant-intervenors have a narrower interest in advocating for preventing cruelty to animals and protecting the safety of the food supply on behalf of their members," reads Tuesday’s motion.

Jeremy Russell, a spokesman for the National Meat Association, said the group expected the organizations’ involvement..