A Meat and Dairy Article used with permission from All-Creatures.org

In Defense of Animals reports on the withdrawal of plans for a slaughterhouse in Jacksonville, Florida—a decisive victory for the animals and the thousands of advocates who expressed their opposition to the facility.

Community Outcry Wins as Slaughterhouse Plan Withdrawn
From Staff, IDA In Defense of Animals, idausa.org
November 2025

Images from Canva

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2025) — Jacksonville residents, allies, and advocacy groups scored a decisive victory as the slaughterhouse proposal at 11153 Beach Blvd was officially withdrawn following widespread public outrage. Community members spoke out against the proposed animal killing facility, galvanizing residents to pressure the developer to abandon the plan.

In Defense of Animals, in collaboration with Solutionary Species and other advocates, mobilized over 13,000 concerned citizens to send emails, submit public records requests, and make calls to the Jacksonville Planning Commission, City Council, and Public Affairs Office. Additional residents organized protests and gave testimony at two Planning Commission meetings, emphasizing threats to public health and wellbeing, environmental impacts, and animal abuse.

“The volume and passion of public opposition to this proposal shows that people are waking up to the reality of these horrific facilities," said Lia Wilbourn, Farmed Animals Campaign Coordinator from In Defense of Animals. “Slaughterhouses don’t belong anywhere. They inflict unspeakable cruelty and killing on animals, individuals who feel pain, fear, and fight for their lives. This is a win for compassion and justice. No animal should be exploited for unnecessary products, no human should have to kill animals for a living, and our planet needs healing—not the violence and environmental harm caused by animal agriculture.”

Mohammad Faisal, the Jacksonville developer who previously withdrew his slaughterhouse plan last year after strong community opposition, attempted once again to bring slaughter operations to Jacksonville, ignoring repeated calls from residents and advocates for compassion, sustainability, and public safety. After months of community pressure and negotiations with the applicants, City Council President Ken Carrico announced that the slaughterhouse project has been defeated and the owners will remove the animal-processing use from their rezoning.

The announcement follows intense public scrutiny over the project’s connection to Ali Meats, an Orlando-area facility previously investigated by Animal Recovery Mission (ARM). While local officials and an attorney recently inspected the facility and found it seemingly well-managed, a prior three-month undercover investigation documented 41 alleged felony acts of animal cruelty, including brutal killing methods.

“We are overjoyed that our community came together once more to stop a slaughterhouse. I’m proud of every neighbor, every activist, and every person who cared enough to make their voice heard. We said we’d fight every step of the way — and we won,” said Shannon Blair, founder of Solutionary Species.

This victory serves as a reminder of how collaborative civic engagement and grassroots organizing can protect what matters most and hold those in power accountable. The inherent cruelty, community harm, and environmental devastation caused by animal agribusiness must be brought to light. Communities don’t need slaughterhouses; they need solutions rooted in compassion, ecological responsibility, and collective wellbeing.

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Posted on All-Creatures: November 14, 2025
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