ued ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁protect ing ▁animals ▁from ▁cruel ▁treatment ”, ▁the ▁result ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁different . ▁ ▁Sub sequ ent ▁develop ments ▁Some what ▁similarly ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁a ▁freedom ▁of ▁religion ▁case ▁related ▁to ▁animal ▁sacrifice ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Circ uit ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Mer ced ▁v . ▁K ass on . ▁Mer ced ▁was ▁a ▁San ter ia ▁priest ▁and ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁T emplo ▁Y or uba ▁O mo ▁Or ish a ▁Texas , ▁Inc ., ▁a ▁San ter ia ▁religious ▁group . ▁He ▁challeng ed ▁E ul ess , ▁Texas ▁city ▁ordin ances ▁prohib iting ▁the ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁four - leg ged ▁animals . ▁The ▁court ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁ordin ances ▁" subst ant ial ly ▁bur den ▁pla int iff ' s ▁free ▁exercise ▁of ▁religion ▁without ▁adv ancing ▁a ▁comp elling ▁government al ▁interest ▁using ▁the ▁least ▁restrict ive ▁means " ▁and ▁that ▁Mer ced ▁was ▁entitled ▁under ▁the ▁Texas ▁Relig ious ▁Fre edom ▁Rest oration ▁Act ▁( TR F RA ) ▁to ▁an ▁inj unction ▁prevent ing ▁the ▁city ▁from ▁enfor cing ▁its ▁ordin ances ▁that ▁bur den ed ▁his ▁religious ▁practices ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁animals . ▁The ▁court ▁did ▁not ▁reach ▁Mer ced ' s ▁claims ▁under ▁the ▁First ▁and ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ments . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁cases , ▁volume