by Carol Walker, Dir. of Field Documentation, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

BLM has announced it will be removing 2200 wild horses from the Red Desert Complex, starting in October 2017.  This would be after the Checkerboard Roundup, where the BLM is planning to remove 1560 wild horses starting in September.  This means 3760 wild horses will be removed from their homes and from their families, and this is over half the wild horses remaining in Wyoming.

This is insane.  Right now, Congress is considering the 2018 Budget which now includes language that will allow the killing of the 46,000 wild horses in short and long term holding as well as thousands more on the range.

Adding 3760 more horses makes absolutely no sense.  There is nowhere to even put this number of horses in short term holding unless the BLM has already begun shipping wild horses in holding to slaughter.

Magnificent Nelson, rescued Wild American Mustang, © Photo by Terry Fitch

By Susan Wagner, Pres. of Equine Advocates

It is quite unbelievable that in the midst of all the turmoil taking place in our country now due to natural disasters that horse slaughter proponents in the House of Representatives and the special interests from whom they take their marching orders would move to satisfy their deadly agendas by voting to kill the more than 46,000 healthy Wild Horses and Burros being held captive in BLM holding facilities.

The Stewart Amendment, inserted in the House Omnibus Bill by Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, allows for the killing and sale “without regulation or limitation” (meaning to slaughter) of Wild Horses and Burros, thus removing any remaining federal protections they have.

The only hope left for these animals is for the U.S. Senate to act to protect them by passing the Udall-Graham Amendment…

Our thanks to Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nevada), Peter King (R-New York), Jared Polis, (D-Colorado), Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-New Mexico) for their efforts and for sponsoring the House Amendments that would have stopped the slaughter of tens of thousands of our wild horses and burros.

Unfortunately, the House Committee on Rules has voted down the amendments that were introduced to stop horse slaughter and the killing of tens of thousands of wild horses and burros.  The House Committee on Rules stopped these amendments from going to the House floor for a vote by all Representatives.

Our fight is not over.  We need to focus on the Senate.

Please fax (your letter will get to them quickly) even a simple handwritten note and/or make phone calls to your Senators, and tell them:

1) you do NOT want our wild horses and burros to be killed, “euthanized” or sterilized.