Congressional Leaders Call on Appropriators to Uphold Wild Horse Slaughter Ban in FY26 Budget

Congressional Leaders Call on Appropriators to Uphold Wild Horse Slaughter Ban in FY26 Budget
AWHC and AWI Commend Bipartisan Push to Protect America’s Wild Horses and Burros

WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) and Animal Welfare Institute today applauded a bipartisan coalition of Congressional leaders for taking a strong stand for America’s iconic wild horses and burros. In a letter addressed to the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees, all nine bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus and Congressional Animal Protection Caucus urged the continued inclusion of critical language in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that prohibits the commercial destruction and lethal management of federally protected wild equines.

Led by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), and joined by Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Steve Cohen (D-TN, Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Sharice Davids (D-KS) and supported on the Appropriations Committee by Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), the letter expresses grave concern that the FY26 budget appendix omitted longstanding protections against slaughter and included language that would allow the transfer of wild horses and burros to any person, organization or foreign government with no safeguards for the animals. 

“This strong bipartisan appeal from Congress reflects the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter and support humane, science-based management,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of AWHC. “We commend these lawmakers for speaking out at this critical moment and call on appropriators to reject the dangerous policy shifts proposed in the Trump Administration’s budget.”

“The proposed budget poses an existential threat to federally protected wild horses by removing protections against slaughter and lethal control, presenting a real risk that these beloved animals could be killed en masse,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute. “The leaders of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus and Congressional Animal Protection Caucus have sent a clear message: These long-standing, widely supported protections cannot simply disappear.”

The members also endorsed expanding the use of proven, safe fertility control as a sustainable alternative to mass removals and killing. They noted that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has previously stated it “care[s] deeply” about wild horse welfare and does not send horses to slaughter—a policy that should be codified in law.

Last month, a record number of representatives called for humane, wild horse management of the nation’s herds. The bipartisan letter, led by Rep. Titus requested language that would require the BLM to spend at least 10% of the $140+-million-dollar Wild Horse and Burro Program budget to implement humane fertility control in at least five additional Herd Management Areas (HMAs).  If BLM spent just 10% of its budget on humane fertility control, it would save $249 million taxpayer dollars.   

“The fight for wild horse protections has never been more urgent,” Roy added. “We urge Congress to adopt the humane transfer and treatment language outlined in this letter and ensure that no healthy wild horse or burro is sold or destroyed under the guise of management.”

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‍American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit wild horse conservation organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America’s wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horse fertility control program in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.

The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.