FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: media@idausa.org (415) 448 0048

10,000 Demand Justice for Colorado Wild Horses Illegally Slaughtered by Rancher

- Colorado rancher sold over 1,700 wild horses for slaughter in Mexico

- Government agency BLM spent $140,000 of taxpayer money to transport horses

- 10,275 people so far have called on the Attorney General to deliver justice

Conejos County, Colorado (April 27, 2016) Over 10,000 people have joined In Defense of Animals to call on the US Attorney General to deal justice to a Colorado rancher and government agency involved in sending over 1,700 wild horses to their brutal deaths in Mexico.

Rancher and livestock hauler Tom Davis purchased 1,794 wild horses through the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program, then willingly sold them to be slaughtered in Mexico. The actions were conducted over a period of four years, and contravene a Congressional ban that protects wild horses and Bureau policy.

“The overwhelming response to our alert shows that the public will not tolerate BLM’s attempts to wash its hands clean of the blood of thousands of wild horses,” said Dr Marilyn Kroplick, President of In Defense of Animals. “It is unacceptable that these majestic horses have been ruthlessly exploited by a greedy rancher using taxpayers’ money. We call on the United States Department of Justice to prosecute Davis and show that horse killers will not be tolerated.”

An investigation conducted by the Department of the Interior determined that government agency BLM spent more than $140,000 of taxpayer money transporting horses to Davis between 2008 and 2012. During the investigation, Davis opined that “BLM had to know that the horses would end up at a slaughterhouse”. The report reveals that Davis bought horses for just $10 and sold them for $100, and made tens of thousands of dollars in profit.

Despite the damning findings, both the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the State of Colorado Conejos County District Attorney’s Office have declined civil and criminal prosecution and the BLM has stated that it will take no further action specific to Mr Davis.

“Wild horses are protected by law, and the government agency BLM is committing criminal acts by taking them,” said wild horse advocate and Meet America TV Producer Annie Griffin. “With my own eyes, I have seen the terror and suffering of our wild horses, a symbol of our American freedom, as they are rounded up and sent to slaughter. Attorney General Loretta Lynch must pass justice on the BLM thugs and force them to return taxpayer money spent sending horses to a known horse-slaughter seller.”

The horse killing open letter to the Department of Justice can be read and signed here http://bit.ly/horsejustice

### ENDS ###

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.