Stop the Execution Order for Wild Horses and Burros
Wild horses and burros are facing the greatest peril since the mid twentieth century, when hundreds of thousands were run down or shot from helicopters and made into pet food. The government is now making moves to gut legal protections intended to stop mass wild horse killings so they can kill wild equines and push them to the brink of extinction. We can't let this happen!
The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act gives wild horses and burros the right to live freely on public lands, but they now occupy only a small fraction, while cows and sheep are grazed by ranchers on the vast majority. The Bureau of Land Management has removed wild equines from 22 million acres historically designated for their use and continues the relentless roundups that are dangerous for horses and expensive for taxpayers. This failed policy causes population spikes and leads to more suffering.
The majority of Americans oppose equine slaughter and want wild horses and burros to be protected, not eradicated.
In July, the House Appropriations Committee flouted the will of the people under the guise of cost-saving and "population control." It approved an amendment by Representative Chris Stewart of Utah that authorizes "euthanizing" healthy wild horses and burros, unlimited selling of those held captive including sending them to slaughterhouses, and lethally removing "excess" wild horses on the range.
In essence, the House version of the 2018 budget bill for the Department of Interior calls for government-sponsored extinction of wild horses and burros.
Lawmakers who approved the mass horse execution are doing the bidding of the ranchers, extractive industry executives, and trophy hunters who want to use more and more of our public lands for their private gain. This rich, greedy lobby put its muscle and money into persuading House members to choose eradication and slaughter.
Supporters of In Defense of Animals and allied advocate organizations have spoken up, but we are in an uphill fight. In a few days, the Senate Appropriations Committee will decide whether or not America's wild horses and burros will fall victims to this despicable plan. We can make a difference with bold, timely action!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1) If your senator is on the Appropriations Committee, please call his/her office. If your state is not represented on the committee, call one of more of the key senators starred. State your name, telephone number and organization you're affiliated with, if any. Be courteous and respectful.
You may wish to say:
Wild horses and burros are living memorials to our history and love of freedom. They do not deserve to pay with their lives for government mismanagement. Americans do not want to go back to the days of mass extermination.
Please reject the House-passed Stewart amendment language. I ask you to maintain the Congressional ban on killing or euthanizing healthy wild horses and burros and on unlimited sales of captive animals. We want solutions, not slaughter!
Senator |
Phone |
(CHAIR) Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) |
202-224-5054 |
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) |
202-224-5744 |
* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) |
202-224-6665 |
Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) |
202-224-4843 |
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) |
202-224-3841 |
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) |
202-224-4041 |
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) |
202-224-5042 |
* Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) |
202-224-3041 |
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HW) |
202-224-3934 |
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) |
202-224-2152 |
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) |
202-224-6521 |
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) |
202-224-2541 |
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) |
202-224-4623 |
* Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) |
202-224-2523 |
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) |
202-224-4654 |
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) |
202-224-5721 |
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) |
202-224-2644 |
Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) |
202-224-2651 |
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) |
202-224-2841 |
* (RANKING) Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) |
202-224-6621 |
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) |
202-224-2551 |
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) |
202-224-5754 |
* Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) |
202-224-3753 |
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) |
202-224-4642 |
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) |
202-224-5972 |
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) |
202-224-4944 |
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) |
202-224-0238 |
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) |
202-224-2621 |
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) |
202-224-5653 |
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) |
202-224-6472 |
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) |
202-224-3954 |
2. Submit our letter, by filling out the form on the right-hand side of this page, adding your personal touch. By clicking, your comments will be sent to all members of the Committee.