A Landmark Victory for Wild Horses and AWHC's Fight Against the AIP

On March 3, we secured a major legal win against the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which paid adopters $1,000 per horse to adopt up to four untamed wild horses per person. A federal judge struck down the program in response to a lawsuit filed by AWHC and Skydog Sanctuary, leading the BLM to suspend it days later.

The court’s decision affirmed what we’ve long argued: the slaughter of wild horses was “fairly traceable” to the AIP. This conclusion was drawn from evidence uncovered in AWHC’s investigative report, which led to a front-page New York Times exposé and congressional scrutiny.

The program’s financial incentives created a direct pipeline to slaughter, with adopters exploiting the system—collecting taxpayer-funded payments while sending horses to kill auctions once they received title. This ruling is a pivotal step forward, marking the culmination of AWHC’s five-year effort to end this program that has had devastating consequences for wild horses and burros.

Now, our work shifts toward promoting responsible adoption policies—including replacing cash incentives with veterinary vouchers, a solution recommended by a BLM multi-stakeholder working group three years ago. This includes being ready to counter any attempt to use the program’s suspension as justification for lifting the current ban on wild horse slaughter, which must be reauthorized in the annual appropriations bill.

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Stay tuned for more ways to be involved with AWHC and in protecting our iconic wild horses and burros!