Buchanan Demands Answers in Illegal Slaughter of 1,800 Horses
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-FL, has taken a firm stand against the illegal slaughter of 1,800 American horses. In a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Buchanan demands answers on how these horses ended up in a Mexican slaughterhouse, violating federal law. This incident highlights significant failures by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in their duty to protect these iconic animals.
The slaughtered horses were under the care of the BLM, which failed in its duty to provide good homes and humane care to the animals, according to a report by the Inspector General for the Department of the Interior.
“It is unacceptable that BLM’s disregard of the law resulted in the use of taxpayer funds to facilitate the inhumane slaughter of iconic American wildlife,” said Buchanan.
The Inspector General’s report concluded that BLM allowed an individual livestock hauler to purchase 1,794 horses between 2008 and 2012. Using intermediaries, he then sold the majority of these animals to slaughterhouses in Mexico for considerable profit. It is illegal for BLM to be involved in any way in the slaughter of healthy horses, including the sale of horses to an individual who then sells the animals for slaughter.
In April 2015, Buchanan introduced the bipartisan SAFE Act (H.R. 1942), which permanently bans killing horses for human consumption in America.
Buchanan has long been a leader in the fight against animal cruelty and has been recognized by the Humane Society as a “Legislative Leader” for his work on animal welfare issues.