California Attorney General Warns Against Sale of Wild Horses for Slaughter
November 13, 2018
OAKLAND, Calif. - California’s attorney general has issued a warning to federal officials against selling wild horses to slaughterhouse buyers, stating it would violate state law.
Recently, the U.S. Forest Service has been rounding up wild horses from the Devil's Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory in the Modoc National Forest, northeast California. The area is meant to support up to 400 horses, but the population had surged to nearly 4,000.
Last week, Modoc announced the completion of the horse capture, with 932 horses rounded up. Some will be available for adoption at an event on Friday and Saturday.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra expressed concerns over the U.S. Forest Service's plan to sell older horses, potentially to slaughterhouses, after January 10, 2019.
Becerra emphasized that “California law prohibits the possession or sale of horses with the intent of using them for human consumption,” a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
While the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees most of America's wild horses and burros, prohibits selling them to slaughterhouses, the Forest Service falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which lacks such restrictions.
The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) claims the government is exploiting a legal loophole, risking the slaughter of hundreds of animals.
The organization estimates that 300 animals will be sold without limitations for $1 each, enabling buyers to purchase large numbers weekly until depleted.
In a stern letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen, Becerra warned that selling the state’s wild horses for slaughter is illegal.
“To slaughter for commercial consumption mustangs that have roamed California for over a century is not only atrocious, but unlawful,” Becerra stated. “These majestic animals captivate the imagination and symbolize the rugged independence of the American West.”
An email to the Forest Service requesting comment went unanswered.
Originally posted by KTVU