Long Island Advocates Urge Congress to Protect Wild Horses
Long Island-based wild horse advocates are rallying against a controversial proposal in Congress that threatens the lives of thousands of mustangs. The proposal, which would authorize the euthanization of these iconic animals, has sparked significant opposition from animal rights groups and concerned citizens alike.
The CANA Foundation, a nonprofit horse rescue organization in Locust Valley, has condemned the proposal as inhumane. U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) is actively exploring ways to block the measure in Congress, where it has been advanced by the Republican majority.
“It’s offensive to me, the idea of slaughtering these beautiful animals,” Suozzi stated during a news conference outside CANA’s stable, which houses 12 rescued horses.
The issue mirrors the debate over managing white-tailed deer on the East End of Long Island and Fire Island, where deer, like wild horses in the West, are symbolic. Both are often blamed for environmental degradation, but animal rights activists argue that human encroachment is the real issue. Notably, a 1971 law prohibits the federal government from slaughtering wild horses.
“It costs taxpayers $100 million annually to maintain these horses in holding facilities, primarily to free up land for agro-farming, big business, and initiatives like oil fracking that benefit only a small elite,” said CANA Foundation President Manda Kalimian. “The systematic slaughter of America’s wild horses is a threat to our democracy and public lands.”
The current debate centers on an amendment to a 2018 appropriations bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. This amendment would allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to euthanize thousands of previously rounded-up, unhealthy wild horses. While BLM has offered some horses for adoption, past practices have led to some being slaughtered. CANA is collaborating with Native American tribes to encourage the adoption of more wild horses.
U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) is reportedly co-sponsoring legislation to block the amendment. Some Republicans who supported the controversial amendment claim they did so to encourage horse advocates to agree to using birth control on wild horses, similar to past deer population control efforts.
“If we really don’t want to kill them—which I agree with—then we need to seriously support birth control measures to align reproduction rates with what the ecosystem can sustain,” said U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) to the Reno-Gazette Journal.
Originally posted by Long Island Press