Sen. Feinstein Urges Investigation into Wild Horse Slaughter Claims
California Senator Dianne Feinstein has joined forces with advocacy groups to call on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to investigate alarming claims regarding the fate of wild horses and burros in a federal adoption program. Reports suggest that some of these animals have ended up at auctions where they could be sold for slaughter.
In a to Haaland, Feinstein expressed her "great concern" over findings reported by The New York Times, which indicated that potentially "truckloads" of adopted wild horses have been sent to auctions frequented by buyers for slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.
The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) recently submitted a comprehensive report to Haaland. This report, compiled with three other horse advocacy groups, documented that at least 79 wild horses and one burro removed from federal rangelands ended up at these auctions in the past year (Greenwire, May 20).
The report also provided evidence that at least 18 of these wild horses were adopted in the past two years through the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) adoption incentive program, which pays individuals to adopt the animals.
Feinstein urged the BLM to "immediately suspend this program and conduct a thorough investigation to ensure federal funds are used to protect wild horses and burros against abuse, neglect, or slaughter, as intended by Congress."
Despite adopters signing contracts swearing not to sell adopted wild horses and burros for slaughter, reports suggest that some have done so, and the BLM has not fully enforced its contracts to prevent repeat offenders from adopting again.
Feinstein highlighted that fiscal 2021 appropriations legislation prohibits the Interior Department from using federal funds for the destruction of wild horses and burros or their sale without ensuring they do not end up in slaughterhouses.
"Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and I look forward to working with you to ensure humane outcomes for wild horses and burros," Feinstein concluded in her letter to Haaland.
The BLM and the Interior Department have not publicly commented on the specific slaughter claims related to the adoption incentive program. An Interior Department spokesperson declined to comment on Feinstein's letter or her request to suspend the program.
The program offers $1,000 to individuals who adopt one of the 51,000 wild horses held in off-range holding facilities. Participants receive $500 upfront and another $500 a year later, after a follow-up review confirms proper care and title transfer to the adopter.
American Wild Horse Conservation officials stated that Haaland has not yet responded to their ongoing request for an investigation into the slaughter claims. Holly Gann Bice, the group's director of government relations, expressed gratitude for Feinstein's support, stating, "We join the senator in calling for an immediate suspension of the [adoption] program and urge the Interior Department to halt the Trump administration's accelerated roundup program that is fueling the slaughter of America's iconic mustangs and burros."