Congress should reject severe proposal that abandons bipartisan protections and ignores humane, proven alternatives
WASHINGTON (June 4, 2025)—Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, sharply criticized the Trump administration’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal that would gut longstanding protections for wild horses and burros. The White House seeks to slash funding for humane management and remove safeguards that would open the door to the slaughter of federally protected wild horses and burros for the first time in decades.
This proposal, previewed in the Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership document produced by allies of President Donald Trump, threatens the lives of tens of thousands of federally protected wild horses and burros. While it may not explicitly mandate slaughter, Project 2025 lays out a clear policy framework that would open the door to mass removals and lethal outcomes for wild horses and burros, representing a stark break from the bipartisan consensus that has long protected these iconic animals.
“For decades, Americans have stood firmly against the slaughter of federally protected wild horses and burros. This proposal disregards scientific evidence, proven solutions and the clear voice of public opposition,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. “Wild horses and burros are symbols of freedom and resilience, and we must ensure the use of responsible and humane approaches to their management. Instead, this proposal puts them on the chopping block.”
“Velma Bronn Johnston, also known as Wild Horse Annie, who advocated for the protection of wild horses and burros from roundups for kills and lethal poisonings must be rolling in her grave,” said Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund. “The Trump Administration should not sidestep federal law to lift protections for these iconic horses and burros, and Congress has a responsibility to reject this short-sighted proposal.”
The president’s budget proposes a 25% cut to the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and seeks to eliminate the longstanding prohibition on slaughtering wild horses and burros. If enacted, this would reverse decades of hard-won protections and expose tens of thousands of animals to brutal, inhumane killing while doing nothing to address the core challenges of rangeland management.
“Creating a void on the range by killing these beacons of our country’s wild west heritage will only lead to a resurgence of the populations,” continued Amundson. “Congress must strengthen investments in humane, effective solutions that already exist, including fertility control, expanded adoption programs and responsible placement of horses. This approach has earned broad and growing support from a diverse coalition of wild horse and burro advocates, the ranching community, conservationists and land managers.”
Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund has long supported a humane, science-based management plan for wild horses. In partnership with other animal welfare leaders, wild horse and burro advocates, ranchers and land managers, we sought to replace outdated practices with a sustainable, non-lethal approach built on four pillars: large-scale fertility control, strategic gathers, rehoming to humane pastures and expanded, responsible adoptions.
Through one aspect of this program, Humane World for Animals has directly worked with the Bureau of Land Management to place some wild mustangs into permanent sanctuary at Black Beauty Ranch, our 1,400-acre refuge in Texas where rescued horses and other animals live out their lives in safety. The overall goal is to phase out mass removals and ensure humane, sustainable management of wild herds. Unfortunately, despite bipartisan support in Congress, the Bureau of Land Management—under both Democratic and Republican administrations—has never fully implemented the four-pillar plan. Now, rather than adopting a widely supported solution, the Trump Administration is proposing to slaughter wild horses and burros.
“We’ve long advocated for a scientifically backed plan that would right the sinking ship of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program,” added Block. “But now instead of embracing real change that the public has demanded, this budget proposal ignores those humane solutions."
Currently, more than 73,000 wild horses and burros roam public lands, with an additional 64,756 in government holding facilities. Ongoing environmental pressures and mismanagement have left the program in crisis, but proven solutions exist, and extermination is not one of them. Congress now faces an obvious choice and that is to protect these living icons of the American West.
Read more about how U.S. President Trump’s budget abandons wild horses and burros to a grim fate on the Humane World Action Fund Blog.
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Media Contact:
• Humane World for Animals: Emily Gugel, eehrhorn@humaneworld.org, 202-779-1814
• Humane World Action Fund: Liz Bartolomeo, ebartolomeo@humaneaction.org, 240-472-0475
About Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund
For over 70 years, the Humane World family has worked to tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering to permanent change. Formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and Humane Society Legislative Fund, we operate in over 50 countries with millions of supporters. Through advocacy, policy change, public education and direct care, we work to end the cruelest practices, care for animals in crisis and build a stronger animal protection movement. Together, we are creating a humane world.
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