Congress must save America’s mustangs from cruel death for profit enabled by BLM
WASHINGTON (August 20, 2026)—Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund condemn the Bureau of Land Management’s enabling of a pathway that has resulted in circumvention of the longstanding congressional prohibition on wild horse slaughter. This comes in the wake of a New York Times story which reports that thousands of wild horses and burros have been sold to slaughterhouses across our borders since early 2025.
The New York Times account suggests that 3,700 wild horses were sold in 2025, more than double the number sold in past years. The reporting details how Ohio livestock trader Brandon Jones acquired around 500 wild horses from BLM. Then, the Times alleges, he appears to have sold many to slaughter through clandestine contacts and channels. The article suggests the BLM approved his application to acquire these animals despite warning signs.
“The BLM has failed in its responsibility to ensure that the nation’s wild horses and burros go to reputable homes and has instead set the stage for their betrayal and deaths,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. “Even one wild horse or burro slipping through the cracks is unacceptable. But hundreds or thousands of them dying is a travesty. Congress has missed several opportunities to ban the export and killing of horses and burros permanently, and it should not let this moment pass without doing so.”
A terrible pattern of negligence at the BLM has resulted in the killing of other wild horses—for years. A 2015 report by the Department of Interior’s Office of the Inspector General investigated similar allegations and found that the agency “did not follow current law while managing [wild horses and bureaus]. BLM also failed to follow its own policy of limiting horse sales and ensuring that the horses sold went to good homes and were not slaughtered.”
While the BLM claims to have taken steps to crack down on bad actors seeking to send mustangs to slaughter, the Trump administration has also signaled support for removing longstanding protections that prohibit that BLM from selling horses to slaughter or killing them outright.
“The Trump administration and the Bureau of Land Management are way out of sync with the opinions and values of the American people. Americans do not want to see horses sold to slaughter, and for years the Congress has recognized this by prohibiting such action. It’s outrageous to see a federal agency charged with the protection of these iconic animals standing by as truckloads are sent to slaughter. This flies in the face of public opinion and is an utter abdication of responsibility,” said Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund. “Congress must act to prevent American horses from being sold to slaughterhouses across our borders. The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act would end this despicable practice for good.”
Read more about wild horses and burros on Animals and Politics.
Media Contact: Emily Gugel, 202-779-1814, egugel@humaneworld.org
