BLM Enables Wild Horse Sales to Slaughter, Sparking Outrage

Washington—Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund have condemned the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for facilitating a pathway that allows for the circumvention of a longstanding congressional prohibition on wild horse slaughter. A recent New York Times report details that thousands of wild horses and burros have been sold to slaughterhouses since early 2025.

Thousands Sold to Slaughter

The Times reports that approximately 3,700 wild horses were sold in 2025, more than double the number sold in previous years. Ohio livestock trader Brandon Jones acquired around 500 wild horses from the BLM and allegedly sold many to slaughter through clandestine channels, despite warning signs from the BLM.

BLM Criticized for Negligence

Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, stated, "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." Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund, added, "The Trump administration and the BLM are out of sync with the American people’s values. Americans do not want to see horses sold to slaughter, and Congress should act to prevent this."

Call for Legislative Action

The organizations are urging Congress to enact the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to permanently ban the export and killing of horses and burros. A 2015 report by the Department of Interior’s Office of the Inspector General found that the BLM had failed to follow current law and its own policy regarding horse sales and preventing slaughter.