Organizations Raise Concerns That Federally Protected Wild Horses and Burros Are Entering the Slaughter Pipeline Through BLM's Sales Authority Program

EAST NORWICH, N.Y., June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Coalition of Advocacy Organizations Calls on Congress to Audit Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse Sales Program.

Various organizations are expressing worries that wild horses and burros, which are under federal protection, are being funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the Bureau of Land Management's Sales Authority Program.

This day, Rewilding America Now (RAN), supported by, The Cloud Foundation, RJF Equine, Save Our Wild Horses, Carol Walker and Sweet Grass advocacy, appealed to Congress to commence an official investigation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) into the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Sales Authority Program, particularly its utilization of "sales without limitations."  Read full letter to congress.

This request arises from escalating worries that the Sales Authority Program's insufficient protections are facilitating the sale of federally safeguarded wild horses and burros via auction routes, which ultimately results in their slaughter, even in the presence of long-established congressional mandates designed to preclude such events.

Unlike the BLM's Adoption Program, which includes protections designed to safeguard animal welfare, the Sales Authority Program allows immediate transfer of title to buyers. These buyers—often acting as brokers—may then resell animals with little to no oversight. Critics argue that this loophole has enabled a troubling secondary market in which horses purchased from the federal government for as little as $25 are resold for up to $1,200, frequently ending up in the slaughter pipeline.

This industry involves brokers, shippers, and kill buyers who profit from the resale of federally protected animals. Advocacy organizations have documented numerous cases in which horses sold through the program were later identified in auction houses and kill pens, raising serious concerns about the program's transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.

"This is a betrayal of both the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and the American taxpayers who fund these programs," said Manda Kalimian, Founder of Rewilding America Now. "That law recognizes wild horses and burros as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West and mandates their protection. Yet today, we are seeing those very animals funneled into a system that too often leads to their destruction."

Public sentiment remains strongly opposed to horse slaughter. Polling consistently shows that most Americans support the humane protection of wild horses and burros and oppose their slaughter for commercial purposes.

BLM itself has acknowledged concerns regarding horses entering slaughter channels. Recently, the agency invalidated the sale of horses that were discovered at the New Holland Auction in Pennsylvania, a well-known gateway to slaughter buyers. Advocates argue, however, that such interventions are rare exceptions rather than evidence of meaningful oversight.

Over the past decade, tens of thousands of wild horses may have entered similar circumstances, yet little effort has been made to track or recover animals after title has been transferred. Currently, the BLM does not provide consistent post-sale monitoring to ensure the long-term welfare of horses sold through the program.

Rewilding America Now, along with its associated groups, is appealing to Congress for intervention. Proponents contend that without greater accountability and more stringent oversight, animals under federal protection will continue to be funneled into the slaughter system.

Linda Grieves, Co-Founder of Save America's Wild Horses, added her support to the campaign:

"Save America's Wild Horses is committed to protecting wild horses and burros on our public lands and raising awareness of their plight. Together, we can ensure they remain free and receive humane management and care."

"The growing number of federally protected mustangs entering kill pens demonstrates a failure of the system intended to protect them," said Jenni Sloan, President of RFJ Equine. "The Bureau of Land Management must evaluate horses' welfare after removal from public rangelands and ensure humane outcomes following adoption or sale."

Carol Walker, Founder of Wild Hoofbeats, added:

"The BLM's aggressive use of the Sales Authority Program is a betrayal of our wild horses. These sentient beings do not deserve to end their lives in the slaughter pipeline."

Kerry Ferguson, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation, emphasized the need for transparency:

"Americans care deeply about the fate of our wild horses and burros. The public deserves confidence that animals removed from the range and placed into federal programs will not ultimately end up in the slaughter pipeline. Greater transparency and oversight can help ensure that the protections promised to these animals are protections they actually receive."

Rewilding America Now and its coalition partners have formally submitted a request to Congress calling for a comprehensive audit of the BLM Sales Authority Program. The proposed audit would investigate whether the program is:

• Undermining congressional directives prohibiting slaughter
• Failing to enforce its own safeguards and protections
• Misrepresenting the fate of wild horses and burros to Congress and the public

Read the full letter to Congress here:

About Rewilding America Now

Rewilding America Now (RAN) works to conserve and restore North America's landscapes through innovative rewilding initiatives, with a focus on wild horses as a keystone species. Through science-based research, partnerships with Tribal Nations, and the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, RAN advocates for public policies that protect wild horses and native ecosystems while advancing groundbreaking rewilding projects.

Rewilding America Now is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and a member of the Global Rewilding Alliance.

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Website: Rewilding America Now

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