Wild horse waiting at auction house

Many of our readers have been asking about the Safeguard America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE Act). SAFE is basically a simple amendment to existing law that adds equines to prohibitions on transporting and slaughtering for human consumption dogs and cats.

This legislation has had massive support in Congress, but never comes out of committee for a floor vote necessary to pass the text into law. At the end of each 2-year session of Congress the bill dies, as it did last session, and needs to be reintroduced.

SAFE was reintroduced (and sponsored by) today by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in the Senate and Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) in the House. The introduced legislation would permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and would also prohibit the export of live horses to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses to be sold overseas. The lawmakers hope to include the SAFE Act as part of the 2025 Farm Bill when it is considered by Congress later this year.

At this time there is no bill number to pass on to you. We will keep you updated and give you an action item soon.

Most Americans support this bill. Opposition each year from the livestock lobby and a small confederation of tribes has kept this bill stagnating in committee for decades.

Passage of the SAFE Act would impact wild horses and burros after they have been adopted or sold and title transfers. Once title transfers, a wild horse or burro loses any protection under the !971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and is treated as a domestic under law.

Introduction of a bill does not create urgently needed protections for our wild horses and burros in holding facilities that sit in the target zone of budget cuts.

We urge you to contact your lawmakers if you have not made the call yet.

Making a call might not seem like much. However, aides keep track of the number of calls that come in and the related subject matter. With so much going on, simply registering the words “protect wild horses and burros” informs your lawmakers that this issue is one that is important and will impact your votes in 2 years during the next round of Congressional elections.

Call the Congressional Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representatives. Tell them: Public lands must be left in the public domain and not given away or sold. Wild horses and burros on the range and in holding must not be killed or sold to slaughter.

Learn more HERE.

We need your support to keep our critical work alive. We must keep active litigation running to conclusion and launch new cases as needed to keep a strong line of defense. 

WHE has been offered a generous Match Challenge to keep our team in the field and to fund the battle in the courts. The Match Challenge will double contributions dollar-for-dollar through March 5, the birthday of Velma Johnston (Wild Horse Annie), up to $5,000. 

All of our work is only possible with your support. We thank you for keeping the critical work we do at WHE running for our wild ones.