Saturday, March 30, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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With recent budget cuts to the Bureau of Land Management, there is a risk that it may resort to mass sterilization, which is not the same as contraceptive darting. The former is terribly invasive and risky, causing some horses to bleed out.
There is also fear that conditions in holding pens, which are already unsuitable, may get worse. Horses may also be at increased risk of not receiving adequate food or vet care and of going to slaughter.
Despite there being no horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. anymore, it is still legal for buyers to take horses across the border to meat-processing plants to get around federal or state bans.
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., is to be commended for her efforts to pass the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023, which addresses dangerous roundups and encourages more humane and cost-effective alternatives to the management of wild horses and burros.
These animals are iconic to the Southwest and need our protection. Hopefully, Titus’ colleagues will agree on the significance of this important legislation.
The writer is founder of Animal Protection Affiliates.
