Animal Advocates Condemn BLM Over Wild Horse Slaughter Sales

Animal advocates are condemning the Bureau of Land Management following a New York Times report alleging that hundreds of wild horses have been sold to slaughterhouses since Donald Trump took office. While the agency maintains it does not sell animals to kill buyers, the report claims some buyers purchased horses for as little as $25 per head at agency events before selling them to Canadian slaughterhouses for up to $750 each through third-party middlemen.

Data indicates a sharp increase in sales, rising from approximately 1,500 horses in 2024 to 3,718 in 2025. Evidence cited in the report includes photographs of branded horses at Canadian slaughterhouses and the tracking of more than 50 mustangs sold at an Oklahoma event that later appeared at distant livestock auctions.

Humane World for Animals has accused the agency of betraying its responsibility to ensure that wild horses and burros are placed in reputable homes. The organization claims the agency has instead set the stage for the animals' betrayal and deaths.