FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 23, 2024
CONTACT: Melvin Soto, melvin.soto@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) has taken a crucial step in animal protection by introducing the Wild Horse Integrity and Slaughter Prevention Act. This act is a necessary amendment to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, aiming to provide criminal penalties for acquiring horses and burros for commercial product purposes.

This bill creates a more efficient adoption process for wild horses and burros through the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption and Sales program by significantly reducing the waiting period for adoptions from one year to six months, ensuring full animal ownership. Moreover, it serves as a strong deterrent against the sale of these animals to foreign slaughterhouses, making it a felony to knowingly transfer a wild horse or burro for processing into commercial products.

“Although the United States has banned horse slaughter facilities, many individuals are still seeking to circumvent our laws and profit off of these federally-protected animals by shipping them off to slaughterhouses abroad,” said Congresswoman Luna. “My bill would incentivize the adoption of wild horses and burros to individuals who truly seek to care for the animals while disincentivizing criminals seeking to adopt the animals for nefarious purposes by charging them with a felony.”

You can read the bill here: https://luna.house.gov/Wild-Horses-Act

Website: luna.house.gov | X: @RepLuna | Instagram: @RepLuna 

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