Congress Must Act: More Horses are Being Sent to Foreign Slaughterhouses

The bipartisan support of 223 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are backing a bill to end horse slaughter will mean little if the bill is not brought up for a vote.

Help America's horses

• Click here to send a message urging your members to call for a vote on the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act.
• Call your senators and representative at (202) 224-3121. Urge them to cosponsor the SAFE Act to ban horse slaughter, if they aren't already, and push for a vote.

Why It's So Important

At least 24,188 American equines were shipped to Mexican or Canadian slaughterhouses during 2025 — a 21% increase from a year earlier. That number of does not include November and December figures for Canada, which are not yet available.

 The year-over-year increase is a sobering reminder of the need to push Congress to pass the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act. The bipartisan SAFE Act would ban the export of equines for slaughter and impose a lasting ban on slaughter here at home.

 We continue to seek every opportunity to pass a ban, including working to have the same anti-slaughter language included in the Farm Bill.

Thank you to everyone who keeps writing and calling in support of this important legislation. Thank you to our lobbyist and advocacy team for their ongoing efforts.

Please consider a donation to our Wild Horse Defense Fund, which fuels our lobbying, grassroots advocacy and selective litigation.

Register Now for Photo Workshops, Opening Day, Tours and More!

Registration is underway for our 2025 programs, all of which benefit the rescued wild horses in our sanctuary’s care.

This year, we will be hosting not one but two special Photography Workshops and Safaris with Editing Labs, April 1-3 and May 31-June 5, led by Lori Sortino, Cathy Wallace and Deb Hofstetter.

Early bird registration fees are available for the workshops are available until Jan. 31.

 Other scheduled events:

• Opening Day and Spirit’s Birthday, May 9, in Lompoc
• Walk a Day with the Herd in San Luis Obispo, a special full-day event on May 30
• Tours of our Lompoc headquarters on scheduled dates from May-August
• Photo safaris and herd immersion in San Luis Obispo on scheduled dates from May-August
• Family Days in Lompoc on July 11 and August 1