Wild Horses in Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.

IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. Stop Horse Massacre in National Wildlife Refuge
Tell U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect horses, not slaughter
them

Displaying a gross misuse of power and a fundamental failure to
fulfill their conservation mandate, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) has gone ahead with their plan to remove as many as
1,200 wild horses living in Nevada's Sheldon National Wildlife
Refuge. FWS has done this without allowing the public to comment on
their plan even though the horses were removed from federally-owned
land at taxpayers' expense. Many of these horses are being "adopted"
in groups by horse brokers who will then send them to
slaughterhouses.

FWS claims the horses' removal is necessary to preserve the water
supply for antelope and sage grouse -- two species that happen to
bring revenue to the state from fees for special hunting permits.
Their intent is to increase the populations of these animals so that
hunters will have more animals to shoot. However, FWS based their
plan on an outdated environmental study done in 1978, and has so far
refused to conduct a legally-required Environmental Assessment to
scientifically justify the horses' removal. A more recent study done
by FWS determined that wild horses can live sustainably with
antelope and sage grouse in the refuge.

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American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 503) to be voted on in the House.

Since the fall of 2004, when the Burns rider put thousands of America’s wild horses at risk of slaughter, we have counted on your voice to help us speak out against the senseless slaughter of wild horses. Last year, we achieved a huge victory in the passage of a budget amendment that would have prevented the slaughter of wild and domestic horses for one fiscal year, only to have the USDA override Congressional intent and the express will of the American people.

After this devastating announcement from the USDA, we knew that the only way to remove the immediate threat of slaughter was to gain passage of full legislation that would permanently close the doors on horse slaughter in the US. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, originally introduced in 2001, is a full and permanent ban on horse slaughter for both wild and domestic horses. Until now, proponents of horse slaughter have succeeded in denying this legislation opportunity for a vote. We are pleased to inform you that the time has finally come for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 503, S 1915) to be voted on by the US House of Representatives!

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