Wild horse and burro sales made under the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Sale Authority program jumped 146% last year, according to the agency's own data, from 1,509 animals sold in Fiscal Year 2024 to 3,718 in Fiscal Year 2025. The moment one of these sales closes, the horse or burro loses every protection it had under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Ownership transfers immediately, and the BLM keeps no routine record of where that animal ends up afterward.

That gap has already had consequences. A New York Times investigation traced some of these federally sold horses into the slaughter trade, and American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) says the pattern reflects a system problem, not just a handful of bad actors. As AWHC explained in a statement to World Animal News, "Selling an American mustang for $25, transferring ownership immediately and conducting no post-sale tracking created an unacceptable opening for exploitation."

BLM has since standardized its base sale price at $125 per animal and now requires buyers to certify they won't knowingly resell an animal for slaughter, but the agency still has no way of tracking horses or burros after a sale closes, and high-volume group sales continue. Without independent audits, stronger buyer screening, and real post-sale accountability, the door that let this happen once can just as easily open again.

Sign the petition to demand the BLM suspend high-volume group sales, audit recent transactions, and add real post-sale tracking, before more wild horses and burros disappear into the slaughter pipeline.