Wild horses and burros have roamed America's public lands for generations, protected under a federal law that keeps them safe from slaughter. That protection is now on the chopping block. President Trump's proposed federal budget would strip out the long-standing rule that blocks these animals from being killed or sold to slaughter facilities, while also cutting funding for the program meant to manage their populations humanely.

If this budget passes as written, tens of thousands of wild horses and burros living across 26.9 million acres of public land in 10 Western states could be rounded up and sent to slaughter. This isn't a new idea — Congress rejected a nearly identical proposal just last year. Lawmakers have the power to do it again, but only if they hear from enough people that this matters.

There are humane, effective alternatives already available. Programs using fertility control, like immunocontraception, can manage wild horse and burro populations without killing a single animal. Instead of gutting protections and slashing funding, Congress should be investing in these proven, nonlethal solutions.

"Congress stopped this last year, and we are urging lawmakers once again to protect these amazing animals," according to Kitty Block, President and CEO of Humane World for Animals.

Wild horses are part of the American landscape and story. They shouldn't be erased from it by a budget line most people will never read. Sign the petition to tell Congress: keep the slaughter ban in this year's budget, fund humane population management, and protect America's wild horses and burros before it's too late.