There have yet to be adequate details about the fate of at least 1700 wild horses that were bought by 64-year-old Tom Davis, livestock hauler and avid horse meat advocate. Davis ostensibly purchased the wild horses from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) starting in 2008. This number of horses mathematically works out to be approximately 70% of all the wild horses sold by the agency to date.
After a September expose into the whereabouts of these “missing” horses and their fate, the BLM has been confronted again with allegations that the horses under their federal protection have been slaughtered. The latest assertions have surfaced since authorities are investigating.
According to knowledgeable wild horse advocates, the horses went to slaughter in Mexico. The Wild Horse Freedom Federation, in a citizens’ investigation, is releasing evidence exposing one BLM wild horse long-term contractor and the selling of wild horses to an alleged kill buyer.
In one specific instance, Debbie Coffey, volunteer director of wild horse affairs with the federation, has made public the contractor selling at least 34 federally protected wild horses.
In an explanation from volunteer president of the federation R. T. Fitch,
This evidence shows that the BLM is not protecting our wild horses and is allowing alleged kill buyers to purchase them. The public wants Congress to enforce the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act that they unanimously signed into law in 1971. A Congressional Investigation needs to happen now.
Both the federation and Protect Mustangs have joined forces to call for a freeze on roundups. Additionally, they are requesting access to wild horse holding facility documents as needed. Further, they are requesting an immediate Congressional investigation into BLM, its contractors and the alleged connection to the slaughter industry.
Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs, said,
It’s time for a deep investigation – done by an entity outside the BLM – to bust these crimes against the American mustang and champion the public who were deceived by officials in charge of protecting our icons of freedom. The public is outraged. Protests are being planned as a result of the evidence.
Coffey states,
The BLM leads the public to believe that captured wild horses are living out their lives grazing peacefully on long-term holding pastures, and claims they do not sell wild horses to slaughter, but at least one contracted middleman did sell BLM wild horses to an alleged kill buyer and the horses very likely met a horrific fate at a slaughterhouse.
With the assistance of Animal’s Angels, Coffey acquired evidence through the Freedom of Information Act and the South Dakota Brand Board inspection records. Read her report: Wild horses sold to kill buyer by BLM contractor.
Source: Americans Against Horse Slaughter
Author's additional comments: Watch all 3 of the videos I have attached to this article to get a better sense of BLM and the wild horse "management" - the video (NEED TO KNOW | Removing horses from the wild | PBS) presents a kinder view but questions the need for roundups and charges the BLM with protection of our iconic wild horses. This video (Is it Bad Enough For You? Wild Horses) shows roundup reality. Many horses are hurt and there is nothing protective about either the "gathering" or the "maintenance." In actuality, so many horses have now been rounded up that there are more of them in holding pens than in the wild.
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