Obama Admin Decides to Euthanize 45,000 Wild Horses

It might seem like we have more crises than we have citizens. That may be an exaggeration, but perhaps not.  It’s tough to keep count.  Anyway, the focus now is on horses and burrows supposedly creating a menace to the western parts of the United States. Focus is further directed to the solution proposed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the opposition to this proposal from the Humane Society of the United States.

Here’s where it stands.

The U.S. government is coming under fire from animal rights activists amid concerns that almost 45,000 wild horses could be euthanized in an attempt to control their numbers.

The idea is to relieve the BLM of the burden of caring for “unadoptable” animals.  What puts an animal in that category?

An “unadoptable” horse or burro is typically at least 5 years old, making them less attractive for purchase or adoption. The bureau has more than 44,000 horses and more than 1,000 burros in off-range pastures and corrals.

Enter the Humane Society of the United States.

The recommendation prompted an angry response from The Humane Society of the United States. “The decision of the BLM advisory board to recommend the destruction of the 45,000 wild horses currently in holding facilities is a complete abdication of responsibility for their care,” said Humane Society Senior Vice President of Programs & Innovations Holly Hazard, in a statement.

Here’s the legislation germane to this situation.

Under the terms of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM manages, protects and controls wild horses and burros. The law authorizes the agency to move wild horses and burros off ranges to sustain the health of public lands.

And this doesn’t come cheap.

The bureau spent $49 million caring for off-range animals during its fiscal year 2015, which accounted for two-thirds of its wild horse and burro budget.

There’s more information at the original source of this story.  Given the other crises we cover at Truth and Action, where you would rank the problem of wild horses and burrows multiplying and running loose?  Do we need immediate government action? And given that horses have been around a long time, it makes you wonder how these animals managed to survive prior to the enactment of the 1971 legislation and subsequent regulations.

Source: Fox News