Last month, Representative Dina Titus, a strong champion of wild horse and burro conservation in Congress, wrote a powerful op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun:
In this piece, she highlighted the disturbing cruelty of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) roundups and urged immediate action to end the use of helicopters in these operations.
Rep. Titus felt moved to speak out after a recent incident captured on video by one of our humane observers sparked public outrage. During a roundup in Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex, a contractor, hired by BLM, repeatedly kicked and punched a collapsed wild horse after an exhausting helicopter chase.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. This summer, over 90 wild horses and burros tragically died during these brutal roundups. But the suffering doesn’t end when the helicopters are grounded — those who survive face a lifetime in crowded holding pens where disease and abuse are rampant.
This is why Rep. Titus introduced the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023 — a critical piece of legislation that would ban the use of helicopters in federal wild horse roundups. Along with banning the use of helicopters, the BLM must shift resources toward humane, proven alternatives like fertility control. With dedicated volunteers, fertility control programs like the one we run in Rep.Titus’ home state, Nevada, are already demonstrating how effective and cost-efficient these conservation solutions can be.
But we need your help to ensure this vital legislation passes. Elected officials need to hear from their constituents. The more voices that speak up, the harder it is for them to ignore the urgent need for change.
