We need your help today to ask the U.S. Congress to protect wild horses and burros! As you know, the American Wild Horse Campaign spent the last year diligently working with our partners on Capitol Hill to ensure that the interests of wild horses and burros were represented during the FY 2023 Appropriations process. We are happy to announce that the Congress passed legislation that included important language championed by AWHC and U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Dina Titus (D-NV), U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and over 80 other Members of Congress. Now, a new Appropriations cycle has begun for Fiscal Year 2024, and time is of the essence!

Right now, U.S. Members of Congress in the Senate are submitting their priorities for the FY24 appropriation language, and we need to make sure wild horses and burros are strongly represented again! With the removal of more than 20,000 wild horses and burros from the wild last year, wild horses and burros need your voice more than ever! 

We are urging Congress to require BLM to:

• Implement a substantial humane reversible immunocontraceptive fertility control vaccine program to manage wild horse and burro populations in the wild, including $11 million for these reversible fertility control vaccines.
• Prioritize partnerships with non-profit organizations, including working with military veterans and wild horse organizations.
• Evaluate relocating wild horses and burros to other Herd Management Areas (HMAs) to keep these animals on the range and out of off-range holding facilities. 
• Consider humane alternatives to the use of helicopters.
• Maintain the ban that is intended to protect wild horses and burros from slaughter.

We are also urging Congress to defund the cash incentive in the BLM's “Adoption Incentive Program.” Instead, veterinary vouchers can help the BLM achieve its goal of increasing adoption rates, while also ensuring more humane outcomes for these animals.

These are important steps toward ensuring the humane treatment of our wild horses and burros and ending the current costly and cruel practice of rounding these animals up with helicopters and holding them in holding facilities for life.

So please, contact your two U.S. Senators right now and urge them to support this important language. 

1. Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your two Senators. You will likely be asked to leave a message. Simply say:

“I'm a constituent, and I'm calling to ask that you please support language in the FY24 Interior Appropriations bill that would allocate $11 million of the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program budget to PZP fertility control vaccines. This funding promotes humane, cost-effective management of wild horses in the wild where they belong. Please include this in your Member Request for FY24 Interior Appropriations and sign onto Senator Booker's wild horse letter.

2. Personalize and send the email below to your members of Congress: