Stop Hidden Foal Deaths In Wild Horse Holding Facilities
Final signature count: 5,675
5,675 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
Federally protected foals may be dying behind government fences without honest public records, and that must end now.
Wild horses and burros are protected under federal law, and the Bureau of Land Management has clear responsibility for their care and management1. Yet recent advocacy reporting alleges that foals born inside BLM holding facilities have died without full public accounting, even when disposal records suggest losses that are not clearly reflected in public-facing records2.
The Public Deserves A Complete Count
When pregnant mares are captured during roundups and later give birth in holding, every foal should be counted. The public should know how many pregnant mares entered these facilities, how many foals were born alive, how many were stillborn, and how many later died3. Without that information, there is no honest way to judge animal welfare, no way to verify losses, and no way to hold the agency accountable.
Transparency Is A Basic Duty
BLM materials make clear that off-range wild horses and burros remain protected, and the agency’s own handbook recognizes the special vulnerability of foals during the foaling period4. If newborn foals are fragile enough to warrant special seasonal protections during capture operations, they are certainly important enough to deserve full documentation once they are inside federal facilities.
Take Action Now
We call on the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior to implement basic transparency measures: public reporting of how many pregnant mares are captured during roundups, consistent documentation of foal births and stillborn foals, and mortality records that can be independently verified against rendering and disposal records3.
Sign the petition and call for a full accounting for every foal in federal custody.
