Stop the US Horse Slaughter Pipeline

Horses are part of the American story.

They are our companions, our partners in sport and work, and living symbols of freedom and strength.

So why are thousands of American horses still being sold off, packed into trailers, and shipped across borders — only to be slaughtered for human consumption?

Every year, tens of thousands of horses, ponies, and mules are exported alive to Mexico and Canada, where they face horrific conditions, long-distance transport, and brutal deaths in slaughterhouses.

In 2025 alone, more than 26,000 American equines were trucked across our borders to Mexico and Canada, forced to endure long, punishing journeys crammed into trailers with little rest, food, or water.

This is not humane. This is not necessary.  And it is not who we should be as a country.

For years, Congress has allowed this cruelty to continue through loopholes and temporary funding bans that fail to provide permanent protections.

That’s why we are calling on Congress to pass the Save Our Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act or include it in the upcoming Farm Bill — a critical measure that would:

▪️ Permanently ban horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States

▪️ Prohibit the export of live American horses for slaughter abroad

▪️ Close the pipeline that continues to send terrified animals to violent deaths

The bipartisan SAFE Act led by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill would finally put an end to this shameful pipeline by permanently banning horse slaughter for human consumption and stopping the export of live horses for slaughter abroad.

The SAFE Act widely supported by animal welfare advocates, and backed by the overwhelming majority of Americans who oppose horse slaughter.

Horses are not food animals. They are not disposable. They deserve dignity and protection — not suffering at the hands of a brutal international meat trade.

Congress has the power to stop this now.

Sign this petition to tell Congress: Pass the SAFE Act’s horse slaughter ban or include it in the next Farm Bill. End live exports for slaughter. Protect America’s horses once and for all.

The petition to Congress reads:  Horses are part of the American story — companions, partners, and symbols of freedom — yet tens of thousands are still exported alive each year to be slaughtered abroad.  In 2025 alone, more than 26,000 American equines were shipped to Mexico and Canada, where they face terrifying transport and brutal deaths in facilities never designed for horses.  Congress has the power to stop this cruelty. Please pass this legislation or include it in the Farm Bill to create a permanent ban on horse slaughter and live exports for slaughter.
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Sources:

https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/congress-must-halt-live-exports-of-equines-to-mexico-and-canada/

https://awionline.org/action-center#/541