This webinar was conducted on March 9, 2026. It was led by Return to Freedom’s lobbyist, Chris Heyde. He is our Capitol Hill representative on horse slaughter as well as our ongoing advocacy for more humane and sustainable wild horse and burro management on our public lands. He introduced the first federal bill to ban horse slaughter and has spearheaded the effort ever since.
About the webinar:
The last domestic horse slaughter plant closed in 2007. Advocates like Return to Freedom have successfully worked every year since to keep new slaughterhouses from opening. Tragically, however, some 21,000 American equines annually are bought on the cheap at auction by kill buyers who ship them to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses.
The bipartisan Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act would finally shut down that slaughter pipeline. It would also impose a lasting ban on horse slaughter in the United States.
This timely webinar covering frequently asked questions about the issue comes as the number of horses being shipped to slaughter has increased by 25%.
Return to Freedom has been active on this issue since our inception, pushing for a slaughter ban while playing a role in the rescue of more than 2,500 at-risk wild horses and burros. Our sanctuary currently cares for nearly 500.
Are your members of Congress cosponsoring the SAFE Act? Find lists here: House, Senate.
Ways to take action:
- Download and share an RTF horse slaughter fact sheet (pdf).
- Send an electronic message to your members of Congress urging them to support the SAFE Act (H.R. 1661 / S. 775) and call for a vote.
- Call your members of Congress: (202) 224-3121
- Send letters / postcards to your members of Congress:
The Honorable [Name] Office of Senator [Name]
U.S. House of Representatives United States Senate
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, D.C. 20510
- Help us spread the word. Like, follow and share our posts on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), BlueSky, LinkedIn and Youtube (see our Youtube Shorts).
- Donate to our Wild Horse Defense Fund, which fuels our Capitol Hill lobbying, grassroots advocacy and selective litigation.