The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is praising animal welfare advocates for their recent successes urging lawmakers “to enact and enforce stronger animal-protection laws.”

Of particular note are victories for equine welfare at the federal level, the news release says. Case in point: the 2023 budget signed by President Biden, which allocates an additional $10 million to the Wild Horse and Burro program. It also instructs the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to implement a humane and sustainable approach to wild horse and burro management, shifting the agency towards reliance on fertility control. Lethal management and sale to slaughter of these animals are prohibited under the budget’s terms, as well.

In addition, the bill increases funding for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act to $4 million. “This is a $1 million increase from the previous year, and will bolster the USDA’s ability to enforce this critical law, which protects show horses from the cruelty of soring,” the ASPCA news release states.

The budget also prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture from using taxpayer dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. This prevents commercial horse slaughter from returning to the U.S. for the duration of this fiscal year.

For more information, visit the ASPCA website.

And don’t forget that “National Help a Horse Day” is April 26!