America's wild horses may be the latest casualties of federal budget problems. Thirty-three thousand wild horses roam the West, well above the 27,000 target. Expensive holding facilities house another 30,000 rounded-up horses, making them available for adoption. The government says it can no longer afford to control the population with pricey housing. Thus, the US Bureau of Land Management wants to euthanaize part of the population to cut costs.

Horse activists are leading an opposition. One animal rights activist called the plan [1] "killing pure and simple to balance the books for an agency whose reckless management has caused immeasurable harm to a national treasure at considerable cost to the American taxpayer."

Other opponents of the euthanasia proposal want lawmakers to promote horse birth control, and give landowners incentives to keep horses on their property, reports the New York Times.

Since horses compete with ranchers' needs, should the government put emotions aside and choose euthanasia as the effective solution? Or should these national treasures be protected from budget mismanagement?

Source [2]