WSU’S HORSE-KILLING LAB IS CANCELLED — BUT THE SURVIVORS NEED YOUR HELP NOW!
We fought to save the lives of eight healthy, adoptable horses from a needless, fatal surgical exercise at Washington State University, AND WE WON!
But these horses are still in immediate danger.
Now, the horses are being held at an unknown USDA facility where they are at risk of being killed or sold into another animal testing facility to be tortured.
Please email and call the USDA to help ensure that these horses are transferred to a sanctuary NOW — they do not deserve to die!
- Dr. Chungwon “Joseph” Chung Chungwon.Chung@usda.gov 509-335-3849
- David Herndon david.herndon@usda.gov 509-335-6323
- Karen Poh karen.poh@usda.gov 509-335-5784
- Margaret A. Highland highland8@vet.k-state.edu 785-532-4460
- Michelle Mousel michelle.mousel@usda.gov 509-335-6029
- USDA APHIS Animal Care animalcare@usda.gov 970-494-7478
- USDA APHIS Press aphispress@usda.gov 301-851-4100
While eight healthy, adoptable horses were SPARED from WSU’s terminal surgical exercise, their fate — and the fate of three additional horses from the same USDA research herd — still hangs in the balance. Take action now to save their lives.
Together, we can ensure that their next chapter is filled with dignity, love, and freedom — not abuse or death, at another institution.
Please use your voice again to tell the USDA to release all eleven horses to a sanctuary!
The Truth about WSU’s Terminal Labs
When a fourth-year veterinary student asked WSU leadership whether the animals used in the university’s terminal surgical lab could be adopted instead of killed for surgical practice, they were initially told that adoption was not possible due to a USDA policy. However, no such blanket policy exists.
While federal guidelines may restrict the release of animals that pose a public health risk after certain types of research, records later confirmed that the horses scheduled for WSU’s terminal lab were healthy — meaning they were, in fact, adoptable.
Despite this, WSU initially refused to cancel the lab, suggesting that altering the curriculum would be too difficult.
As more information came to light, additional concerns emerged. The university’s animal-use protocol stated that animals used in terminal labs would come from sources already destined for slaughter. However, records revealed that these horses were instead sourced from a USDA-regulated research facility — not a traditional slaughter pipeline — raising serious questions about how the lab was approved.
Under the federal Animal Welfare Act, animal-use activities must be approved based on accurate descriptions of how animals are obtained and used. When those details don’t align, it raises significant compliance concerns, which experts said was cause for immediate intervention.
Through calls, emails, and widespread public pressure, advocates demanded that WSU do the right thing — and our voices were heard.
Questioning the Educational Need
The horses scheduled to be used in WSU’s terminal surgical lab would have been subjected to procedures that veterinary professionals say are unnecessary, noting that modern, ethical alternatives exist for every planned training.
Many veterinary schools have already moved away from terminal labs entirely. Instead, they train students through:
- Clinical rotations
- Simulation technology
- Service-based surgical programs that provide needed veterinary care to animals in local communities
These approaches allow students to gain hands-on surgical experience without killing healthy animals.
Washington State University itself operates a Clinical Simulation Center—demonstrating that modern, humane training methods are not only available, but already in use.
Together, we can keep pushing veterinary medicine forward by insisting that professionals and vets-in-training uphold their oath to protect animal welfare — not sacrifice healthy lives for outdated practices. You can donate today to fuel BFP’s efforts to make the world a kind, safe place for animals!