Clare Staples, founder of the California-based sanctuary, claims the agency is actively ignoring its mandate to protect these animals. Federal law prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for sales that lead to commercial slaughter, yet documents suggest the practice persists through third-party intermediaries. Staples argues that when courts restricted the agency's adoption incentives last year, the slaughter pipeline merely migrated to the Sale Authority program.

Skydog’s year-long investigation uncovered a surge in sales, with 6,331 horses sold in 19 months—a significant jump from the historical average of 1,200 annually. Data indicates that over 72% of these animals were sold for $25 or less, often to bulk buyers linked to coordinated rings. Despite filing eight formal complaints citing specific sales violations, the sanctuary reports that the BLM has taken no enforcement action. With taxpayers subsidizing the program at $140 million annually, critics contend the current system serves as a subsidized route to foreign slaughterhouses rather than a protective measure.