Ashley Avis and Atticus launch PSA to fight U.S. horse slaughter

By AI, Created 3:16 PM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – Los Angeles filmmaker Ashley Avis has released a new public service announcement for The Lost Horses, a national campaign aimed at ending the export of American horses for slaughter abroad. The effort is built around an original poem by Atticus and comes as Congress weighs legislation that would bar both domestic slaughter and exports for human consumption.

Why it matters: - The Lost Horses campaign is trying to stop a pipeline that sends tens of thousands of American horses across U.S. borders for slaughter each year. - The effort is also pushing federal action on the bipartisan SAFE Act, which would permanently ban both domestic slaughter and the export of American horses for human consumption. - The U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee advanced key portions of the SAFE Act last week, raising the stakes for Congress before a Sept. 30, 2026 deadline.

What happened: - Ashley Avis, the Los Angeles filmmaker and founder of the Wild Beauty Foundation, launched a new PSA for The Lost Horses campaign on May 28, 2026. - The PSA features an original poem written and narrated by Atticus, the New York Times bestselling poet known for staying anonymous. - The campaign is a national advocacy effort led by the Wild Beauty Foundation.

The details: - The PSA uses Atticus’ poem from the perspective of a horse, centering themes of trust, purpose and loss. - Atticus described the campaign as a response to the scale of horse slaughter and what he called the betrayal of animals that were once ridden, cared for and trusted. - Atticus said awareness is the first step in interrupting the practice and argued that the question is what people will do with that knowledge. - The Lost Horses combines film, journalism and advocacy to build public support for the SAFE Act. - The SAFE Act would permanently prohibit domestic slaughter and the export of American horses for human consumption. - The campaign says widespread public opposition exists even though no horse slaughter facilities operate inside the United States. - The broader campaign has included contributions from Billie Eilish, Diane Lane, Zosia Mamet, Mackenzie Foy, Beth Behrs, Danielle Vasinova, Pom Klementieff, Dermot Mulroney, Olympians Jessica Springsteen and Karl Cook, and the Los Angeles-based Compton Cowboys. - Avis said the goal is to reach people emotionally through storytelling and advocacy, and to move members of Congress to act. - Avis said the PSA was built around Atticus’ words and cinematic imagery of a real horse that nearly became lost.

Between the lines: - The campaign is using celebrity participation and emotionally driven storytelling to turn an animal-welfare issue into a legislative push. - The timing matters because congressional action is still pending, but committee movement suggests the SAFE Act has momentum. - The framing around betrayal and loss is meant to widen the audience beyond traditional animal-rights supporters.

What’s next: - Congress must address the legislation by Sept. 30, 2026. - The Wild Beauty Foundation is urging Americans to raise their voices in support of the campaign. - The group will keep using films, educational programs, advocacy campaigns and rescue efforts to build pressure for the SAFE Act.

The bottom line: - The Lost Horses is trying to turn public sympathy for horses into federal policy that ends slaughter and export for human consumption.