Editor's Note: This column was co-authored by Liam Gray.
As the government shutdown drags on, the Trump administration is using it as an opportunity to fire federal workers. Since October 1, more than 4,000 federal employees have been dismissed. These firings are undoubtedly controversial, and a judge has temporarily blocked them from continuing. However, if Trump is allowed to continue making workforce cuts, there is one division he could target for layoffs that would save both taxpayer dollars and animal lives: Wildlife Services.
Wildlife Services falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). One of the division's primary goals is to "provide wildlife services, protecting agriculture, wildlife and other natural resources, property, and human health and safety." While this sounds okay on paper, the reality is grim: Taxpayers are paying for federal employees to indiscriminately slaughter animals under the guise of helping farmers and ranchers.
Functionally, Wildlife Services' sole purpose is to kill animals. This function effectively began in the early 1900s when Congress tasked the federal government with carrying out "predator control," often on behalf of private livestock owners. Today, taxpayers still pay Wildlife Services staff to kill predators—and practically every other animal within the United States.
The slaughter is not limited to the occasional coyote or other predator that may pose a threat to livestock. In 2023 alone, Wildlife Services intentionally killed far more predators than could ever be justified—the list includes 68,562 coyotes, 430 black bears, 235 mountain lions, and 2,122 red and gray foxes. The division also killed thousands of animals that were not threats to livestock, including 24,603 beavers, 658 river otters, 428 turtles, and several domestic cats and dogs. And, because Wildlife Services itself reports these numbers, experts believe that the totals may be much higher than what is being publicly shared.
These animals did not die painlessly or humanely. Instead, they were slaughtered in some of the most brutal ways imaginable. Some animals have been caught in leghold traps, being left to bleed out or be mauled by hunting dogs. Others, including household pets, have been poisoned with M-44 devices, cyanide bombs placed out in the open to attract and kill animals without rhyme or reason. Other animals are indiscriminately gunned down by helicopter—upon one occasion, Wildlife Services shot 61 coyotes in Montana in under four hours using this method.
"I'm horrified by both the sheer number of animals killed by this federal agency and the immense suffering involved," said Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "It's hard to even imagine the thousands of coyotes, beavers and other animals who die agonizing deaths from snares, traps or poisons."
Wildlife Services is a wasteful, inhumane excuse for a government program. If Trump is looking to make federal workforce reductions, he should target this division. In doing so, he would save taxpayers millions while taking a practical step toward reducing the suffering the federal government inflicts upon animals.
The exact number of staff working for Wildlife Services is unclear, but a 2024 report from APHIS gives us some insight. As of the end of last year, APHIS employed nearly 8,500 people and reported providing "assistance to livestock producers on more than 123,000 occasions, including outreach and direct control activities to protect livestock from predation through a combination of techniques and tools." The report also notes that APHIS donated "nearly 159 tons of deer, goose, and other meat."
While these figures may not be exclusive to Wildlife Services, they are aligned with the division's typical activities. To have that sort of response level and kill that many animals would require a lot of manpower, and that's without counting all the actions Wildlife Services takes in a year that APHIS conveniently left out of this report. These figures suggest that cutting this division's workforce would lead to a noteworthy overall reduction in APHIS.
Wildlife Services spent $149 million in Fiscal Year 2024, and, while Fiscal Year 2025 just ended, it is estimated that the division will have spent roughly the same amount. The division's budget for Fiscal Year 2026 is $152 million. Eliminating Wildlife Services' workforce will save taxpayers millions of dollars.
Shutdown firings are controversial, and suggesting that any federal worker should lose their job will be offensive to many. However, jobs that exist only to harass and indiscriminately slaughter wildlife should not exist, and they certainly should not be paid for by taxpayers. Trump should use the government shutdown as an opportunity to eliminate jobs within Wildlife Services and should consider completely shutting down the division. Some Americans may need to find new jobs, but millions of animals would be saved.
Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at Wilberforce Institute. Liam Gray is the founder and executive director of Wilberforce Institute.