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What it takes to hold the federal government accountable

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Over the past few days, we’ve told you about one very important aspect of our work here at the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) – documenting the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) inhumane helicopter roundups of our cherished wild horses and burros. 

In the last three years alone, over 39,000 horses and burros across the West were captured and removed from the wild by the federal government. Now, over 20,000 of these innocent animals are slated for capture in Fiscal Year 2024.

To document these roundups, AWHC has assembled and trained a team of photographers and videographers who are deployed to some of the most remote corners of the West where wild horses still roam and where these operations occur. The evidence they collect and the reports they compile are used to file complaints against the BLM’s actions, are provided to the media, and are used in our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. The evidence we gather helps us establish an irrefutable pattern of cruelty and is a powerful motivator for change. Will you make a contribution today to fuel our Observation Fund and ensure no animal welfare violations go unrecorded?

DONATE

Oftentimes, our representatives are the ONLY ones onsite to document any violations taking place. That means it’s critical that we have boots on the ground at as many of these roundups as possible. 

The thing is this is grueling work. The days can be incredibly long, with start times as early as 4 AM and roundups going on from morning until dusk, sometimes amidst extreme heat or cold depending on the location of the operation. Watching these beautiful and innocent wild animals lose their freedom and families, day in and day out, is also emotionally draining for our observers.

On top of all that, it’s expensive to get them to these remote areas. AWHC provides them with the funds they need to keep them equipped and in the field with four wheel drive vehicles and places to stay after such exhausting days. That means your support is what makes this critical work possible.

So chip in whatever you can afford to our Observation Fund and help us hold our federal government accountable by documenting the often cruel reality of wild horse and burro roundups!

POWER OUR WORK →

Thank you,

Team AWHC

Arizona’s wild burros need your help

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thanks to increasing public awareness in recent years, a growing number of Americans are speaking out about what’s happening to wild horses. But sometimes, wild burros can be left out of the conversation.

Don’t let the name fool you – our team here at the American Wild Horse Campaign is dedicated to fighting every day to protect our nation’s wild burros. 

According to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Fiscal Year 2024 roundup schedule, the agency is planning to remove over 2,640 burros from their homes this year. The largest of these roundups is happening right now in Arizona’s Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA), which is home to nearly 2,000 of these beloved animals. AWHC has deployed one of our humane observers to bear witness to this roundup and to document any animal welfare violations that may occur.

This work isn’t easy but it’s critical to advancing our cause. Our observers are the public’s eyes and ears on the ground, reporting back on what happens to our beloved herds during these often traumatic and potentially life-threatening operations. Can you chip in to our Observation Fund today and support our work to hold the federal government accountable for the mistreatment of wild burros?

DONATE

Unlike wild horses, who generally panic and stay together during roundups and follow their herd to the trap site, wild burros are stoic animals who often stand their ground in the face of the helicopters or scatter in an attempt to avoid capture. As a result, roundups can be even more traumatic for burros.


Photo by Darlene Smith

For example, in the first month and a half after Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex roundup last year, 31 burros died from a blood disease that can be brought on by extreme stress. 

This is the fate that potentially awaits many of the burros the BLM plans to capture this year, including the Black Mountain burros. That’s why AWHC is working to end helicopter roundups and instead shift the government’s focus to implementing in-the-wild management to conserve our beloved burro populations – and the evidence our observers collect during these operations is vital to this mission.

So will you help power this critical work by making a contribution to support our observation program today?

DONATE

Thank you!

– Team AWHC

Celebrating the 52nd Anniversary of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Today we are celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the passage of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Before delving into the remarkable story of “Wild Horse Annie,” the pioneer wild horse advocate, and her relentless efforts to pass this crucial law, that awarded federal protections to these beloved equines, we have an important ask of you. We’re approaching our end-of-year deadline to raise $200,000 and empower us to make 2024 a remarkable year. Can you chip in a donation of any amount today so we can continue our conservation work in the field, on the Hill, and in the courts in 2024?

CHIP IN

Velma B. Johnston, or Wild Horse Annie, was a tireless advocate for wild horses and burros, and her legacy lives on through the work AWHC does and through the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

Wild Horse Annie saw the ruthless and indiscriminate manner in which wild horses were being rounded up from public lands during the 1950s in Nevada. At that time, America’s wild horse population was in rapid decline, and many of these incredible animals were captured by “mustangers” for slaughter.

Not being one to sit on the sidelines, Wild Horse Annie took matters into her own hands. She organized a massive grassroots movement to bring attention to this issue. She brought Americans from across the country together to push for groundbreaking legislation. In fact, she mobilized so many people that wild horse protection was the second most popular issue that constituents wrote to Congress about in 1971.

Because of the work of Wild Horse Annie, Congress unanimously passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. This is the most important legislation for wild horses in the United States, and we continue to see its impact today. 

Today, 52 years later, the Act has been significantly weakened thanks to the lobbying efforts of special interest groups. That’s where AWHC comes in, our mission is to fulfill the promise made 52 years ago, but we can’t do it alone. With over 20,000 wild horses and burros targeted for roundups this year, our work has never been more important. Can you make a donation to help support our mission to continue the legacy Wild Horse Annie? >>

Our team has been working in the field to document the mistreatment of wild horses and burros, fighting to bring their stories to light, and litigating in the courts to protect these innocent animals. The thing is, we can’t do it alone.

Today, we’re asking you to join us in commemorating the legacy of Wild Horse Annie. It’s up to all of us to continue the work that she started protecting wild horses and burros. Will you please join us in our mission to conserve the West’s wild herds by making a donation of any amount to the American Wild Horse Campaign and help us hit our $200,000 fundraising goal?

CHIP IN

Thank you,

The American Wild Horse Campaign

P.S. Every donation you make will be MATCHED 2X up to $125,000 to help us hit our $200,000 end-of-year fundraising goal, but only if we can raise an initial $50,000 before next Friday. If we’re going to be able to take advantage of this opportunity, we need your help. You can make a donation of any amount today to help us unlock this match.

FWD: A major update on the BLM’s 2024 roundup plans

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have a major update to share with you.

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its updated roundup and removal schedule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The agency is now planning an additional 22 roundups for FY 2024, raising the total number of wild horses and burros that will be targeted from 8,000 to over 20,000.

That’s over double the number of animals that were initially slated for capture. In fact, these updated figures would now match the number of wild horses and burros rounded up in FY 2020, which was a record year for roundups.

We stand ready to document this escalation and we’re going to continue to raise awareness, educate Congress, take legal action when we can, and set the standard for humane wild horse conservation. Your support will now be more important than ever as we prepare for what’s to come. 

In case you missed our email yesterday, we set a massive end-of-year goal to raise $200,000 in order to power our 2024 wild horse and burro conservation agenda. And today, we got confirmation that a generous donor has stepped up and pledged to match EVERY donation towards our end-of-year goal, up to $125,000.

MAKE A 2X CONTRIBUTION NOW

This is huge. This match means you have a chance to double the impact your contribution can make on our efforts to fight for wild horses and burros next year. And with over 20,000 wild horses and burros now targeted by the BLM in 2024, we can’t afford to waste this opportunity.

The thing is, this matching opportunity will only be unlocked after we’ve raised an initial $50,000 to prove we’ve got the support to reach our goal. So, we need you to step up. Will you help us reach our $200,000 end-of-year goal with a 2X matched donation today? It won’t be easy, but we know with your continued support, there’s nothing we can’t achieve for our wild herds.

HAVE YOUR GIFT DOUBLED

— Team AWHC

MATCH OPPORTUNITY! (Giving Tuesday)

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Giving Tuesday $100,000 Matching Gift Fund
Unlocked at $35,000 raised

Can you chip in right away to help us unlock this incredible $100,000 matching opportunity for Giving Tuesday?

CHIP IN →

We have some great news.

Giving Tuesday is just three weeks away and we have set an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 to continue fueling AWHC’s critical work. But today, we are excited to announce that a generous donor has offered to match every single Giving Tuesday donation, bringing our total impact to $200,000! But we can’t do it without you. Can you add your donation right away? >>

Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the year. With this generous matching opportunity, we have the chance to double our impact so we can keep up our work in the field, on the courts, and in Congress in 2024.

But here’s the thing. This matching opportunity will only be unlocked once we raise $35,000 towards our goal ahead of Giving Tuesday.

Will you please make a donation right away to help us unlock this important match and DOUBLE your impact this Giving Tuesday? We can’t waste this incredible opportunity to unlock this 2X match, so we’re asking for your help.

CHIP IN →

Thanks to ongoing federal mismanagement, wild horses and burros face terrifying roundups, life in captivity, and the threat of entering the slaughter pipeline. The reality is the system is broken and right now our work is more important than ever. Our team has exposed these cruelties, and every single day we work to hold the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accountable and fight to keep wild horses and burros wild. 

But we need to act now. 

Unlocking this 2X match would be a huge boost for the work we can do in 2024, and it could double your impact for wild horses. This generous donor has stepped up for Giving Tuesday, and now we’re asking you to do the same.

So please, will you chip in whatever you can afford today to help us unlock this incredible matching opportunity for our $100,000 fundraising goal? We need your help to raise the initial $35,000, and you have the chance to have your impact DOUBLED.

CHIP IN →

Thank you for supporting this critical work.

The American Wild Horse Campaign Team

Thanks to you, Saddle Shoe is safe where she belongs

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thanks to the dedication and generosity of supporters like you, our team at AWHC has been able to run a game-changing fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range for the past four years. Today, we’d like to tell you the story of one of the many wild mustangs who have benefited from the program, a beautiful pinto mare named Saddle Shoe.


Photo by Deb Sutherland

Saddle Shoe was born in 2012 to the Canyon Phantom, a striking and well-known black and white stallion. Her mother was a stunning buckskin mare named Broken Hinds. In 2015, Saddle Shoe found love with the beautiful dark bay stallion, Two Socks, and the pair started a family, welcoming foals Natalie, Jasleen, and Adelaide to their herd over the next few years.


Photo by Deb Sutherland

On Nevada’s Virginia Range, where Saddle Shoe and her family reside, AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses, proving to the world there’s no need for mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous and permanent sterilization, or slaughter.

The cornerstone of this highly successful program is the remote darting of wild mares with the scientifically proven fertility control vaccine known as ‘PZP’. This vaccine has allowed countless wild horses to continue living free and wild with their herd where they belong, and it costs just $30.

Saddle Shoe is now 11 years old and likely will not have any more foals. Thanks to our PZP program, she gets to live her life as a wild horse should – wild and free – and her bond with Two Socks (now one of the oldest stallions on the range!) has remained unbreakable.


Photo by Deb Sutherland

Unlike most wild horses in the Western United States, who live on federal public lands, Saddle Shoe’s herd resides on the outskirts of metropolitan Reno, Nevada, where urbanization has gradually chipped away at their habitat. It’s essential that their populations remain a healthy and manageable size so that the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the entity charged with their management, does not roundup and remove them. Without federal protections, these beloved horses have no protection from slaughter, and if removed, could be sent directly to auction.

A few days ago, we told you that we’ve set a goal to raise $30,000 to get ahead of our Giving Tuesday fundraising and fuel all our critical work in 2024 – including funding our fertility control program. So, can you donate $30, the cost of one PZP dose, to our team today so we can reach our goal and continue to keep Saddle Shoe, her foals, and her herd safe on the Virginia Range where they belong?

$30 >> HELPS 1 HORSE

$60 >> HELPS 2 HORSES

$150 >> HELPS 5 HORSES

$300 >> HELPS 10 HORSES

DONATE OTHER AMOUNT

Nevada’s Virginia Range horses played a crucial role in the defense of wild horses when Velma “Wild Horse Annie” Johnston campaigned for their protection in the 50s and 60s, which resulted in the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act. Despite their historical significance, however, this legislation did not include protection for this beloved herd.

Friend, safeguarding the Virginia Range horses is up to us. Please chip in to help power our work — any amount you’re able to contribute today will make an impact for our wild herds.

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL >>

Thanks for taking action today, it means so much to our team and everything to wild horses like Saddle Shoe.

— AWHC Team

The work your support makes possible

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Earlier this week, we told you about one of our investigations into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) off range programs that revealed that some trainers participating in the BLM’s Trainer Incentive Program (TIP) sold mustangs into the slaughter pipeline and one horse even starved to death on a trainer’s property.

These crucial findings would have never been brought to light without the support of wild horse advocates like you. You make our work to protect wild horses and burros possible. 

Today, we’d like to tell you about how your support is fueling other aspects of our mission – but first, if you haven’t already, please consider chipping in to help us reach our $10,000 goal before our deadline tonight so we can continue powering our fight for the freedom and safety of our wild herds.

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL →

Outside of our investigations into the BLM’s off range programs, your donations enable us to expand a number of key initiatives that are advancing the cause of protecting wild horses and burros.

In the field, we’ve embarked on an exciting new initiative called the Land Conservancy Project. This innovative program aims to preserve and enhance habitat for America’s wild horses and burros. The goal is to support self-sustaining wild horse populations in ecological balance with other wildlife. To this end, AWHC recently acquired 3,300+ acres of prime habitat in Nevada’s beautiful Carson Valley to serve as a pilot program for the project. Can you chip in to help us continue funding exciting pilot projects like the Land Conservancy Project? >>

We’re also expanding our work with community groups conducting fertility control programs on local wild horse herds. For the past four years, we’ve implemented the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range. Now, we recently received a federal grant to support the expansion of our fertility control program to Utah’s Cedar Mountain herd!

FUEL OUR FIELD WORK →

And on Capitol Hill, we’re advocating for several critical bills being considered that would advance humane reforms to the federal management of our nation’s wild herds – including the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 3656), which seeks to prohibit costly and inhumane helicopter roundups of wild horses and burros. Please, can you make a contribution to help fund our essential work advocating for pro-wild horse and burro legislation on Capitol Hill? >>

We also fought for provisions to be added to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills that would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enact several key reforms to its Wild Horse and Burro Program, such as:

  • Requiring the BLM to use up to $11 million to implement substantial humane fertility control vaccine programs to manage wild horse and burro populations in the wild, diverting funds away from roundups.
  • Ending the cash incentive in the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has funneled hundreds of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.
  • Prioritizing partnerships with non-profit organizations for the management of wild horses and burros, including working with military veterans and wild horse organizations.

FUEL OUR ADVOCACY WORK →

Wild horses and burros need our support now more than ever. If you are able, please consider making a contribution today to help us reach our $10,000 goal and power this critical work. Your donation will help us get closer to hitting our goal, and it will go straight to work helping us continue our critical mission for America’s wild horses and burros.

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL →

Thank you in advance for chipping in.

AWHC Team

Here’s what our Investigations Team has uncovered.

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) has been advocating for transparency and accountability in all of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) initiatives, including the Adoption Incentive Program and the training programs for mustangs and burros.

Today, we’re setting a goal to raise $10,000 to help us continue our work fighting for wild horses and burros, including investigating the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and bringing our findings to light. If you are able, can you chip in to help us hit this goal?

CHIP IN TODAY →

For years, the BLM invested in a training program called the Trainer Incentive Program (TIP), which incentivizes trainers to adopt wild horses or wild burros, gentle them, and find them permanent homes. Once completed, the trainer is paid for their training services. However, only a few months ago, the agency abruptly ended the TIP and announced it would begin the process of partnering with a new organization to invest in wild horse and burro training programs.

Although humane training programs can be very effective in preventing our beloved wild equines from being sent to slaughter,AWHC’s Investigations Team found serious animal welfare issues within the TIP program, raising concerns about the potential treatment of mustangs in new training programs. 

In 2021, the AWHC Investigations team received alarming information about trainers in the TIP. It was revealed that some of the trainers participating had sold their BLM wild horses into the slaughter pipeline. In addition, one trainer was found to havemalnourished animals on his property.

We submitted a comprehensive 21-page report to the BLM with our findings, but unfortunately, the response was underwhelming and our concerns were disregarded. This lack of action spurred us to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to learn about any investigative steps or corrective action taken.

The BLM didn’t respond to our FOIA request, which compelled us to file a lawsuit in federal court. It was only when our case reached court that the BLM released its records.

According to the records, the BLM failed to investigate the incident thoroughly, leaving the very animals it is supposed to protect in harm’s way. Despite the severity of the allegations, the records show that only three internal emails were exchanged regarding the incident. Moreover, our Investigations Team uncovered that the BLM was aware of starving horses on the trainer’s property and that one horse even died due to “prolonged weight loss.”

It requires considerable effort to uncover crucial information like this – information that we then share with the media, legislators, and the public.

So today, we’re asking you to step up and make a contribution to help us hit our $10,000 goal so we can continue this critical work protecting wild horses and burros. Will you make a contribution today?

CHIP IN TODAY →

Thank you,

The American Wild Horse Campaign

The aftermath of roundups: Rampant animal welfare violations at BLM facilities

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last year, the BLM began to evaluate its holding facilities for wild horses and burros using standards set by its own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). The agency made these assessments public, exposing numerous animal welfare violations within the BLM’s holding facilities. These findings serve as evidence that these pens are unsuitable for our wild herds.

The BLM assessed 17 of its 28 holding facilities so far, and the reports reveal several concerning violations, such as:

  • Insufficient access to hay and water
  • Pens without salt or mineral blocks
  • Lack of shade in outdoor pens
  • Failure to comply with vaccination policies
  • Poorly maintained facilities
  • Inadequate record-keeping practices
  • Failure to follow proper biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, and more.

There are over 64,000 equines confined in these facilities across the country right now. This system is at a breaking point, which is why our team is fighting to end these removals and to shift to humane, in the wild management of our wild herds. Will you chip in to support our critical work?

DONATE TODAY →

Thousands of wild horses and burros are confined in these overburdened and unsafe facilities → and American taxpayers are footing the bill. 

According to the BLM’s own estimates, it costs the American taxpayer up to $48,000 over the lifetime of a wild horse or burro to keep him or her in a government holding facility. This broken system is cruel and expensive, and it’s only getting worse as more and more wild horses and burros are piled into these facilities each year.

We know there’s a better way to manage wild horses and burros that keeps them OUT of these dangerous facilities and in the wild with their families where they belong. Can you chip in to support the AWHC’s work fighting for humane herd management?

DONATE TODAY →

Thanks for taking action for the voiceless.

— AWHC Team

What happens to wild horses and burros after they have been captured?

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Helicopter roundups are dangerous and expensive operations that result in wild horses and burros being traumatized, separated from their families, injured, or in the worst case, killed. But the cruelty doesn’t end when the helicopters land.

Once captured, these innocent animals are immediately sorted and split apart from their families. Horses have very unique and complex social structures, so they often call out for their family members while being sorted – a heartbreaking sound to hear.

The animals are then trucked to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities which are often overburdened and understaffed. Just last year, a disease outbreak killed 146 wild horses in Colorado, and a holding facility in Wyoming was closed for months due to “strangles,” a very contagious disease that was running rampant through its pens.

As of August 2023, there are 64,588 wild horses and burros in government holding facilities. According to the BLM’s OWN estimates, it costs the American taxpayer up to $48,000 over the lifetime of a wild horse or burro to keep him or her in a government holding facility.

We know there’s a better way to manage wild horses and burros that keeps them OUT of these dangerous facilities and in the wild with their families where they belong. That’s why we’re fighting to end helicopter removals and instead shift to humane, in the wild management of our wild herds. Will you chip in to support our critical work?

DONATE TODAY →

After every roundup, AWHC files a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for updates on the captured animals after they’ve reached the holding facility. While the BLM touts a death rate of just 0.1% at roundups, our investigative team has uncovered that the death toll skyrockets during the first 30 days in holding following the roundup.

For example, last summer the BLM rounded up 1,022 wild horses and burros from the Blue Wing Complex in Nevada. At the conclusion of the roundup, the BLM reported the deaths of 14 wild horses and burros. But through our FOIA requests, we found that in the 30 days after the roundup began, an additional 38 wild horses and burros perished in the holding facilities where they had been sent.

Even more horrifying, 30 of those deaths were burros who died as a result of lipemia or hyperlipidemia, which often occurs when an animal stops eating. Our records show that an additional burro died of the same cause weeks later, bringing the total to 31 burros dying of hyperlipidemia. Based on preliminary information and veterinary research, it’s reasonable to conclude that these burros stopped eating due to the stress of the roundup operation.

As if that isn’t bad enough, the FOIA records also reveal that in the three months after the roundup, an additional 25 horses and burros died in the holding facility. Their causes of deaths ranged from complications during gelding, to colic, to spinal cord injuries and more. This brings the total deaths since the start of the roundup to approximately 77 wild horses and burros,a much larger number than the 14 animals the BLM reported as dead.

These deaths would have never been made public had AWHC not requested the FOIA records that shed light on them.

As the BLM continues its final roundups of the 2023 season, more wild horses and burros may meet the same fate. We’re counting on you to support our efforts in getting FOIA records and holding the BLM accountable for its inhumane treatment of our wild mustangs and burros. Will you help us continue our critical work to protect our wild herds?

DONATE TODAY →

 

Thank you.

AWHC Team

THANK YOU!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Over the course of the last week, we asked you to step up and help fuel our efforts to document the federal government’s inhumane helicopter roundup and removals. And Meredith, you rose to the occasion. 

We set an ambitious goal of raising $30,000 to replenish our observation fund so we are able to continue deploying our humane observers to the remote corners of the West to photograph the federal government’s treatment of our beloved wild horses and burros. 

Well, I’m happy to report that thanks to your support, we hit our goal! From all of us at AWHC, thank you for your passion, generosity and dedication to protecting America’s wild herds.

Thanks to your support, we have the resources to send our observers to the BLM’s final three roundups of this season and ensure no mistreatment of wild horses and burros goes unrecorded. 

The record our humane observers create by documenting these operations gives us the fuel to fight for transparency and accountability within the BLM and allows us to inform and educate the media, and Congress about the inhumane treatment these beloved animals face.  

There’s still over a month left in the BLM’s summer roundup season, so there’s a lot more work to do. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on our efforts in the coming days and weeks.

With gratitude,

— Suzanne + the AWHC Team

Remembering Bubba

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

As you may recall, September is World Animal Remembrance Month. This time is dedicated to remembering all the animals who have touched our lives, but are no longer with us. 

In that spirit, we want to take a moment to honor Bubba, Wyoming’s famed curly stallion who recently passed away. 

We find solace in knowing that he died on the range, wild and free.

Bubba was one of the lead stallions of the Salt Wells Creek herd in the Red Desert of Wyoming. He was known as a ‘curly’, carrying in his genes some of the most unique DNA in the world that produces a crimped mane and curly coat.

In 2021, a large portion of Bubba’s family was torn apart when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a large-scale helicopter roundup in the habitat he and thousands of other mustangs called home. Bubba survived the roundup and remained free, but unfortunately sustained an injury to his knee.

Bubba’s memory lives on, and his death strengthens our resolve to protect the family he has left behind. 

Attorneys on behalf of the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) have filed suit against the BLM for its plan to eradicate the public lands that 43 percent of Wyoming’s wild horses inhabit. In fact, the BLM is planning on removing every single wild horse from the Salt Wells Creek herd, Bubba’s former home. We will not back down from this fight.

The AWHC has been involved in critical litigation for more than a decade against the BLM to protect these herds – and now we face the final showdown. We must do what we can to save these wild horses.

But we cannot do this critical work alone. In loving memory of Bubba and his legacy, will you please chip in to help support our litigation to keep horses like Bubba free? Your donation will go straight to work helping us save more wild horses and burros.

DONATE →

With the sadness of this beloved stallion’s passing, we press on.

The American Wild Horse Campaign

This Week’s eNews: Read Our Latest Roundup Reports From California and Colorado

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an action you can take to protect wild horses and burros on Capitol Hill, an insightful new op-ed from our Executive Director, Suzanne Roy, and the latest roundup reports from California and Colorado.

Read on to learn more! 

Tell Congress: Protect Wild Horses and Burros in the FY24 Spending Bill!

As we witness wild horses being rounded up and removed from public lands this summer, it’s important to remember that we have a key opportunity to advocate for humane reforms to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program in Congress’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill. Please take one moment to call on your members of Congress to support the language in this bill, which includes funding for humane, in-the-wild management strategies on behalf of our beloved wild horses and burros!

TAKE ACTION

Op-Ed: The best way to protect wild horses is through fertility control


Photo by Laurie Ford

Helicopter roundups are hugely expensive and inhumane, and because they don’t stabilize the population, they have to be done again and again. The best and proven way to protect wild horses is through fertility control. The best way to keep wild horses free on public lands is through fertility control. Wild horses deserve far better than cruel captures by helicopters, to then be placed in cramped government holding facilities. Read the latest from AWHC’s Executive Director, Suzanne Roy.

READ MORE

Report: Devil’s Garden Roundup Begins

On September 4, while many Americans were taking a day of rest and relaxation, the Devil’s Garden wild horses were being forcefully removed from their habitat on more than 278,000-acres of public land in California. AWHC was on site to bring you the latest.

READ MORE

BLM Colorado Conducts Final Removal of West Douglas Mustangs


Photo by WilsonAxpe PhotoAdvocacy

   The West Douglas Herd Area (HA) is situated in the northwest region of Colorado, just like the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area (HMA). However, there is a difference between the two. While the Piceance HMA permits a maximum of 235 horses to reside there, the BLM has set the allowed population level of the West Douglas HA to 0. The BLM attributes this decision to the challenging terrain and limited summer range in the area. Interestingly, the agency still allows hundreds to thousands of cows to graze in the habitat area. Read our roundup report here.

READ MORE

Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros!

— AWHC Team

Yesterday was National Wildlife Day.

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Yesterday, Americans across the country closed out the summer by spending time with their families and friends in celebration of Labor Day. But, did you know that yesterday was also National Wildlife Day?

National Wildlife Day is a holiday to honor the wildlife living among us. That’s why we’re celebrating America’s wild horses and burros. Can you chip in to help fuel our work to keep these majestic animals free and in the wild where they belong? >>


Photo by Tandin Chapman

With the freedom of wild horses and burros under near constant threat, it’s our mission to be the voice speaking up for these majestic animals. Our dedicated team is showing up every single day in the field, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill, continuing our fight to uphold the promise to protect America’s wild horses and burros for generations to come.

But we can’t do this important work without your help. If you’re with us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros, will you make a donation of any amount to fuel our work today?

CHIP IN →

Thank you for your support, and Happy Belated National Wildlife Day!

— AWHC Team

Uncovering the AIP’s horrifying slaughter pipeline

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Two years ago, our groundbreaking investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and the slaughter pipeline it created inspired an explosive exposé on the front page of the New York Times. 

The report revealed that this federal cash incentive program was sending “truckloads” of federally protected wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. The piece sparked massive public outrage and encouraged dozens of members of Congress to speak out calling for the suspension of the disastrous program. 

Had it not been for the tireless efforts of our Investigations Team, it’s possible that the reality of this failed program would have never been brought to light. If you’re able, please consider making a contribution to continue powering our Investigation Team’s critical work.

DONATE NOW

In response, the BLM “reformed” the AIP, but the changes it implemented failed to address the key problem: paying people $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro. As a result, untamed horses and burros have continued to flood slaughter auctions across the country, overwhelming the rescue groups trying to save them. 

Our updated findings reveal that nearly 1,600 wild horses and burros have been found in kill pens since the start of the program – 63% of which AWHC has been able to identify by BLM brand number. Of these identified animals, we’ve confirmed that more than 50% were adopted through the AIP. (That percentage will continue to climb as we receive additional BLM records under the Freedom of Information Act).

Most troubling: groups of related individuals have been conspiring to defraud taxpayers of thousands of dollars by adopting multiple rounds of AIP animals and then sending them to kill pens once the cash incentives clear their bank accounts. In some cases, these nefarious adopters go back just days after being awarded a title to adopt their next round of animals.

Using our investigative findings, we are working through litigation and lobbying to bring an end to this program that has placed so many innocent wild horses and burros at risk of brutal slaughter for human consumption overseas.

Enough is enough. The AIP slaughter pipeline MUST end. The lives of thousands of wild horses and burros are at stake. Please make a donation today and power the work of our Investigations Team to help us end the AIP’s cash incentives and put a stop to this disastrous program once and for all.

DONATE NOW

Thank you,

Amelia Perrin
Investigations Manager
American Wild Horse Campaign

Chilly Pepper – A Birthday 911! Another call – 2 unhandled Mares – 1 With new baby & 1 ready to foal. Shipping to slaughter if we don’t save them

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The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:

mama baby ps birthday

newborn baby july

pg skinny mamaAnother Call, Another 911! 4 LIVES TO SAVE!

More wild/unhandled horses heading to slaughter. There is a brand, new baby, (in pretty rough shape), with Mama who is set to ship. Mama is NOT being listed or offered to anyone else, and we are Her Only Chance!! (Baby won’t ship with Mama), but they NEED to stay together.

Mama is emaciated. If you look closely you can see her ribs. Her topline is horrible and her hips are sunken. I will post better photos later. You can see baby looks bad as well. (Look at how skinny and sunken his/her neck is). That is from Mama being starved while he/she was in utero.

Mom 2, who is said to be getting ready to give birth is also slated to ship if we don’t save her. She is also emaciated. She is the pretty girl with the blaze. She will NOT be offered to anyone else. We are Her only hope as well. We need to save both her AND her unborn baby.

I have until Friday to come up with the money. I need to raise $4000 to help purchase, transport for vetting and then get them home.

When I drove to NV to set up a chute to get the last wild mares, and the pregnant donks vetted, the bill for the Coggins and Health Certs was $636, just to get blood drawn so we could legally transport them.

IF we don’t save the mares, they will ship on Saturday. I HAVE to say yes by Friday evening to save them.

I would love to celebrate my birthday tomorrow knowing we will save them!!

THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!

I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.

If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.

I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!

Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:

-<You can go to gofundme<-

You can go to Paypal<-

PLEASE NOTE – Paypal shows Wild Horses in Need, as we are dba- Chilly Pepper

if you would like to help these horses.

->You can donate via check at: (PLEASE NOTE NEW PO BOX #)

Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang,

PO Box # 233

Golconda, NV 89414

You can also donate via credit card by calling Palomino at 530-339-1458.

NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL – WE SAVE THEM ALL!

SAVING GOD’S CRITTERS – FOUR FEET AT A TIME

Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, WIN Project – Rescue & Rehab

We are now part of the WIN Organization

WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_

If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.

 

The BLM’s wild horse and burro holding system is on the brink >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Right now, over 60,000 wild horses and burros are being held in captivity by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – and the agency plans to round up THOUSANDS more in the coming months. Rush a donation now and help us fight back to keep these innocent animals in the wild where they belong!

THIS is the reality for over 60,000 formerly free-roaming wild horses and burros:

Tens of thousands of innocent animals crammed into corrals with no shade or room to run, vulnerable to deadly disease outbreaks and in danger of being funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) – all at a hefty cost of over $80 million to American taxpayers every year.

We know it doesn’t have to be like this. Through our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range, we’ve been proving for over four years that there IS a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros, one that keeps them out of these overcrowded facilities and in the wild where they’re meant to be.

But roundup season is approaching fast – and the BLM already announced that it plans to remove thousands more wild horses and burros from their homes this summer. Whether it’s in the field, in courts, or on the Hill, we’re gearing up to fight back for our wild herds. Will you make a contribution today to bolster our efforts to help keep wild horses and burros free this summer?

DONATE NOW →

Thank you,

AWHC Team

Wild horses win in Colorado!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have exciting news!

This week, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB23-275, also known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project, and sent it to Governor Polis’ desk for his signature.

This bill, supported by AWHC and other wild horse protection and environmental groups, invests in a humane and cost-effective alternative to the cruel roundups that have reduced Colorado’s wild horse herds over the past several years.

SB23-275 is a significant step forward in the long term conservation of Colorado’s wild horses, dedicating $1.5 million in state resources to support the work of existing – but traditionally underfunded – local wild horse volunteer groups focused on sustaining wild horse populations through robust fertility control and habitat stewardship programs.

The bill creates a broad stakeholder working group to make recommendations for responsible placement options for wild horses who have been removed from the range, and is a model for positive and collaborative state involvement to improve the humane management of these federally-protected animals across the West.

The Wild Horse Project is an outgrowth of public opposition to the last two years of government helicopter roundups in Colorado, which removed 1,800 wild horses from their habitats and led to the preventable deaths of 149 of these state icons in overcrowded holding pens.

Colorado’s political leaders – representing broad constituencies that include wild horse advocates, environmentalists, and ranching interests – came together in response. We are thankful to Governor Polis, First Gentleman Marlon Reis, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Senator Joann Ginal, and Senator Perry Will, for working on a bipartisan basis toward a better way to care for and protect Colorado’s majestic wild horse herds.

We believe that Majority Leader Monica Duran said it best when she testified for the bill:

“… In Colorado, we love our horses. They are central to our state’s history and culture…after the two helicopter roundups that occurred in our state, there was an outcry. And this bill is an answer to that outcry.”

Please help us spread the word about this important step forward for our cause! Here are two ways you can help us get the news out:

  1. Spread the news on Facebook!
SHARE THIS WIN ON FACEBOOK
  1. Spread the news on Twitter!
SHARE THIS WIN ON TWITTER

Thank you to all the citizens and organizations who took action to support this game changing legislation – this win would not have been possible without your support. Our collective herd of advocates is strong, and when we all band together, we succeed!

Thank you for standing with our wild herds in the fight for their future.

– American Wild Horse Campaign

URGENT: BLM plans to roundup Montana’s last wild herd!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The wild horses who call Montana’s Pryor Mountain homedesperately need our help.

The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is home to a herd of about 200 mustangs, and they’re the only herd of federally protected wild horses left in all of Montana. Now, the BLM is asking the public for input on a proposal that would reduce the size of this herd by more than half, destroy beloved family bands, and would threaten the genetic health of the entire herd.

The BLM is currently accepting public comments on this proposal – so we need everyone to speak out against this inhumane and ill-advised plan ASAP. Please use your voice on behalf of the Pryor Mountain wild horses and tell the BLM you oppose this dangerous proposal!

ACT NOW →

The BLM is proposing a series of roundups that would reduce this strong herd of 200 down to just 90 horses, well below the genetic viability standard of 150 animals needed to maintain diversity. The consequences would be dire. In addition to breaking up the herd’s important familial structure, the horses’ unique Spanish colonial genetics would be lost forever.

SPEAK UP →

If this proposed action gets implemented, it would be a disaster for the Pryor Mountain wild horses. Not only is this herd already managed by a fertility control program, but it’s located on one of only four designated wild horse and burro ranges in the country — land that is managed principally for wild horses and burros. 

We know that when we band together and raise our voices as one, we can make an impact for our wild herds. Please help us stand up for Montana’s last herd of wild horses by submitting comments to the BLM opposing this disastrous plan!

ACT NOW →

Thank you so much for your support,

AWHC Team

Time is running out

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Time is running out.

I’ll keep this quick: In just a few short hours, our biggest fundraising opportunity of the year — unlocking a $150,000 matching gift — expires. We’re still $24,312 from reaching our goal, and I’m worried that for the first time ever, we may not get there.

Together, we can ensure that our work in 2023 gets off to the strongest start possible; with funding for our ambitious legal, legislative, and field program goals.

Can you chip in whatever you can afford — one last time in 2022 before it’s too late?

I can’t wait to see what we achieve together for our wild horses and burros in the year ahead. If it’s anything like the momentum we’ve experienced this year, we have a lot to be hopeful about. Thank you for all that you’ve done to power our movement in 2022.

Together, we’ve accomplished so much, so I want to share with you a video our team put together highlighting some of our 2022 victories. We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to do and are so grateful for your belief in our work, Meredith.

Will you take a moment to watch and then make a 2X matched donation to help us finish the year off strong?

A thumbnail of the 2022 recap video with a play button

WATCH & DONATE →

On behalf of our whole team, thank you for your compassion and dedication to protecting wild horses and burros. We wish you and your family a peaceful and healthy New Year.

For the wild ones,

Suzanne, a white woman with brown hair stands wearing sunglasses and a "stay wild" hat

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

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