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Wild Horse and Burro 2022

Wild Horse and Burro articles for 2022

Help us unlock our biggest Giving Tuesday goal EVER

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Giving Tuesday is just around the corner — and I’m excited to announce that this year, we’ve set our biggest fundraising goal ever. This Giving Tuesday, we’re aiming to raise $100,000 to have the necessary resources to fuel our work in the field, in courts, and in Congress in 2023. 

As one of our most loyal supporters, you know that Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the entire year. And, this year is even more significant because a generous donor has offered to matchevery single donation that comes in towards our $100,000 Giving Tuesday goal bringing our total possible Giving Tuesday impact to $200,000!!

But, there’s a catch → in order to unlock this very special double match, we need to kickstart our Giving Tuesday fundraising and raise $35,000 before this Sunday at midnight! Will you make a donation right now to help us unlock this critical match and DOUBLE our impact this Giving Tuesday?

UNLOCK THE MATCH →

So much is at stake in 2023. As I write this, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) holding facilities are reaching their breaking point. More wild horses and burros are confined in these facilities than ever before. Worse, the BLM’s own reports show widespread animal welfare violations at even the newest holding corrals, leading to disease outbreaks, overcrowding, and worse. Meanwhile, the cost to taxpayers for this program continues to skyrocket as the threat of slaughter for these innocent animals increases. 

While these circumstances are dire, the backlash against the BLM’s cruel and costly practices is growing. Mounting public and Congressional opposition is creating a mandate for change and the opportunity to make it happen. We know there is a better way to protect wild horses and burros and keep them in the wild where they belong. We’re proving it with our highly successful fertility control program in Nevada and by building key stakeholder partnerships for humane management of other western herds. 

But timing is of the essence — we must act now.

That is why this goal is so important. Will you make a donation right now to help unlock our Giving Tuesday 2X Match so that we can DOUBLE our impact in 2023 and keep our cherished wild horses and burros wild and free?

UNLOCK THE MATCH →

Thanks for your help, 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

Wild horses just gained some new friends >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

If there’s one thing we’ve proven through our national awareness campaign this year ➡️ It’s that once people hear about the tragedies our cherished wild horses and burros face, they are angry, they are energized, and they are ready to take action! 

That’s why, as a continuation of our public awareness efforts and as the organization at the forefront of the battle for the future of America’s wild mustangs, we are thrilled to introduce the American Wild Horse Campaign’s *NEW* Ambassador Program!

Wild Horses Just Gained Some New Friends: Photos of Kaitlynn Carter, Jenni Kayne, Jessica Springsteen, Chloe Gosselin, Brandi Cyrus, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Danielle Vasinova

Among the individuals joining AWHC in our efforts are TV personality Kaitlynn Carter; shoe designer Chloe Gosselin; Olympic equestrian Jessica Springsteen; Brandi Cyrus, DJ and co-host of the iHeart Radio podcast Your Favorite Thing; Cobra Kai actress Alicia Hannah-Kim; fashion designer and lifestyle guru Jenni Kayne; and renowned celebrity fine-art photographerBrian Bowen Smith. 

We created the AWHC Ambassador program to harness our collective power and elevate the issue of America’s wild horses. AWHC Ambassadors are inspiring leaders, storytellers, creators, and doers from all around the country that care about our nation’s wild horses and the public lands they call home.

As the grassroots movement to protect these magnificent animals grows, we need your help to strengthen and amplify it. Our ambassadors serve as advocates who can inspire those around them to care and take action. 

Together, we can inform the public and expand awareness around the plight of our magnificent wild horses and burros. Learn more about our newest AWHC Ambassadors at the button below!

LEARN MORE →

 

ACT NOW: Stop wild burros from falling victim to the international donkey skin trade

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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 eNews, including:an opportunity to take action to protect America’s wild burros from the donkey skin trade, an introduction to Shaggy, one of the Virginia Range’s beloved mustangs, and an inside look at our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program. 

Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>

Speak Up for Burros: Stop the Ejiao Trade

Two burros standing side by side in a field

Photo by Mike Lorden

Each year, millions of donkeys are brutally slaughtered for the production of ejiao (eh-gee-yow), medicinal gelatin that is made from boiling the skins of these animals. The donkey skin trade is now decimating global donkey populations as well as harming the impoverished global communities that rely on them for survival. The increasing number of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) burros in kill pens and slaughter auctions raises serious concerns about burros being put at risk of entering the donkey skin trade and the production of ejiao.

Luckily, U.S. House Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) has introduced the ​​Ejiao Act (H.R. 5203), which would ban the knowing sale or transportation of ejiao made using donkey skin, or products containing ejiao made using donkey skin, in interstate or foreign commerce. Please take action today. >>

TAKE ACTION

Meet the Mustang: Shaggy, the Shimmering Buckskin of Nevada’s Virginia Range

Shaggy, a dark brown buckskin mustang gallops

Photo by Deb Sutherland

Nevada’s 300,000-acre Virginia Range is home to an estimated 3,000 wild horses, including a stunning buckskin stallion affectionately known by locals as Shaggy.

American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) volunteer Deb Sutherland has been documenting Shaggy and his family since he was born in 2012, and her knowledge of the ongoings of his life is rich. As Deb puts it, “It’s not just the story of Shaggy — as telling the history of one wild horse always involves sharing the lives of the others on the range — they are all intertwined.”

READ MORE

ICYMI: Lifting the Veil — AWHC’s FOIA Program

Mustangs young and old stuck in a fenced-in area

One of the most important areas of our work at AWHC is our investigations program. The core of the work involves filing requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to gain access to public information that the federal government may be unwilling to disclose.

Read on to learn more about this critical program that allows us to uncover important and sometimes damning information about the management of our nation’s wild horses and burros, including records that expose abuse and mistreatment during roundups, in holding, or in private care.

LEARN MORE

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

— AWHC Team

THIS is the work your generosity powers

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our team at the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) does a lot of behind-the-scenes work that forms the basis of our more public actions. One critical area is our investigations program, which uses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request government records.

FOIA is a federal law that empowers private citizens and groups to access public information that government offices may not publiclly disclose on their own. FOIA’s purpose is to increase government transparency and accountability and educate the public about government operations that might otherwise be shrouded in secrecy.

FOIA is a key tool in our toolbox that allows us to uncover incredibly important, and sometimes damning information about the management of our nation’s wild horses and burros. This includes records that expose abuse and mistreatment during roundups, in holding facilities, or in private care.

Right now, AWHC has over 80 active and open FOIA requests — and we are filing more every day.

Just like our observers who document violations at roundups in the field, our FOIA work sheds light on a number of other serious animal welfare issues hidden from the public. In the past two years alone, FOIA has helped us to uncover:

  • The terrible impact of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays people $1,000 to adopt a wild, untamed horse or burro and has landed at least 1,100 of these cherised animals in kill pens in under two years;
  • The unreported mortality rate of roundups that include the deaths of scores of wild horses at holding facilities in the weeks after they are captured and removed from the range. Some of these deaths — including the 16 wild horse deaths at the U.S. Forest Service’s Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals — were never previously disclosed to the public;
  • The BLM’s use of IUD’s in wild mares despite the lack of scientific research about the efficacy and safety of these devices in wild populations;
  • And so much more.

These concerning situations would remain hidden from the American people if not for the information our team has gathered through FOIA requests. But the requests are only the beginning. In many cases, the BLM or Forest Service fails to respond within the legally-mandated time frame, forcing us to sue the agency to turn over the requested records.

As a result, we currently have 20 FOIA lawsuits against the BLM in various stages of litigation and expect to file even more suits soon. 

This important work would not be possible without the support of wild horse and burro allies like you. Your donations fuel our Legal Fund and empower us to take action to reveal the truth about what is happening to our cherished wild horses and burros during roundups, in holding pens, and as a result of the adoption and sales program. We are so grateful for your commitment to standing with us as we fight for these iconic animals.

So, Meredith, on behalf of everyone here at AWHC, thank you!

– American Wild Horse Campaign

Trick or trot! Something is haunting our wild herds…

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

 

On behalf of all our wild horses, boo-rros, and everyone at the American Wild Horse Campaign, Happy Halloween!

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This Halloween feels different though. Something is haunting our wild horses and burros, and we know just what that is: 

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Photo by WilsonAxpe Photography

These magnificent animals need our help to end this nightMARE before it’s too late. Your commitment to fighting for our wild herds is what powers our efforts to protect these animals from all the dangers that await them when they are removed from their homes on the range.

So this Halloween, can you use your voice and call on your U.S. Representative to cosponsor the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 9154) — a bill that would meaningfully reform the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and keep these iconic animals in the wild where they belong?

TAKE ACTION

Thank you, and Happy Halloween!

AWHC Team

Washington Post sheds national light on horrific wild horse slayings

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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 eNews including: an opportunity to take action against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), a new Washington Post article shedding national light on the horrific killings of dozens of wild horses in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, and an invitation to join AWHC Government Relations Director Holly Gann Bice and Congressman David Schweikert for a webinar on the progress of protecting wild horses and burros in Arizona. 

Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>

ACT NOW: Keep the Pressure on BLM Director Stone-Manning to STOP the Cash Incentives for Wild Horses and Burros!

Photo credit: Tandin Chapman

Since 2020, our Investigations Team has been looking into the deadly consequences of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays individuals $1,000 to adopt a wild horse or burro. As shown in our updated 2022 report, we’ve uncovered a slaughter pipeline that has now landed over 1,000 innocent wild horses and burros in kill pens in less than two years. 

The BLM has received these reports, yet senior agency officials went on record earlier this month at the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting to say “there is no credible information” that shows horses or burros are being sent to slaughterhouses as a result of the AIP. We must keep the pressure on, and show BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning that we will NOT stand for one more federally-protected icon ending up in the slaughter pipeline. Tell the BLM to stop cash incentives for the AIP and make your voice heard!

TAKE ACTION

RSVP: Join Congressman David Schweikert for a ZOOM Webinar on the Progress of Protecting Wild Horses and Burros!

Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ) will be hosting a ZOOM webinar on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 11 a.m. PDT/ 2 p.m. EDT on the progress of protecting wild horses and burros in Arizona!

The Congressman will be joined by AWHC Government Relations Director Holly Gann Bice to answer questions and provide key updates about the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022, legislation co-led by Rep. Schweikert. Register to attend TODAY!

REGISTER

SHARE: Washington Post Highlights Arizona Wild Horse Massacre

The Washington Post recently informed its millions of readers about the horrific killings of the Alpine wild horse herd in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. This coverage is critical in continuing to get the word out, keeping pressure on the Forest Service, and bringing the killer(s) to justice.

Sharing this article will go a long way. Please help us spread the word to your friends and family.

READ AND SHARE

Animal groups devastated by wild horse killings in national forest, call for action

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When volunteers with a wild horse advocacy group went to check on a herd of wild horses in Arizona, they came across a horrifying sight. They found 10 horses that had been shot, another four were still alive but suffering gunshot wounds.

This is the second time this year that horses from that herd have been shot and killed. In this recent case, the dead and wounded horses were discovered on Wednesday.

“Based on the condition of the bodies, maybe they were killed on Monday,” said Lynda Logan with Advocates for Wild Equines. “It looks like they were shot through the lungs and once they were down they shot them in the head.”

Imagine a wild horse in the courtroom

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Suzanne here — I wanted to give you an update about the important work of AWHC’s legal team right now and the looming legal battles ahead to protect wild horses and burros.

From a legal perspective, the situation surrounding wild horses and burros is very unique. These equines are legally protected as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West and as an integral part of public lands they inhabit. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the agency tasked with managing most of these beloved animals, but sadly as you and I both know, Meredith, wild horses and burros are threatened by the outdated and unscientific management practices the agency implements.

For years, our legal team has worked to build a strong firewall of protection around wild horses and burros, but we’re not done yet. We have a few key upcoming legal battles that will decide the fate of thousands of wild horses and burros.

We are:

  • Continuing our litigation against the implementation of the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) that’s sending hundreds — if not thousands — of wild horses into the slaughter pipeline;
  • Taking legal action to hold the agency accountable when it fails to release critical records we request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA);
  • Tracking the BLM’s rulemaking process to “clarify its authorities” under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and pursuing a rulemaking petition to strengthen the agency’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program Guidelines and make them enforceable.

As we take on these fights in the courts, we are gearing up for the final legal showdown in our decade-long battle to stop the BLM from removing two million acres of federally protected habitat and eradicating the beloved wild horses who live in the Checkerboard region of Wyoming. The final decision has been made by the BLM and its release is imminent, but with your help, we will be ready to go to court to defend Wyoming’s iconic Checkerboard herds. 

These legal battles could not be more important — the fate of thousands of wild horses and burros are on the line. So today, I’m here to ask if you’ll make a donation to help build up our Legal Fund as we fight to protect wild horses and burros across the West. Will you make a donation today to support this important work, Meredith?

DONATE

Thank you for helping us to be a voice in the courtroom for these innocent animals.

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

ICYMI: Groundbreaking legislation to protect wild horses was just introduced in Congress >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last Friday, our wild horse champions in Congress introduced MAJOR legislation to reform the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Wild Horse and Burro Programs.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 will enact sweeping changes to the way the BLM and USFS manage our wild herds. This includes putting an end to the disastrous cash incentives fueling the Adoption Incentive Program’s (AIP) slaughter pipeline, prioritizing humane methods of population management like fertility control vaccine programs as an alternative to cruel helicopter roundups, and much more.

This legislation is a huge step forward in protecting wild horses and burros from federal mismanagement, but it would not have been possible without the support of people like you, Meredith. Your contributions are what fuels our legislative team’s work to partner with our allies in Congress and craft critical bills like this one, secure historic funding in the yearly appropriations bill to reallocate spending away from helicopter roundups and towards humane management, and work towards holding the BLM accountable through Congressional action.

We are so grateful for all you’ve done in the fight to save our wild herds, but there is still a lot more work to be done to power wild horse-friendly bills like this one to become law. Can you make a donation today to help us have the resources to keep our staff on the Hill and continue our legislative efforts to protect wild horses and burros?

DONATE

The introduction of this bill is certainly a huge victory, but we don’t have time to waste celebrating. The BLM is preparing for its Fiscal Year 2023 roundups as we speak, and if we don’t pass this legislation ASAP, even more wild horses and burros will be subjected to deadly helicopter chases and lose their freedom as they are packed into dangerously overcrowded holding facilities.

We know there is a long road ahead to get this bill signed into law, and it starts with getting it passed through the House. Our government relations team is already at work to try and make that happen, but they need your support to see it through. Will you make a donation today to power our continued fight on Capitol Hill?

DONATE

Thank you,

Holly Gann Bice
Director of Government Relations
American Wild Horse Campaign

BREAKING: Major wild horse legislation was just introduced in Congress >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

BREAKING: Today, a bipartisan group of wild horse champions in Congress, Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced major reform legislation. 

The bill introduced, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022, is a monumental step forward in protecting wild horses and burros from federal mismanagement. Help us pass it by urging your member of Congress to cosponsor the bill now. →

ACT NOW

 

This bill calls for MAJOR reform to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Wild Horse and Burro Programs including: 

  • Repealing the Burns Amendment, which amended the original 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to allow for the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros.
  • Ending the cash incentives for adoption that are resulting in droves of wild horses and burros entering the slaughter pipeline.
  • Preventing killing as a population control method and restricting the use of euthanasia to only life-threatening conditions.
  • Prioritizing humane population management with tools like fertility control rather than inhumane helicopter roundups and removals.
  • Encouraging partnerships with military veterans and non-governmental organizations in the name of keeping wild horses and burros wild.
  • AND MORE!

As the Fiscal Year 2023 roundup targets will be announced any day now, it’s clear that we need to pass this bill and FAST as more and more horses face uncertain futures in holding facilities, or worse, are killed during a helicopter capture operation. We need your help to do this. Act now by sending a message to your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor this important piece of legislation. →

SEND A MESSAGE

Since its passage in 1971, the original Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act has been weakened by amendments meant to benefit private interests. It’s time to take back control of the legislative agenda for wild horses and pass a bill that addresses the most pressing crises facing wild horses and burros right now.

We’re extremely proud this bill has been introduced, but now we need other members of Congress to add their support to protect these innocent animals. Urge your member of Congress to cosponsor this monumental bill now!

ACT NOW

Thanks!

— AWHC Team

UPDATE: Our new report on the AIP’s slaughter pipeline is grabbing the media’s attention >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Over the past two years, we’ve been working diligently to raise awareness about the deadly consequences of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) – and that work is paying off:

The Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article last month highlighting the findings of our newest report on the slaughter pipeline resulting from the AIP. This program is meant to incentivize the adoption of wild horses and burros and to provide them with a new home, but in reality it has led to over 1,000 of these innocent animals being funneled to slaughter auctions where if not rescued, they are shipped to foreign slaughter plants. 

It’s bad enough that these precious horses and burros are subjected to the BLM’s inhumane helicopter roundups and removals, but the agency’s continued operation of a program that is funneling federally-protected animals into the slaughter pipeline is unacceptable. That’s why we are doing everything we can to alert the public to the plight of wild horses → Enter: Our national awareness campaign and our homepage takeover of the Review-Journal!

Last month, we launched our first ever nationwide advertising campaign to ramp up the pressure on the BLM to end cruel helicopter roundups and keep wild horses in the wild where they belong. From Colorado to Oregon, we’ve been hitting the airwaves and engaging folks to urge their members of Congress to stand up for these innocent animals.

And so far, our campaign has been a HUGE success. When Americans learn about the brutal tactics the BLM uses to “manage” our wild horses and burros, they’re shocked, they’re angry, and they are ready to take action. We are so excited that our efforts to raise awareness about the BLM’s mistreatment of wild horses are working, but raising awareness is only one piece of the puzzle.

We are continuing our fight to end inhumane helicopter roundups and stop the AIP’s pipeline to slaughter. We’re working in the field, in courts, and on the Hill to save more innocent horses from losing their freedom or worse — their lives. Can you make a donation today to fuel our work and help us continue saving our cherished wild horses and burros?

POWER OUR WORK → DONATE TODAY! 

Thank you,

AWHC Team

The FY23 roundup season has begun >> Act NOW to protect wild horses and burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Any day now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will announce the wild horse and burro herds it is targeting for roundup and removal in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). These helicopter roundups are brutal and traumatizing operations that often result in injury or death.

But the danger does not end there. Once these animals are captured, they become one of the nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros held in the BLM’s holding system — a system that is at its breaking point.

Just this year, the BLM conducted assessments of some of its facilities and Meredith, the results were shocking. On the heels of the deadliest disease outbreak in BLM holding facility history, these assessments showed underfeeding, lack of basic care, and poorly maintained facilities that put animals at a higher risk for injury.

AWHC is taking action to address this crisis and break the silence surrounding the beginning of the BLM’s next roundup season. But we cannot do it alone! Here are three actions you can take NOW to help us change this broken system and support the safety and freedom of our cherished wild horses and burros in FY23:

1) DEMAND BLM ACCOUNTABILITY ON CAWP VIOLATIONS
The BLM has its own assessment standards for holding facilities called the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). Even with this program in place, many holding facilities have been found in violation of these standards. Send a message to the Department of the Interior to demand the BLM actively enforce its own CAWP standards. →

SEND A MESSAGE

2) SUPPORT THE WILD HORSE AND BURRO PROTECTION ACT 
One of our wild horse champions in Congress, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced legislation this year that would take a stand against the brutality of the BLM’s helicopter roundups: The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act (H.R. 6635). This bill would ban the use of helicopters for capture once and for all. Send a message to your representatives in Congress letting them know you support this legislation and ask them to sign on as a cosponsor. →

SEND A MESSAGE

3) CALL ON THE BLM TO MANDATE CAMERA INSTALLATIONS 
Often wild horses and burros are chased for miles before our field representatives see them. And even when the helicopter comes into view, the BLM places the observers as far as a mile away from the operation, making it nearly impossible to really see what’s happening. We’re fighting for the passage of Rep. Titus’ legislation to ban the use of helicopters, but so long as these roundups continue, we’re advocating for the installation of cameras on all helicopters used for these operations! Mandating helicopter cameras to record and document roundups will help the public hold the BLM accountable and establish a record of activities most Americans never see. Send a message to the BLM to advocate for camera installations on helicopters. →

SEND A MESSAGE

There is a better way to manage wild horses and burros and brutal helicopter roundups are not it. Thanks for taking action. 

— AWHC Team

Closing out Animal Remembrance Month by remembering Oriana

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range is proving that there is a humane way to manage wild horses without removing a single animal from their home on western lands. It costs just $30 to dart a mare with the PZP fertility control vaccine — today, on the 30th, will you donate $30 or more to fuel our lifesaving and historic PZP program?

POWER OUR PZP PROGRAM

On this last day of World Animal Remembrance Month, we could think of no better way to close things out than by sharing the story of a Nevada mare all of us at the American Wild Horse Campaign fondly remember, Oriana — or who we liked to call: the Queen of the Virginia Range.

Oriana was a mare that embodied everything we continue to fight for. She lived truly wild. Wary of humans, she was quick to move away from those who would approach. She was fast, strong, and incredibly beautiful — her long blonde mane a testament to her majestic nature.

Photo by Deb Sutherland

While we were devastated when Oriana passed in 2020, we took solace in knowing she died free, never to experience a lifetime of holding facilities — or worse.

DONATE $30 → KEEP WILD HORSES WILD

For over 3 years, we’ve managed our PZP program on the Virginia Range. This program is the first of its kind, and in those 3 years, it’s helped us reduce foaling rates by 62% — proving to the public, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Congress that there is a more humane AND more cost-effective way to manage wild horses than brutal helicopter roundups and removals.

Wild horses like Oriana thrive in their natural habitats where they can run wild as they’re meant to. And our fertility control program makes that possible. As we pay homage to Oriana’s memory, let us also remember that there are nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros stuck in confinement at BLM holding facilities right now — more than ever before — and thousands more are targeted for removal this upcoming year. There’s a better way to manage wild horses than this cruel cycle, and Meredith, our work in Nevada is proving just that.

The success of our PZP program is critical to the future of our cherished wild herds, and in fact, we’re working to expand our lifesaving program to other herd areas across the West right now.

We owe it to these innocent animals to keep fighting to ensure that they can live out their lives wild and free like Oriana did. A donation towards our PZP Program helps us build and grow these future programs and continue to protect the horses who like Oriana, call the Virginia Range home. So, Meredith, today on the 30th, will you make a donation of $30 or more to power the continued success and expansion of our PZP program so that we can keep wild horses and burros living wild and free where they belong?

$30.00 >> HELPS 1 HORSE
$60.00 >> HELPS 2 HORSES
$150.00 >> HELPS 5 HORSES
$300.00 >> HELPS 10 HORSES
DONATE OTHER >

The FY22 roundup season is almost over. Here’s what you helped us accomplish,

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

At the beginning of this year, you recommitted your support to stand alongside us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros. A lot has happened since then, so as the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) roundup season comes to a close and the FY23 roundup season is set to begin, we wanted to share our incredible accomplishments so far — and all the work that still needs to be done. >>

Together we’ve achieved:

  • This year, we celebrated the 3 year anniversary of AWHC’s PZP fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range. This is a groundbreaking program that has reduced foaling rates by over 61% and continues to prove to the public and to Congress that fertility control works — all without the removal of a single horse or burro! The success of this program shows that it can be expanded to other wild horse areas in the West, and in fact, we’re doing just that! So be sure to stay tuned, more updates to come on this soon!
  • AWHC’s Government Relations team and allies on Capitol Hill for the first time ever secured language in the final FY22 Appropriations bill that re-allocated $11 million of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding away from helicopter roundups and towards humane fertility control. 
  • And, finally, this summer, we launched a public awareness campaign in Colorado demanding an end to the brutal roundup occurring in the Piceance Basin. As a result of these ads, 188,000 Coloradans were made aware of the tragedies happening to wild horses right in their backyard, and over 20,000 wild horse advocates joined us in calling for an immediate end to the roundup. The BLM ended the roundup early, saving 700 horses from losing their freedom. And now we’re expanding this campaign to a national level with TV ads, mobile billboards, and so much more!

How we’re continuing our fight:

  • Despite what we’ve achieved this year, the BLM still removed over 19,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands. What’s more, there are nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros stuck in crowded BLM holding facilities right now — the most in history — where they are at risk of deadly viruses and mistreatment. We’re continuing our fight to pass the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act through Congress, a bill that would end the inhumane use of helicopters to chase down innocent mustangs and burros to remove them from the wild.
  • In the coming Fiscal Year, the BLM plans to roundup and remove another 18-20,000 wild horses and burros from their homes in the wild. Just like we did this year, we’re continuing our work on Capitol Hill to ensure the FY23 Appropriations bill includes similar language that allocates $11 million to continue funding humane fertility control vaccines as an alternative to brutal helicopter roundups.
  • And finally, we’re fighting to end the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) in its current form by demanding the elimination of the cash incentives. Since AWHC’s investigation into the AIP in November 2020, over 1,020 wild horses and burros have been identified in kill pens. This slaughter pipeline won’t stop until the cash incentives do. We’re continuing our fight through our investigations, through our lawsuit against the implementation of the AIP, and on Capitol Hill to end this disastrous program as we know it.

None of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year would’ve been possible without the help of supporters like you. When we stand together, there is nothing we can’t achieve for our beloved wild herds. These innocent animals still need our help – so, will you keep standing with us in this fight and help us continue our work to protect the lives and freedom of America’s wild horses and burros?

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Campaign

Happy National Public Lands Day!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Photo credits: WilsonAxpe

Today is National Public Lands Day, celebrating the magnificent landscape that is home to our nation’s beloved wild horses and burros.

The conservation of our public lands — and the wildlife that inhabit them — is a proud statement of what Americans care about and our desire to protect what’s wild, free … and vulnerable.

A century and a half ago, the U.S. supported almost two billion acres of public lands. 

Today, that number has been reduced to 640 million acres. Along with this dwindling of the public landscape is the systematic elimination of space for America’s wild horses and burros, which now inhabit less than 27 million acres of public lands in ten Western states. Worse, the federal government is determined to shrink wild horse and burro habitats and population numbers further, while giving 97% of those lands — your lands — to the commercial livestock industry for cattle and sheep grazing that we, the taxpayers, subsidize. 

In short, with 64,000 wild horses removed from those lands and held in captivity — at a cost to taxpayers that could approach $1 billion dollars over 5 years — America’s wild horses and burros are in crisis.

There is a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros on public lands where they belong: www.keepwildhorseswild.com. We are deeply grateful for the support we receive every day to speak for and act on their behalf, and to advocate for real solutions to maintain thriving wild horse and burro populations in the West.

On this National Public Lands Day, we hope you will have the opportunity to venture out and enjoy the beauty and splendor of our public lands and the wild horses and burros that grace them. If you can’t see them in person, then we hope you will enjoy this video of wild horses roaming free.

Happy National Public Lands Day!

Yours,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

After roundups, the horror continues. But we can do something about it >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Far from prying eyes, nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros are being held in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding pens across America. After being rounded up, forcefully separated from their families, and removed from the public lands they call home, it is in these facilities that wild horses and burros face further mistreatment.

In many cases, they don’t receive critical vaccines in a timely manner. Some don’t have constant access to food and water. Too many are in poor body condition. The facilities are not maintained in working order. And this takes a toll: Just this year, hundreds of wild horses contracted fatal and preventable diseases and many tragically passed away in these facilities.

The answer to this growing crisis — which the BLM aims to only accelerate in the coming years — is to stop the problem before it starts. Fertility control allows us to humanely and safely manage populations of wild horses and burros in the wild, shielding them from BLM roundups.

This is the work that AWHC is invested in, Meredith. We will not stand idly by while the conditions for wild horses continue to worsen. We must do everything we can to keep as many horses as possible out of these holding facilities. That means being proactive and humanely managing population growth.

Our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range is doing just that — proving with science, that the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to manage these cherished animals is in the wild where they belong.

Will you contribute now to power this critical work, so no animal is forced to endure inhumane treatment in these holding facilities?

DONATE

Thanks.

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

What happens to wild horses 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 horses being traumatized, separated from their families, and injured or killed. But the cruelty doesn’t end with helicopter roundups — once captured, wild horses are corralled in overburdened Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities, where they face even more inhumane treatment.

ACT NOW TO PROTECT THEM

The BLM has guidelines for holding facilities that are part of its Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). These guidelines include ensuring captured animals receive basic care such as access to food and water, vaccinations, and well-constructed facilities to minimize injuries.

Our Investigations Team has long had concerns about the BLM’s care of wild horses and burros in these holding pens, and unfortunately, our concerns were validated when the BLM finally began to evaluate its facilities using CAWP standards this year.

Here’s what it found: Vaccinations were not given in a timely manner, facilities were understaffed, not all animals had simultaneous access to food and water, facility maintenance and upkeep had fallen by the wayside, horses were found in poor body condition, and little attention was paid to proper biosecurity measures.

These findings are incredibly concerning with nearly 64,000 animals confined in facilities across the country. Even worse, 2022 saw the deadliest disease outbreak in BLM history in its Cañon City holding pens, which claimed the lives of nearly 150 unvaccinated wild horses who had been in the “care” of the agency for 9 months.

This system is at a breaking point, which is why we’re calling on you to take action and demand that the Department of the Interior address these CAWP violations and commit to keeping captured wild horses and burros safe. Will you take action now, and speak up for these innocent animals?

DEMAND ACTION

Thousands of wild horses and burros are locked up in these overburdened and unsafe facilities right now → and American taxpayers are footing the bill. This is an outdated and expensive cycle that desperately needs enhanced accountability measures and stronger enforcement from the BLM.

As the roundups continue, more and more wild horses and burros are going to be piled into this network of overcrowded and under-resourced holding facilities. It’s a crisis that’s only going to worsen as time goes on — unless we choose to act here and now and demand that the BLM rigorously and consistently enforce its own CAWP standards.

Will you take action now and demand that the Department of the Interior take up this issue and ensure wild horses are safe after they are captured?

TAKE ACTION NOW

Thanks for acting on behalf of wild horses and burros, Meredith.

— AWHC Team

UPDATE: Our national ad campaign is gaining MAJOR traction

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Advocates like you and I have known about the plight of our cherished wild horses and burros for years, but millions of Americans are still unaware of the tragedies happening to these innocent animals across the West.

But we are changing that. Since Monday, when we launched our largest national campaign ever, we’ve seen a huge outpouring of support. In less than a week, our TV and online ads have gained a LOT of traction, playing across major news networks, because one thing is clear: Once Americans learn about the brutal practices the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses to “manage” our wild horses and burros, they’re shocked, they’re angry, and they are ready to take action.

But spreading awareness isn’t all it takes to protect the future of our wild herds. And that’s why broadcasting our new ads nationwide is just the first step. Now, the next leg of our national campaign to protect wild horses and burros is in motion — literally:

Over the course of the next week, mobile billboards broadcasting our commercial will circle the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Department of the Interior to encourage our federal leaders to use their power to stand up for wild horses and burros.

Between the public support we’ve received thus far, and bringing our message directly to decisionmakers in Washington, we’re confident in the success of this campaign. People are more engaged than ever to be the voice of our beloved wild equines. So we won’t let up — we’re doubling down to increase awareness and pressure for change in the states where roundups are happening this month —  Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah.

This national campaign would not be possible without the support of donors like you. Now, we need your help to take it even further. Can you make a contribution today to help us expand our ad campaign and continue to build a force for change?

DONATE

The work we are doing is critical to ending the suffering of thousands of wild horses and burros across the West. Right now, the BLM and U.S. Forest Service are conducting helicopter roundups that will forever rob 2,700 of these innocent animals of their freedom and families.

If every American knew that their tax dollars are funding this cruel and inhumane practice, they would be outraged! That’s why it’s so important that we not only keep our national campaign going but expand our ads to reach even more people in states where BLM roundups are happening this fall.

So please, rush a donation to help us keep our campaign live nationwide and put double the pressure on the BLM and legislators in DC, UT, OR, NV, + CA to protect the freedom of America’s wild herds!

DONATE

Thank you,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

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