Imagine a wild horse in the courtroom

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most of these beloved animals, but sadly as you and I both know, Meredith, wild horses and burros are threatened by the outdated and unscientific management practices the agency implements.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?

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

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign