2022 is shaping up to be a busy year for our team at the American Wild Horse Campaign! We’ll be continuing our fight in the court, in the field, and on the Hill to preserve the freedom of America’s wild horses and burros.
We are on the frontlines of the fight to protect these iconic animals, but one thing is for sure: we couldn’t do it without our large herd of wild horse advocates who help to fuel our work. Grassroots supporters like you make up this incredible network and help to make our important efforts possible.
While our Government Relations team is busy setting their legislative agenda for the new year, we wanted to reach out with some advocacy resources so that you have everything you need to be the voice of our wild herds this year!
ADVOCACY ACTION KIT
Visit our Action Center to find contact information for your legislators or track wild horse legislation!
The American Wild Horse Campaign is so much more than just our staff — it’s a community of activists who put in the work, time and time again, to defend our treasured wild horses and burros.
In 2021, supporters like you helped us to:
Collect over 460,000 petition signatures to protect wild horses and burros;
Send over 338,000 messages to legislators on behalf of our wild herds;
And grow our grassroots network by more than 246,000!
So, will you stand with us again in 2022 to protect the lives of America’s wild horses and burros? We’ll be in touch over the next few weeks with actions you can take to protect these cherished animals.
I am working on tax donation receipts for 2021. IF YOU DONATED VIA CREDIT CARD, please contact me asap if you need your receipt.
Due to the bank upping their security to protect your personal information, the end of the year report is lacking contact information. Please contact me so I can make sure you have the necessary information for your taxes this year.
We have been informed how we can do things differently this coming year. It is more work but it is always a good thing when the banks are protecting your identity. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but again am glad the safety of your identity is being put first.
My phone number is 530 339-1458 or you can reach me via email.
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.
Today would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday!
BettyWhiteChallenge
In honor of her memory and her true passion, we have joined in the #BettyWhiteChallenge. We are hoping folks will help us continue our work saving these precious lives by donating in her honor.
We so appreciate all her hard work and dedication, and the beautiful example of a person that she was. She inspired many and we are hoping to keep on rescuing animals in her memory, and continue to end needless suffering.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPING SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!
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 new year is upon us, and so is the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed roundup plan for the 2022 calendar year. Over the next 12 months, the BLM intends to round up 22,000 wild horses and burros — permanently removing 19,000 of these animals from their homes on our public lands.
This is Year 2 of the BLM’s plan remove 20,000 horses per year for the next five years, and it presents a real threat to the survival of America’s wild herds. But it’s not the end of their story. Far from it. Because the worse the BLM treats our cherished wild mustangs, the more support we get from Congress and the American public to change the current costly and cruel wild horse and burro management program.
Our team enters 2022 prepared for the many battles ahead — in court, on the Hill, and in the field — to protect wild horses and burros and keep them in the wild where they belong. Today, I wanted to share with you some of our biggest plans for 2022. This year, we intend to:
Spearhead a national awareness campaign and grow our Ambassador Program to educate the American public about the plight of wild horses and empower them to get involved.
Continue to demonstrate through boots-on-the-ground work that humane management of wild horses is possible. We’ll continue to deliver unprecedented results from our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range and broker programs for other herds across the West.
Put science at the forefront of wild horse management — We’ll be launching a number of new and exciting science initiatives, including an academic analysis of our Virginia Range PZP program data AND we’ll be creating an economic report to highlight the missteps of the BLM’s current approach and the cost-savings of a more humane one.
Amplify our work and your voice on Capitol Hill to pass legislation that diverts funds away from roundups and toward fertility control programs and ensure that the BLM uses these funds appropriately.
Expand our Investigative Team to continue to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse in the BLM’s on-range and off-range programs.
Continue our lawsuit against the BLM over its Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, while gearing up for new legal battles ahead…
Meredith: We have big plans for 2022! We’re using every resource at our disposal to continue our fight on behalf of America’s wild horses and burros.Our first step? Growing our grassroots army to build the scale of the wild horse protection movement so that it is inclusive, diverse, empowered, and well-equipped to achieve our mission of protecting wild horses and burros for generations to come.
By now you may have seen the news about the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) announcement of its intent to round up at least 22,000 wild horses and burros from national public lands this year and permanently remove 19,000 of them from their homes on the range.
These formerly free-roaming animals will join the 58,000 other wild horses and burros confined in off-range government holding facilities, putting 2022 on track to become the year that the United States of America holds more wild mustangs – our national symbols of freedom – in captivity than remain free in the wild.
It’s part of the BLM’s plan to reduce wild horse populations to just 17,000 – 27,000 animals on 27 million acres of land. That’s fewer animals than were left in the West in 1971 when Congress passed a law to protect them because they were “fast disappearing.”
This is wrong on so many levels – it counters the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences, is fiscally reckless and unconscionably inhumane.
The BLM claims these devastating roundups are necessary to protect the environment. But wild horses and burros are present on just 12% of the land that the BLM manages, and they are greatly outnumbered by commercial livestock — a major cause of land degradation and a contributor to climate change. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to round up and warehouse wild horses in captivity actually harms the environment by diverting funds away from actual programs to address land health, habitat restoration, and climate change.
I understand if you are angry at this injustice. I know I am. But I don’t want you to despair or give up. I’m not, because I see the real progress we’ve made together in the last year alone:
We worked with Congress to direct one-third of the funding earmarked for roundups to the implementation of humane fertility control instead. We combatted roundups in the Sand Wash Basin (Colorado) and Onaqui (Utah) Herd Management Areas (HMAs) — and thanks to public outcry and the support of political leaders like Governor Jared Polis, we succeeded in keeping more horses in the wild than originally intended. We also got the commitment of the BLM in both states to work to make these the last helicopter roundups that ever occur in the HMAs by ensuring the PZP fertility control programs there succeed. We joined forces with a growing chorus of prominent environmental groups to oppose the BLM’s scapegoating of wild horses while giving commercial livestock a pass. The 7 million-member Sierra Club even wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland calling for the removal of all commercial livestock from wild horse and burro habitat areas! We added nearly 200,000 new supporters to our grassroots army fighting to keep wild horses wild, and our videos, photographs, and reports documenting the cruelty of the roundups were seen by millions nationwide.
The fight to save our wild horses and burros is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are making progress. In fact, we are stronger and larger than ever.
We have an impactful agenda this year to continue the fight on the Hill, in the courts, and in the field. But the backbone of the fight is you.
So please, stay positive. Stay passionate. And stay ready.
We’ll be in touch!
Suzanne Roy Executive Director American Wild Horse Campaign
First emergency call of the new year. 31 year old, Injured, emaciated mare was down in the snow and couldn’t get up. 5 total thin? horses that need saved NOW!. Thankfully the 2 mustangs have a safe place to go. I was called for the 3 old horses. Animal Control is involved.
So Matt n I are on the way. My son has been there and thankfully Great Grandma was up again. A bunch of wonderful folks were on scene to help, PTL!
As I just had surgery, I will be “supervising “. Thankfully both Matt and Travis are available for whatever these horses need.
I already have a call into Doc, but we are 7 hours away and funds are extremely low. Please help if you can and say a prayer that Great Grandma stays up and we can help her. Trav took supplies over so at least she has a little bit more energy.
We need your help to save these horses!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPING SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!
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.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we are SO excited to share that we reached our $125,000 Year-End fundraising goal and UNLOCKED the $100,000 gift from our matching donor!!
From each and every one of us at the American Wild Horse Campaign — thank you so much for your part in helping us reach this goal! Please know that your support will make such an enormous difference for America’s wild horses and burros in 2022 as we continue our fight to keep these cherished animals wild.
While we begin to tackle our 2022 agenda, we wanted to share with you the victories that AWHC supporters helped us to accomplish over the past year. Please read on for a recap of our 2021 accomplishments and a preview of what’s to come this year!
Exposed the Adoption Incentive Program
After a months-long investigation, our team uncovered a slaughter pipeline that had been created by the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). In partnership with The New York Times, we exposed the disastrous program in a front-page report.
Uncovering this pipeline was only the first of several milestones in this fight. Shortly after the New York Times exposé, we garnered an overwhelming amount of support from the public, and dozens of members of Congress took action on Capitol Hill to reform the failed program. At the same time, AWHC filed suit against the BLM to challenge the AIP. Recently, government attorneys informed us that the BLM will be revealing a “new” Adoption Incentive Program in early 2022. We will be watching closely to ensure that the program is meaningfully reformed by ending the cash incentives that are fueling fraud and abuse.
Made Strides on Capitol Hill
Our government relations team worked tirelessly with members of the House and Senate to pass historic legislation during the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations process allocating $11 million in funding toward humane wild horse and burro management.
This $11 million was reallocated away from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) roundup funds toward implementing “a robust and humane fertility control strategy of reversible immunocontraceptive vaccines” for America’s wild horses. This breakthrough language marks the first time that Congress is requiring the BLM to implement alternatives to the cruel roundup and removal of wild horses and burros from their homes on our public lands. It’s a huge step toward responsible wild horse and burro management that will help keep these iconic animals in the wild, where they belong!
Helped Rescue Over 100 Wild Horses & Burros from Slaughter
Thanks to the help of generous supporters like you, we were able to help fund the rescues of over 100 slaughter-bound wild horses and burros this year. In collaboration with our rescue partners, we were able to identify and rescue wild horses and burros from kill pens across the country — in imminent danger of being shipped to Mexico or Canada for brutal slaughter. The vast majority of these horses and burros were sent into the slaughter pipeline through the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program by adopters who pocketed the cash incentives then dumped “their” animals at kill pens.
Proved Humane Management Works
AWHC operates the world’s largest humane fertility control program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range — and this Spring we will celebrate the three-year anniversary of this groundbreaking program!
On the range, we use Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) immunocontraception — a scientifically-proven fertility control vaccine given to female horses through an injection via remote darting with an air rifle. The vaccine creates an immune response that prevents fertilization without impacting the horses’ hormonal systems, thus preserving their natural behaviors.
This year our program reduced the foaling rate on the Virginia Range by 44%! This achievement has been critical in demonstrating to lawmakers and the BLM that fertility control is an effective tool for reducing population growth and a viable alternative to costly and cruel helicopter roundups for the management of America’s wild herds.
Protected Nevada’s Wild Horses
Earlier this year, a resolution was introduced in the Nevada State Senate that called on Congress to fund brutal helicopter roundups of at least 40,000 of Nevada’s wild horses and burros — that’s nearly every wild horse and burro living in Nevada today!
We quickly mobilized political and environmental opposition to the resolution, SJR 3, and were successful in killing it in the Natural Resources Committee. The outcome was an important show of support by this key legislative committee for humane wild horse management and a significant defeat for the coalition of livestock operators, hunters, and commercial wildlife trappers behind the mass roundup resolution.
Amplified Our Voice
Our movement to save America’s wild horses and burros grew by leaps and bounds this year. Public outrage over the plight of these iconic animals grew, and so did the number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill demanding reform. So many of you joined the fight to preserve the freedom of our wild horses and burros on the public lands they call home, and for that, we are so grateful.
We have much progress to make in 2022, but we know we can always count on supporters like you to lobby your elected officials, support our critical legal work, and raise awareness across the country about the threats America’s wild horses and burros continue to face.
This fight is a marathon, not a sprint, and we know that we can count on you to stand with us all along the way. Together, we will make real progress for our cherished wild horses and burros in 2022.
So stay ready and stay tuned! We wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy New Year!
With Gratitude,
Suzanne Roy Executive Director American Wild Horse Campaign
Happy New Year from all of us at SYALER. What a weird year it has been. Between trying to keep the rescue up and running thru a pandemic, dealing with the price of everything skyrocketing, and having more than the average number of animals coming to us in need of veterinary care it has been trying, to say the least.
In the past year, we have taken in 36 animals into the rescue.
We have placed 28 animals in wonderful new approved homes.
Two animals had to be humanely euthanized.
We currently have 17 animals waiting to find their forever family’s. ️
This past year we have incurred over $25,000. in veterinary bills.
Many of the animals we have taken in have been in need of serious veterinary work, including major dental care. One needed a trip to a large animal hospital in Vermont for a hoof surgery, and many needed blood work done to determine health issues and know what meds and supplements were needed.
All of this has been made possible due to the generosity, kindness, and compassion of our wonderful support team of donors. Hannah and I thank you so very much. We appreciate you more than words can say. So many animals truly would not be where we are today without your help. We know the donkeys and mules in our care are extremely grateful as well.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year and good health and happiness in the coming year.
We have less than 24 hours until our year-end fundraising deadline and we still have a ways to go if we want to hit our $125,000 goal.Right now we are tracking at $96,467 — $28,533 short of where we need to be to finish 2021 strong!!
BUT, we have an exciting update → Our generous donor wants to help us hit our goal and unlock their $100,000 matching gift so badly, that they’ve agreed to TRIPLE all donations that come in before midnight tonight up to $100,000.
We know we’re asking for a lot during this last week of the year. But it’s because the stakes are so high and we need the resources to keep the fight going.
At this very moment, our wild horses and burros face an existential threat: the BLM’s plan to slash wild herds across the West to the “99 percent extinction-level” that prompted Congress to protect these animals 50 years ago!
Our work in 2022 could not be more important and we need your support to make it happen. We’re just HOURS away from the opportunity to unlock $100,000 before we close the books on 2021.
In the midst of our move, 2021 is rapidly coming to a close. We’re sad we’ve not been able to share our traditional 31 stories for them month of December, so we thought we’d recap the year to show who you’ve helped in 2021.
Distressed Sanctuary Support to 9
In ongoing support to a distressed sanctuary, AAE took in seven horses (Mila, Rory, Jack, Nash, Dakota, Clay, and Duke) and two pigs over the course of the year, and the sanctuary wound down operations after animal control initially intervened. All but Jack have received much needed dental and hoof care, vaccines, and deworming. They were microchipped and DNA tested, too. Jack is a 12-ish mustang that was never touched (for years) at the sanctuary. Jack had five days of Liberty work with Patrick Sullivan when he visited AAE, then later spent some time at Monty Roberts International Learning Center with Clay and Duke. Jack participated in a mustang gentling program, while Clay and Duke participated in a starting program. Jack is slowly accepting human touch, but he’s still reactive and untrusting with humans. Mila had eye issues that were treated and resolved. Dakota had extensive heel cracks that extended into his coronary band in both hind hooves. On top of that, through his vet exam, we discovered he has no vision in one eye. Rory spent some time with a trainer and worked on a bucking issue. Nash’s needs were met with basic care updates. He’s a very handsome lady’s man. He loves his girls, and he let’s the other’s know it! Clay’s hooves were a bit of a wreck, and finally, after a few trim cycles, they seem to be unfolding like a flower blooming…everything falling in place. Mila quickly found her forever home.
Oscar and Oliver were severely overweight, so much so that fat pads covered their eyes (they could not see), and their bellies dragged on the ground. Their tusks and toes were much overgrown, as well. They were vetted. tusks and toes trimmed, and placed on a very restricted diet. It’s taken many months to melt away the fat and so they can see. Poor lil piggies, they’re still looking for a farm sanctuary or a better pig home to live out their days. Can anyone help?
The cost to vaccinate a single mare with a PZP vaccine is just $30.
But instead, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spends millions of taxpayer dollars to brutally round up our wild horses and burros by chasing them with helicopters and confining them in pens, robbing them of all that wild horses hold dear — family and freedom.
Far too many of these beloved animals are entering the slaughter pipeline through the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program, as exposed by our investigation earlier this year.
On Nevada’s Virginia Range, where a population of state-managed wild mustangs is threatened by extreme habitat loss, we’re operating the largest PZP fertility program in the world for wild horses.
And our work there has reduced the foaling rate by 44% while allowing these animals to remain free as nature intended. This data is incredibly useful as we prove to lawmakers and the BLM that there is a better alternative to the agency’s current approach to managing our wild horse populations.
Did you know that it costs only $30 to dart a single mare with a PZP vaccine — a scientifically-proven way to reduce population growth while keeping wild horses wild? That’s the difference your $30 contribution can make for wild horses who need our support now more than ever.
By using this method, we are showing the public and our elected officials that there is a better way to manage wild populations. PZP fertility control is a humane and cost-effective alternative to subjecting wild horses and burros to brutal helicopter roundups year after year, holding them in crowded pens, and forcing them to undergo dangerous sterilization surgeries.
We operate the world’s largest humane fertility control program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range. And we’re coming up on the three-year anniversary of this groundbreaking program, which has successfully reduced fertility on the range by over 40%! We were able to achieve this milestone because supporters like you chipped in $30 for every mare that we’ve vaccinated, Meredith.
And don’t forget → Thanks to a generous donor, every gift made now through tomorrow at midnight will be 2x MATCHED. That means your $30 gift today helps not 1, but TWO HORSES!
The success of our PZP program has been so critical in our fight to protect wild horses because lawmakers and the public are starting to see there is a humane alternative to capturing and removing these wild animals from their homes on our public lands.
Your support helps us continue to provide the cold, hard, scientific evidence that lends legitimacy to our calls for more humane management of our wild horses and burros.
This year, more than 17,000 wild horses and burros were brutally chased by helicopters and forced into holding facilities, costing these innocent animals their families, their freedom, and in some cases — their lives. We know there’s a better way, and we can continue to fight for it with your support!
Hope your Christmas was merry and you were able to spend it with loved ones.
This was a tough season for us. We got back to NV with the horses in time to go pick up Tiny Texas. The day after we got home she had her surgery on her eye. PTL Doc was able to save her eye. We are still not sure if she has sight, but is healing well at this time. What a beautiful blessing for our 25+ year old.
Ricardo (Ricki) and Rocket were finally able to have their suffering ended the same day.
__
When you look at the picture, ALL the photos are taken from the same direction.That is how severely Donkey’s bones/hooves were deformed. Her x-rays should look identical to the above photo as they were standing exactly the same way.
Thankfully she is at peace and she and Rocket will never know any pain again.
2 Days later I had my surgery. Came home three days later to try & recuperate.Received a phone call about a family member who had passed, along with his beloved cats, from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. PLEASE, PLEASE, add detectors to your home and make sure you have adequate ventilation. (I only bring this up because I still cannot believe it happened. Carbon monoxide is terrifying, so please believe it can happen.)
With the winter storms the power was out. HIs generator was in his garage under the house. Apparently the storm winds blew the door shut? All I know is there was no ventilation.
So I am finally back home again. I am working on tax donation receipts and apologize for not being caught up. It has been quite the year.
On a much brighter note:
Y’all saved SO MANY LIVES it is unbelievable. We are sitting on about 30 head in NV right now. They are happy and loving the snow. Kachaka was adopted and is waiting for the passes to clear so he can go to his new home.
Of course I am still struggling with vet bills and now we have a rather large, additional one from having x-rays, euthanasia and eye surgery.
I am ever so grateful that our Chilly Pepper Family is absolutely amazing.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!
Still not quite recovered from the surgery and dealing with the loss of our loved one, so please be patient if I sound scattered.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPING SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!
It’s that time of year when folks start thinking about taxes. What a beautiful way to save on your taxes by helping save lives.
Please think about donating to WIN dba Chilly Pepper if you need a tax donation credit.
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.
2021 was a year full of highs and lows — and we’re so grateful that through it all, you stood by our side in the fight to protect wild horses and burros.
One of our biggest accomplishments was our investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which resulted in a front-page New York Times exposé, elevating the tragedies of the AIP to a national level.
As one of AWHC’s lead investigators into the AIP, every single day, I identify and track new BLM mustangs and burros in kill pens across the country. After months of investigation, we confirmed that the titles of the horses and burros we were rescuing matched those of animals adopted through the AIP.
Time and time again in this investigation, we’ve identified adopters who have collected the AIP cash incentives, then dumped the horses and burros they had adopted at slaughter auctions as soon as the money cleared their accounts.
Our Rescue Fund was key to this investigation as it allowed us to support our rescue partners in pulling wild horses and burros from kill pens. This not only saved these innocent animals’ lives but also gave us access to information — including titles and brand numbers — that helped us connect the dots to expose the program.
Since uncovering and exposing this slaughter pipeline, we’ve made some impressive strides! Congress has taken notice of this problem, and our Government Relations team is working with elected officials on solutions to better protect our wild horses and burros from slaughter.
After the New York Times exposé, the BLM announced a list of reforms to the Adoption Incentive Program. But, these reforms did not go far enough, so we filed a lawsuit. This week, government attorneys informed our lawyers that the BLM would be unveiling a new Adoption Incentive Program in the new year, and we will be watching closely to see if meaningful reforms are forthcoming.
Meredith: Supporters like you make these important initiatives possible — our investigative work to uncover this slaughter pipeline, our rescue fund to help save the AIP’s victims, our Government Relations work on the Hill, and even our litigation against the BLM. None of this would be possible without your help.
Just a few short weeks ago, we commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 — the foundational law passed unanimously by Congress intended to protect wild horses and burros from capture, branding, harassment, and death.But even as we marked this historic anniversary, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was conducting the largest wild horse roundup in history – with an astounding 4,000+ of these iconic animals targeted for capture in Wyoming.
The Wyoming roundup was just one of many in 2021, making this a very tough year for wild horses and burros.
The worse things get for these beloved animals, the more support we gather for ending the cruel and costly management practices that threaten their future. This leads to some crucial opportunities in 2022 to enact real, meaningful change for wild horses and burros.
But to seize these opportunities and guarantee change for these magnificent icons, we need the resources to carry on our fight on the Hill, in courts, and in the field.
2022 is our moment. The BLM has new leadership in place, with Tracy Stone Manning serving as the first confirmed director in nearly six years. AND, thanks to our Government Relations team, legislation passed in the House and Senate this year to divert $11 millionaway from roundups and toward humane fertility control programs.
With our groundbreaking fertility control program in Nevada, we’ve proven that there is a better, more humane way to manage wild horses and burros — and science is on our side.
I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things…
…..but now I know.
A Christmas Story
In years past, today would be story 25 of our 31 stories for 2021. Well, suffice it to say, we’ve been really busy with The Big Move to Pilot Hill. We’ll have more on that coming soon; until then, we have the most heartwarming story to share. Many of you know how much we love our oldies, and AAE just had the good fortune to make a Christmas miracle come true for one ol’ guy.
AAE was asked to help with an old donkey. We were really hoping to find a new buddy for our lil’ Sammy, but because we’re smack dab in the midst of our transition to our new property, there was no way we could provide the type of care and housing this ol’ guy needed. That said, we knew there must be a way we could help.
Because who can resist these old ears, “the way” came to us. It was kismet. It didn’t take long for the answer to come to light. We got a call from one of our AAE families with an ol’ mare in urgent need of a companion, and it was an ideal situation. There was no question, it was meant to be.
Meet the newest member of AAE’s class of ’21, his name is Figgy Puddin’. When we were told it was old donkey that was all alone, we had no idea they meant really old…and really special. Would you believe, he’s 45. He’s quite arthritic, but he’s an incredibly sweet old man (really, really!).
He perked up when we told him we’d figure it out. We learned what we could, but there wasn’t much history available, but our best guess was that this guy hadn’t spent much time in a trailer, so we thought we were in for a long afternoon, especially considering his arthritis. Much to our surprise, when he hobbled to the trailer with us, Mr. Figgy tried to load. His ol’ joints were pretty stiff, and the step up was quite a reach for him. We helped him….one leg up, then another leg up. He looked like he was on top o’ the world. With a little ass-istance with his behind, he was up and in, and headed for the corner feeder. There was no resistance, no fight, no struggle….just an obliging ol’ guy ready to hit the road. (He got a little medical support to help him with the trip, too). Before we knew it, we were on the road.
We had a slow, easy ride, and when we arrived, this ol’, arthritic guy leapt out of the trailer like a spry guy that had done it a million times. He let out a big bray, and we can only hope he was saying, “It’s about time you got me outta there (the trailer)”.
He glanced around, and their eyes met. First the goats.
Then the girl!
We don’t think it was love at first sight, right?
His new mom took one look at his as he was exiting the trailer, and she said she loved him already. She assured him it was going to be ok.
We think he understood and enjoyed the loving hug and wanted another!
Before long, the two mosied off for a little grub. We were all relieved with how quickly Figgy settled in. He’s eating well, and so far, seems very content. It’s a lot of change for an old donk, but we’re hopeful he’ll transition ok. He’ll be spoiled with lots of love and kindness ’til the end. Once he’s settled in in a few days, he’ll get an eval so he can get some much needed hoof and dental care. He’s getting a new blanket, and whatever else he needs.
Til then, he wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!
As we enter the holiday season and 2021 comes to an end, we wanted to tell you just how grateful we are for all that American Wild Horse Campaign supporters have helped us to accomplish this year.
Whether you sent messages to your legislators on behalf of our cherished wild horses and burros or donated to one of our life-saving programs like our Rescue Fund — we are so grateful for your continued support.
Today, I wanted to share with you some of the most impressive victories that amazing supporters like yourself helped us to accomplish this year:
As 2021 comes to a close, we hope you join in celebrating these victories with us.
We are so grateful for your advocacy, financial support, passion, and dedication to protecting the wild horses and burros we all love. Many battles lie before us in the new year as we work toward a better future for these magnificent animals, but with you on our side, we know we will prevail.
All of us at the American Wild Horse Campaign wish you and your loved ones (human and non-human) a very happy and restful holiday season.
— Suzanne
Suzanne Roy Executive Director American Wild Horse Campaign
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 — the foundational law passed unanimously by Congress to protect wild horses and burros from slaughter, harassment, or capture on the public lands they call home.
But the promise of this law that conveyed on our magnificent wild horses and burros the very same level of protection as the American bald eagle remains unfulfilled.
As I write this, over 3,100 newly-captured wild horses are standing in holding pens after being rounded up from lands across the Wyoming Checkerboard — as part of the largest roundup in U.S. history. When it’s over in February of next year, half of Wyoming’s wild horses will be gone from our public lands — forever.
That’s why, in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of what should be a celebration of historic and lifesaving protections for our cherished wild horses and burros — we are still fighting for their future. This week, our team joined with our friends at the Animal Welfare Institute and other wild horse advocates at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. to rally and present the signatures of 70,000 Americans who oppose the devastating Wyoming roundup.
Advocacy efforts like these are so critical in our fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros. When we come together and make our voices heard — our federal officials listen. With your help, we’re sending the message loud and clear that American taxpayers want their dollars to go toward humanely protecting our iconic wild mustangs and burros — not brutally rounding them up, separating them from their families, and robbing them of their freedom.
Your voices propelled our Government Relations team to success in securing House and Senate legislation redirecting $11 million in funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill away from cruel roundups toward humane in-the-wild management of wild horses and burros.
Important advancements like these are only possible thanks to the support of donors like you.
The fight to protect these cherished icons never stops — so long as the helicopters continue to fly, our fight to end these cruel tactics will continue. We’re thankful that dedicated supporters like you are in this fight with us.
Thank you for your continued support,
Suzanne Roy Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
To everyone who acted on behalf of wild horses and burros yesterday and sent messages to Director Stone-Manning and Secretary Haaland to enact further protections for these innocent animals: Thank you.
While our team was on the ground in Washington, D.C. rallying against the tragic roundup happening now in Wyoming that is expected to cut the state’s wild horse population by half, supporters like you made your voices heard loud and clear as we called for further protections for our beloved equines. Thank you, for being their voice.
But, on the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 — the foundational law protecting wild horses and burros on our public lands — we must keep the momentum going and demand further federal action to protect them.
We’ve seen — over the last year especially — that the protections currently in place for wild horses and burros are not enough. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to brutally round up and remove these animals from the lands they call home, costing them their freedom and separating them from their families forever.
And as we discovered through our investigation into the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program earlier this year: Many of these animals will be sent to kill pens where they will meet a grim fate — a byproduct of the disastrous Adoption Incentive Program that has funneled “truckloads” of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.
But with the new year comes new BLM leadership, new opportunities to implement humane management, and the same unwavering perseverance from our team here at AWHC in our fight to preserve the freedom of America’s wild horses and burros.
Countdown to my surgery next Wednesday. Who has time to rest or prep??
Meet “Tiny Texas“. She is my mini Texas Triumph. I think he sent her to me for the help she so desperately needs. He was our beautiful Belgian that came in choking and hating the world. He was abused, in pain and had been betrayed by every human he met. Our time together was way too short, but he was in heaven at Chilly Pepper. When I saw “TT” the tears just poured.
She is old? I honestly have no idea, but her body shows years of wear and tear and hard work. She (I am told) has distinct marks/scars from wearing a collar and hauling heavy loads.
I have not had time to thoroughly assess her, and have been focused on her eye and the pain it is causing her.
The Injury/growth affecting her eye has obviously been there for a long time. She is crying as every time she closes her lid that huge mass rubs against her eyeball.
Another precious soul, used, abused, neglected and thrown away.
NEVER AGAIN. She is now officially part of our Chilly Pepper “Sunshine & Smiles” Program.
Once again the horses need your help. I just paid $1000 on the vet bills, but Goldendale sits at $2,674.08 and Harrah us just over $500.
MONDAY is RICARDO N ROCKET’S X-ray/trimming appointment. TT is going g to need surgery, and Haley, the starved,, neglected and abused mare also needs urgent care.
I am trying to get as much of this done before surgery, but the vet’s are booked out quite aways. I was supposed to get the WA vet bills paid off before coming home, but that didn’t happen
The backup rescue truck needs at the very least a new head gasket. That starts at $3000 and I still owe for parts and the work done so far. As usual there is alot going on, but this is God’s rescue and He puts these lives in front of me.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPING SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!
It’s that time of year when folks start thinking about taxes. What a beautiful way to save on your taxes by helping save lives.
Please think about donating to WIN dba Chilly Pepper if you need a tax donation credit.
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.
We worked with Congress to direct one-third of the funding earmarked for roundups to the implementation of humane fertility control instead.
