March is Women’s History Month, a time of year when we pay homage to all the incredible accomplishments and contributions women have made to our nation’s rich history. In that spirit, we would like to take this opportunity to honor Velma B. Johnston, better known as “Wild Horse Annie.”
Velma Johnston was born in Reno, Nevada in 1912. She grew up around horses from an early age since her father used them for his freighting service. When she was 11 years old, she tragically caught polio — the experience left a huge impact on her and made her very empathetic to the suffering of animals. After she recovered, she devoted her time to caring for the animals on her father’s ranch.
One morning while on her way to work, Velma witnessed an appalling scene — a trailer filled with bloodied, injured wild horses recently captured from Nevada’s Virginia Range. Bravely, Velma followed the truck to its final destination, a slaughterhouse. After this experience, she learned that “mustangers” — usually ranchers and hunters — were capturing wild horses for commercial slaughter using airplanes and trucks, often with no regard for the injuries they caused. Velma was horrified.
Once she saw the brutality, she could not ignore it. From that day forward, she dedicated her life to stopping the inhumane treatment, abuse, and slaughter of wild horses.
Velma organized a huge grassroots campaign to put an end to these devastating practices, driving national attention to this issue. Her efforts were successful and resulted in the passage of the Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959. This Act prohibited the use of motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and burros on all public lands, but it did not include her recommendations for federal protection and management of the wild horse population. So, Velma kept fighting in Washington.
She inspired thousands of school children to write letters to their elected officials and even testified before Congress herself! After another decade of advocacy, Congress finally passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the significant and influential piece of legislation that is credited with saving the West’s iconic wild horses and burros from total eradication.
Wild Horse Annie’s story is a testament to the strength and resilience of women everywhere. She fought fiercely for a cause that she deeply believed in and left behind a legacy of compassion for the majestic animals we continue our fight to protect.
So this Women’s History Month, we wanted to recognize Velma Johnston and share with you the hard-working and dedicated women of AWHC who are honored to carry on her legacy to preserve the freedom of our cherished wild herds.
Through each and every one of us, the work of Wild Horse Annie lives on.
We wanted to share some recent updates about roundups, a happy ending for a few rescued burros, and actions you can take to help protect Wyoming’s wild horses from further danger. Read on and see how you can help to protect these cherished animals. >>
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released an Environmental Assessment on a management plan for the North Lander Complex in Wyoming. The proposed action would reduce the wild horse population from 2,000 to 320, skew the sex ratio to 60/40 in favor of stallions, castrate 95% of the captured males, insert unproven IUDs into a portion of the mares captured and administer an experimental fertility control vaccine GonaCon to all mares slated to be released.
Nearly 50 federally-protected wild mustangs died in the aftermath of the government’s recent roundup of the Great Divide Basin wild horses of Wyoming. The BLM officially reported the deaths of six mustangs following the roundup, which took place from October 5, 2021 to November 7, 2021, but didn’t release any information regarding the deaths of animals once they were removed from the range.
Under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, AWHC was able to obtain records that an additional 43 wild horses from the Great Divide Basin died or were euthanized while in holding just 90 days after the roundup. The Wyoming Checkerboard roundup was the largest on record by the BLM, with more than 3,500 animals permanently removed from the range.
Four other wild horse herds were removed during the operation, and we expect to see significantly higher death rates as those records come in. The BLM has announced more of such operations across the West for 2022, with plans to remove an unprecedented number of horses. Learn more here. >>
In an effort to permanently put an end to horse slaughter, AWHC has partnered with the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) as a sponsoring organization of the Homes for Horses Coalition. The Homes for Horses Coalition (HHC) is a national initiative made up of more than 520 member organizations with the ultimate goal of ending horse slaughter and all other forms of equine abuse for good.
Through this initiative, AWHC joins AWI in supporting the boots-on-the-ground rescues by providing advocacy leadership to address the root causes of the problem while providing resources to strengthen the nonprofits doing heroic jobs to help horses in need.
Right now, AWHC continues to push for the passage of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act in Congress, which would permanently prevent horse slaughter plants from opening in the U.S. and stop the export of horses, burros, and donkeys for slaughter. Learn more here. >>
AWHC’s Rescue Fund helps us to fuel rescue missions across the country. From orphaned or injured foals on Nevada’s Virginia Range to mustangs and burros in kill pens — your support helps us save the lives of these treasured animals when they desperately need our help. Recently, we coordinated the rescue of 4 BLM-branded burros from a kill pen in the Midwest. AWHC Board President and owner of Montgomery Creek Ranch Wild Horse Sanctuary, Ellie Phipps Price agreed to take them in.
When rescued, the burros were in very rough shape — three of these innocent animals had open wounds all over their bodies from a hot brand. The older white burro has a fallen crest, meaning his neck muscle hangs over to the side. They spent a few weeks at a quarantine shelter to treat their wounds and get them healthy enough for transport. Finally, they were healthy enough to go to Montgomery Creek Ranch where they will continue to heal and be prepped for adoption.
Introducing our OFFICIAL 2022 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card:
We have so much in store for 2022. Not only are we continuing our fight on the Hill, in the courts, and in the field — we’re also working on a number of groundbreaking new initiatives — all in the name of keeping wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong.
We’re laser-focused on the fight to preserve the freedom of our wild mustangs and burros. That means in 2022, we are … proving through our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range that humane in the wild management works … expanding our investigative team to uncover abuse and hold the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accountable … continuing our lawsuit against the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending horses and burros to slaughter … working with a prestigious university to make roundup violations enforceable by law … and so much more!!
Introducing our OFFICIAL 2022 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card:
We have so much in store for 2022. Not only are we continuing our fight on the Hill, in courts, and in the field — we’re also working on a number of groundbreaking new initiatives — all in the name of keeping wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong.
We’re laser-focused on the fight to preserve the freedom of our wild mustangs and burros. That means in 2022, we are … proving through our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range that humane in the wild management works … expanding our investigative team to uncover abuse and hold the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accountable … continuing our lawsuit against the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending horses and burros to slaughter … working with a prestigious university to make roundup violations enforceable by law … and so much more!!
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
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!
From every single one of us here at the American Wild Horse Campaign, we wish you and your family a very happy and joyous holiday season.
Your support and dedication have helped us to make great strides this year, and for that wethank you. The perseverance of our amazing herd of AWHC supporters is emblematic of the same strength we see from the majestic wild horses and burros we continue our fight to protect.
As we all begin our holiday celebrations with the ones we cherish most and look to the year ahead, I wanted to share a story with you today about one of our beloved family bands on Nevada’s Virginia Range.
Leeto was seen back in 2020 by one of our observers as a bachelor stallion. But when he was spotted most recently, Leeto was leading a band of 4 mares and 4 foals!
One day, the youngest colt in Leeto’s band, Rover, got stuck behind a fence. The youngster was scared and cried out as he couldn’t figure out how to get past it. When his mother noticed Rover was stuck, she also cried out for help. Leeto and another mustang in the band, Hiker, ran to their aid.
Hiker brilliantly showed Rover the opening of the fence. When he was just about to go around it, Leeto and the mare called out to the foal, and he instead found the lowest point of the fence and jumped over it, running to meet his family once again.
Once the band was reunited, they stopped for a moment of relief and then soon headed back up the mountain.
It’s stories and moments like these that empower us to keep up the fight. These inspiring animals show us how to persevere in even the toughest of situations. We are taking the lessons from the wild with us into the new year and in our continued fight to preserve the freedom of these beloved icons.
On behalf of everyone at AWHC, we are grateful to you for being part of our herd. Our very best wishes to you and your loved ones, the happiest of holidays — and a healthy and joyous New Year!
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
On this Thanksgiving holiday — from all of us here at the American Wild Horse Campaign — I want to send my heartfelt thanks to you for your support and dedication to protecting America’s wild horses and burros.
You have helped us accomplish some pretty amazing things this year, and for that, we are so grateful.
Supporters like you helped us expose the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) as a pipeline to slaughter for “truckloads” of wild horses and burros. Our investigation led to a front-page New York Times exposé, which elevated this devastating issue to the national level.
Your support provided our field team with the resources and equipment necessary to successfully implement the world’s largest PZP fertility control program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range. This groundbreaking program is proving that there is a better way to manage wild horses and burros besides brutally rounding them up with helicopters.
And guess what?It’s working. This year, we reduced the foaling rate by more than 40% as compared to 2020. These incredible results armed our Government Relations team with the statistics and evidence necessary to secure $11 million in funding towards a comprehensive, humane fertility control vaccine program as part of the BLM’s 2022 Fiscal Year budget.
Your efforts helped us defeat SJR3 — a resolution that called for the removal of close to 40,000 wild horses and burros from their homes in Nevada. And your generosity helped us support the rescues of innocent foals on the Virginia Range, like Hazel, and victims of the AIP including 12 BLM-branded burros from an Oklahoma kill pen and 10 unhandled mustangs from a kill pen in Colorado.
As 2021 comes to a close, we are grateful for your advocacy, your financial support, and your passion and dedication to protecting the wild horses and burros we all cherish. 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 AWHC wish you and your loved ones (human and non-human) a very happy and restful Thanksgiving holiday.
Warmly,
Suzanne
Suzanne Roy Executive Director American Wild Horse Campaign
Just this year, AWHC’s Rescue Fund has helped save dozens of lives, from assisting foals on Nevada’s Virginia Range to saving the victims of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) failed Adoption Incentive Program from kill pens.
We couldn’t have helped these lucky horses and burros without your generosity, so we wanted to share with you some of the recent rescues we financially supported:
From left to right: Hazel (she’s gotten so big!) and her roommate
You might remember Hazel from when we shared her story with you on April Foals Day!
She was alone, separated from her family, and when Least Resistance Training Concepts team members were unable to locate Hazel’s mom, they got permission from Wild Horse Connection Range Management to take Hazel to LBL Equine Rescue.
After clearing some medical hurdles, we are so excited to tell you that Hazel is thriving! She is healthy and is getting stronger every single day! She even goes on walks twice a day with LBL Equine Rescue team members, who all say she is quite the fighter and a true spitfire!
Now, Hazel can be found cuddling with her two new roommates and playing in their enclosure, which we’ve equipped with rubber mats, thanks to your support through our Rescue Fund.
It’s stories like these that make what we do all the more worth it, Meredith. Thanks to your donations, we were able to play a hand in saving Hazel’s life. Your generosity provides us with the means to support the wonderful local volunteers and groups who work night and day to protect the Virginia Range horses in Nevada. If you can, please help us save more lives like Hazel’s by donating to our rescue fund today!
Back in April, we teamed up with wild horse sanctuary, Montgomery Creek Ranch (MCR) to rescue a roan BLM-branded filly from a Texas kill pen. This beautiful youngster was extremely skinny, in poor health, and was clinging to her friend, a domestic filly.
As part of our investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), we partnered up with Evanescent Mustang Rescue to save the lives of over 30 wild horses and burros who were dumped at kill pens across the country.
Most recently, with your help, we funded the rescue of 12 burros from a kill pen in Oklahoma as well as 10 unhandled mustangs from a kill pen in Colorado. All of the burros and horses have found homes and even better — three horses and four burros are going to a place we like to call “horsey heaven” — an AWHC board member’s sanctuary, Freedom Reigns!
Speak Up for the Wild Horses and Burros of the Surprise Complex on the California-Nevada Border
Once again, the BLM’s reliance on unscientific “Appropriate Management Levels” for wild horses has set the stage for the roundup and removal of over 1,000 mustangs that call Nevada’s Surprise Complex home. What’s worse, the BLM “doesn’t manage” for wild burros in this area, so every burro living there will be captured and removed as well. The BLM’s goal of leaving only 283 mustangs in the Complex — just one horse for every 1,400 acres — would open even more land to the thousands of sheep and cows allowed to graze on public lands in the area.
This means once more, we need to speak up for a better way: Replacing brutal and inhumane helicopter roundups and cruel sterilization procedures with humane and proven fertility control methods.
Will you speak up for the Surprise Complex horses and burros today? Submit a public comment advocating for use of the PZP birth control vaccine and revising the plan that favors commercial livestock over federally-protected wild horses and burros. >> Take Action <<
One Nevada Roundup Nears End, Another Set to Begin
Since before the New Year, AWHC’s Field Representative has been onsite for the vast majority of the roundup and removal of wild horses from the Eagle Complex outside of Panaca, Nevada. Braving the frigid winter elements and grueling days, he has been the only member of the public on the ground to document the daily operations and bring the news to you. As is routine, the BLM sometimes keeps public observers so far from the capture site that documenting what’s happening is close to impossible. At the Eagle roundup, the BLM has also prevented daily observation of temporary holding pens, making it dififcult to assess the condition of the just-captured horses in a roundup that has had an unusually high number of deaths.
This roundup is the third time in four years that the BLM is removing wild horses from the Complex. At the time of this email, 872 wild horses have been captured in the current roundup and 22 have lost their lives.>> Read the Report <<
Here are a few heartbreaking images from the operation:
Once the Eagle roundup is over, BLM-contracted helicopters will move on to the neighboring Silver King HMA beginning on or about February 5. This HMA consists of 574,962 acres of public land and is currently home to just 343 wild horses, including the 2020 foal crop. The BLM wants the public to believe that this nearly 900-square-mile habitat can only support 60-128 horses and it intends to permanently remove up to 258 of these federally protected animals from their homes on our public lands. This one roundup of a wild horse population that is clearly not overpopulated could cost taxpayers more than $14 million over the lives of the horses removed.
Our field representative will be onsite at the Silver King roundup to witness, document and bring you the latest on this unjust system that we are all working so hard to change.
Records Reveal Veterinarians Didn’t Back Plan to Brutally Sterilize Wild Mares
One of the more egregious plans the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released over the last several years for the “management” of wild horses is the proposed surgical sterilization procedure called ovariectomy via colpotomy.
This outdated procedure is a blind surgery in which a veterinarian inserts his arm into a mare’s abdominal cavity through an incision in the vaginal wall, manually locates the ovaries, then twists severs and removes them using a rod-like tool with a chain on the end. The surgery is outdated, inhumane and dangerous, and will result in pain, suffering, and potentially life-threatening complications for wild mares.
Despite multiple lawsuits, federal injunctions, and overwhelming congressional and public opposition, the BLM continues to push this option, culminating in its most recent decision to move forward with conducting this procedure on wild mares from Utah’s Confusion Herd Management Area (which AWHC promptly sued to stop). Throughout it all, the agency continues to say that veterinarians are in support of the procedure, though recently obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) tell a different story.>> Read More <<
Meet the Mustang: Rapunzel
AWHC operates the world’s largest humane fertility control program for wild horses in the world on Nevada’s Virginia Range. And as such, the team of darters and documenters have come to know many of the 3,000 mustangs that are part of the program!
In our newest series, the volunteers who make this program a success will introduce you to the mustangs they have spent time with on the range, often watching them grow up. First in this series is the story of Rapunzel, written by Deb Sutherland, a volunteer who had the pleasure of watching this beautiful mustang take her very first steps in the wild. >> Read More <<
Great news: our end of year fundraising totals are in, and thanks to your incredible support, we were able to reach our $125,000 goal and UNLOCK our donor match! Your support will make an enormous difference for wild horses and burros as we launch our ambitious 2021 agenda.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we know we can always count on you to lobby your elected officials, support our critical legal work, and raise awareness across the country about the plight of America’s magnificent wild horses and burros. This is a tough fight, but this movement has stood up to the challenge over and over again and we’ll do it again in 2021. Please read on for a recap of the 2020 accomplishments that we’ll build on and a preview of what your generosity will allow us to do this year!
Strengthened Political Support & Made History
We teamed up with our coalition partners and worked with members of Congress to introduce the first pro-wild horse legislation in over a decade. Passed by the House of Representatives, the bipartisan wild horse protection amendment would require the BLM to implement PZP fertility control to manage wild herds humanely on public lands. Although the final spending bill did not include the House-passed amendment, it did include strong fertility control language as well as other pro-horse provisions — a sign that Congress is well aware of our growing grassroots strength and increasing support on Capitol Hill for our cause. We have an incredible opportunity this year to make real change with the nomination of Debra Haaland as Secretary of the Interior and the continued leadership of Rep. Raul Grijalva as Chair of the Natural Resources Committee. Both are wild horse and burro champions who are committed to protecting these beloved animals and reforming the broken federal wild horse and burro management program.
Filed Suit to Protect Wild Mares
The day after the roundup ended in Utah’s Confusion Herd Management Area, our legal team filed suit to stop the BLM from conducting barbaric sterilization surgeries on many of the just-captured wild mares. This is our third legal action against the BLM for plans to conduct the risky and invasive “ovariectomy via colpotomy” procedure, and we’ve successfully held the agency off since 2016! Joining us as a plaintiff in the latest lawsuit is Utahn Rob Hammer, who has extensive knowledge of the Confusion wild horses and the public land area where they live. In 2021, we’ll continue to drive this case in the courts while we also work with Congress and the administration to eliminate this brutal surgery as an option for the management of our wild horses and burros, once and for all.
Created Accountability for BLM Roundup Abuse
While the COVID-19 pandemic made traveling much more difficult in 2020, we continued to address roundup abuse by sending humane observers to nearly every one of the many helicopter roundups conducted by the BLM and the Forest Service last year. This year we took a step beyond documenting roundups by launching an initiative to create a mechanism for enforcing the BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program standards, which the agency routinely violates. We’ve teamed up with the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard University Law School to develop a rulemaking petition to strengthen the BLM’s animal welfare guidelines and turn them into legally-enforceable regulations. The petition will be ready for submission to the new Administration this year. If it is not acted upon, we will have the option of litigating, so please stay tuned!
Proved Humane Management is Possible
Our in-the-wild management program reached new heights in 2020. Not only were we able to grant funds to boots-on-the-ground organizations in Arizona and Colorado to support their fertility control programs, we also achieved an unprecedented milestone in our own fertility control program in Nevada’s Virginia Range. Last month, our volunteers and staff surpassed 3,000 treatments administered to mares in less than two years, making this the largest free-roaming horse fertility control program in the world, according to the Science and Conservation Center! Just last week, the Deseret News — Utah’s second-largest newspaper — published a feature highlighting the success of our program. In 2021, we will continue to support local groups managing their herds, expand our fertility control program in the greater Reno area, and we’re working to expand our fertility control efforts to new herds in the West!
Launched Habitat Acquisition Project
We officially launched the pilot project for the American Wild Horse Conservancy, our new land trust, in 2020. The inaugural effort focuses on securing habitat for the famed Fish Springs Wild Horses who live on BLM and private land in the Gardnerville, Nevada area. The Conservancy overall will focus on critical land acquisition to secure key habitat for wild horses, grazing lease buyouts and compensation for reduced or non-use of grazing permits, and range improvements to improve the quality and quantity of habitat available for wild horses. We can’t wait to expand this innovative program in the coming year!
We have a lot of work to do, but together, we’ll make real progress for our cherished wild horses and burros in 2021. So stay ready, stay safe, and stay tuned!
As many of you know, we’re in the midst of foaling season. That’s when pregnant mares welcome the newest additions to their families and herds to the world.
But with the excitement of welcoming a new life into the world comes risk and danger.
With AWHC volunteer fertility control darters in the field every day in Nevada’s Virginia Range, our team is often the first responder to foals in need. Working through a local coalition of organizations, orphaned and injured foals are rescued, stabilized, provided veterinary care, and nursed back to health so they can be adopted into forever homes.
For the last several years, AWHC has been proud to support the local effort through our foal rescue fund. This year, we’re providing foal rescue kits to rescue volunteers so they have everything they need to save these innocent babies’ lives. Our rescue fund also assists with veterinary bills, care and transportation of foals to sanctuary/training facilities.
Our foal kits are small, compact, easy to carry into the field — Because when a foal is hurt, the difference between recovery and not making it can be a matter of hours, if not minutes.
Inside each are essential emergency supplies, including but not limited to: disinfectant, colostrum (formula) and electrolytes to help stabilize the foal, bandages to cover any exposed wounds, blankets for foals in shock or for transport, and medical equipment in the event volunteers need to perform life-saving care.
These kits have all the things we need in a really organized way. We can bandage [foals] up quickly and prepare to get them to a vet ASAP. Before we had these kits, my bags were a mish-mash [of supplies]. I would have to dump everything out on the range to find what I needed, these kits make it easy and it’s really great for our entire team, especially when time is not on our side.”
– Tracy Wilson, rescue volunteer & member of AWHC fertility control team
The local volunteers work incredibly hard. And I want to ensure this foaling season that they have every resource at their disposal when crisis strikes so they can save these foals and get them the care they need to heal, recover, and find their forever homes.
In Nevada’s Virginia Range, AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses and burros. The cornerstone of this highly successful program is the remote darting of wild mares with the scientifically proven fertility vaccine known as ‘PZP’.
No need for roundups, expensive and crowded holding corrals, or risky sterilization surgeries. And do you want to know how much it costs for a single mare’s annual PZP vaccine?
$30.
Compare that to the tens of thousands of dollars the Bureau of Land Management spends on the roundup, long-term holding, and contractor fees involved in the removal of a single horse.
Let alone the $5 BILLION figure the Acting Director of the BLM is citing as the cost of a plan to round up over 100,000 horses from public lands over the next decade.
