In less than one month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to conduct a pointless and cruel bait trap removal of approximately 41 wild horses from the famed McCullough Peaks wild horse herd outside of Cody, Wyoming.
Beloved horses like Badger, Moki and the newest addition to the range, Thora – are at risk of losing their freedom and their families forever.
Thora with her mom and aunt. Photo by Sandy Sisti of Wild at Heart Images.
Let us be clear: The McCullough Peaks roundup is unnecessary. Not only does this herd already have a humane fertility control program in place, but it also has a significant aging population in which 60 of the 187 wild horses are over the age of 15! Furthermore, the extreme winter conditions last year resulted in the deaths of 11 of these beautiful animals, and we know it will take more this year.
The nation’s leading equine geneticist, Gus Cothran, has clearly stated that wild horse populations should not fall below 150 animals in order to maintain genetic diversity. This removal could ultimately lead to the destruction of this small herd.
But we’re fighting back. We’re going to amplify our collective voice to ensure it cannot be ignored.
In the coming days, AWHC will unleash an 8-week nationwide pressure advertising campaign to rally the public to save the historic McCullough Peaks herd. We will reach out to the media, set up billboards in strategic locations, launch ads on streaming services nationwide and leverage social media. Additionally, we will produce informational content that enlightens the public about the pointless and cruel nature of the McCullough Peaks roundup.
Time to act is of the essence, so please – stay active and stay ready so that we can ensure the McCullough Peaks wild horses stay wild.
Two years ago, our groundbreaking investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and the slaughter pipeline it created inspired an explosive exposé on the front page of the New York Times.
The report revealed that this federal cash incentive program was sending “truckloads” of federally protected wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. The piece sparked massive public outrage and encouraged dozens of members of Congress to speak out calling for the suspension of the disastrous program.
In response, the BLM “reformed” the AIP, but the changes it implemented failed to address the key problem: paying people $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro.As a result, untamed horses and burros have continued to flood slaughter auctions across the country, overwhelming the rescue groups trying to save them.
Our updated findings reveal that nearly 1,600 wild horses and burros have been found in kill pens since the start of the program – 63% of which AWHC has been able to identify by BLM brand number. Of these identified animals, we’ve confirmed that more than 50% were adopted through the AIP.(That percentage will continue to climb as we receive additional BLM records under the Freedom of Information Act).
Most troubling: groups of related individuals have been conspiring to defraud taxpayers of thousands of dollars by adopting multiple rounds of AIP animals and then sending them to kill pens once the cash incentives clear their bank accounts. In some cases, these nefarious adopters go back just days after being awarded a title to adopt their next round of animals.
Using our investigative findings, we are working through litigation and lobbying to bring an end to this program that has placed so many innocent wild horses and burros at risk of brutal slaughter for human consumption overseas.
Two years ago, our groundbreaking investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and the slaughter pipeline it created inspired an explosive exposé on the front page of the New York Times.
The report revealed that this federal cash incentive program was sending “truckloads” of federally protected wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. The piece sparked massive public outrage and encouraged dozens of members of Congress to speak out calling for the suspension of the disastrous program.
In response, the BLM “reformed” the AIP, but the changes it implemented failed to address the key problem: paying people $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro.As a result, untamed horses and burros have continued to flood slaughter auctions across the country, overwhelming the rescue groups trying to save them.
Our updated findings reveal that nearly 1,600 wild horses and burros have been found in kill pens since the start of the program – 63% of which AWHC has been able to identify by BLM brand number. Of these identified animals, we’ve confirmed that more than 50% were adopted through the AIP.(That percentage will continue to climb as we receive additional BLM records under the Freedom of Information Act).
Most troubling: groups of related individuals have been conspiring to defraud taxpayers of thousands of dollars by adopting multiple rounds of AIP animals and then sending them to kill pens once the cash incentives clear their bank accounts. In some cases, these nefarious adopters go back just days after being awarded a title to adopt their next round of animals.
Using our investigative findings, we are working through litigation and lobbying to bring an end to this program that has placed so many innocent wild horses and burros at risk of brutal slaughter for human consumption overseas.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity for you to speak up on behalf of our cherished wild herds, an article discussing groundbreaking new research into the origins of our beloved burros, and AWHC’s exciting new partnership!
From defunding the Adoption Incentive Program’s cash incentives to implementing humane in-the-wild fertility control vaccines, there are several ways Congress can enact reforms to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) — and save taxpayers money while doing it. But to enact these policies that protect our cherished wild herds, we need you to speak up. Call on your members of Congress now and request wild horse protections in the FY24 spending bill!
“I guess that we simply forgot the importance of this animal, probably being blown away by the impact of its close cousin, the horse.” A scientist and director of the Center for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse in France hopes his new study will jump-start research on the donkey and restore some of its dignity. Be sure to check out this fascinating read below!
The American Wild Horse Campaign is excited to partner with the Santa Fe-based brand Stablewest, in celebration of their concept Champion the horse™. Champion the horse™ recognizes the relationship between human and horse, and the incredible impact horses have made on our progress as people. Its limited-release capsule promotes the spirit of the wild horse and the freedom intrinsic to the landscape and heritage of the American West. As part of this partnership, 10 percent of each item sold goes towards our work to Keep Wild Horses Wild.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Nevada Senate Committee on Natural Resources heard SB90, a bill to recognize the wild mustang as the official state horse. Like the original wild horse and burro movement in the 1960s, the effort was supported by Nevada’s schoolchildren with over 100 kids showing up to attend the hearing! The students eloquently expressed their support for the wild mustangs who call Nevada home and we are so grateful for their passion.
Unfortunately, the opposition also came out in full force. Nevada ranchers who graze their privately-owned cattle and sheep on public lands used their testimony time to blame horses for range degradation. Each rancher who spoke made the hearing about wild horse management and not about the naming of the state horse. The hearing ended with no vote, as committee members discuss next steps.
We need people from all over the country to speak up about the mustang’s historic importance and the tourism resource they are for the state. Smithsonian Magazine even named Nevada the number one place in North America to see wild horses!As a potential visitor to Nevada, your voice matters, but it will only be heard if you act now!
Call each of the five committee members and ask them to support SB90.
All you need to say is: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and as a tourist who visits Nevada for its wild mustangs, I am calling to ask that Senator [NAME] support SB90 to recognize the wild mustang as Nevada’s state horse. Thank you.
State Senator Julie Pazina: (775) 684-1462
State Senator Melanie Scheible: (775) 684-1421
State Senator Edgar Flores: (775) 684-1431
State Senator Pete Goicoechea: (775) 684-1447
State Senator Ira Hansen: (775) 684-1480
Thank you so much for your help. Over the next couple of weeks we will have further actions for you to take. We hope we can count on you!
We have a timely opportunity for you to speak up for the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses of North Dakota!
We just received word that this Friday, March 10, the North Dakota House Agriculture Committee will meet to hear SCR 4014, a state resolution that urges the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve this cherished wild horse herd.
As you likely already know, the NPS is currently considering a management plan that would result in the severe reduction or total eradication of these mustangs and the Longhorn cattle that call the Park home. The Governor has already spoken out against this plan and the legislature is now following suit!
You can provide written and/or in-person testimony that will be considered for the record. (Please note that SCR 4014 does mention livestock grazing, this refers to both the mustangs and the Longhorns — NPS designates them both as livestock). Here’s how you can help:
Open a Word document and draft your comments/testimony (see our talking points linked below).
Scroll down to Agenda Items and find 9:00 AM | SCR 4014.
Click, +Add Testimony.
For Testimony Provided, select “In support of.”
Select your preferred option for how you will submit your testimony.
Finally, select Browse files to upload your Word document or PDF with your comments.
Here are some talking points to get your started, but personalizing your letter is going to be most important. Try answering the question honestly: Why do you want the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses to stay protected in the Park?
Thank you for taking action for North Dakota’s only wild horse herd, Meredith. We’ll keep you posted on the results.
The donations supporters like you make to our organization power the important work that we are doing day in and day out. We often tell you in these emails that we’re working in the field, in court, and on the Hill to protect wild horses and burros. And we are.Every dollar you donate to the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is critical to powering our work in each of these areas.
So today, we wanted to share a little insight with you about just how critical every single dollar donated really is to each of our lifesaving programs. For every $1 dollar donated to AWHC, 80 cents goes directly to powering the programs we operate to preserve the freedom of America’s wild herds:
In-the-Wild Management: Not only do we currently operate the world’s largest fertility control program for wild horses, but this year we are on track to jumpstart several other programs for at-risk herds across the West.
Government Relations: Your contributions fuel lobbying for the passage of the SAFE Act to stop slaughter, securing funding for humane management to divert funds away from brutal roundups, and working with members of Congress to introduce legislation to secure meaningful protections for wild horses and burros.
Investigations: Thanks to you, we have been able to bring to light the atrocities occurring as a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and dive into our investigation into holding facility conditions.
Advocacy: We are bringing the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by launching awareness campaigns through billboards, television and digital media, our celebrity ambassador program, and traditional media.
Rescue: Your generosity allows us to grant funding to rescue organizations in need of support to get mustangs and burros out of kill pens, transport animals to safety, and cover costs of care and treatment.
And so much more.
And the other 20 cents? That money is invested in the operations that allow us to continue these very programs. Check it out:
Being this transparent doesn’t scare us – it’s exactly why we have a 100% rating from Charity Navigator, are a 5-star Top Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits, and have received the Guidestar Gold Transparency rating. We’re proud of our status as a strong, vibrant, and effective non-profit.
None of this would be possible without our staff, our volunteers, our advocates, and without supporters like you. You make this work possible and we’re proud to fight alongside you to keep our wild horses and burros wild.
Every time you donate, you help our team prove to the BLM, Congress, and the American public that there is a better way to manage our wild horses and burros – whether it be in the field, in court, or on the Hill.
Thank you so much for your support,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including: an inside look at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adoption event, an opportunity to take action against the diastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), and the latest update on our groundbreaking fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range.
Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>
AWHC’s investigative team is continuing to monitor and track the consequences of the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays individuals $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro.
Last weekend, AWHC volunteer Gail Clifton traveled to Okeechobee, Florida to attend and document a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adoption event. As part of our ongoing investigation into the agency’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) that is sending droves of mustangs and burros into the slaughter pipeline, we are ensuring the documentation of these events. Read more here →
The collaborative effort on Nevada’s Virginia Range for a cherished herd of mustangs is making headlines! At the beginning of the month, AWHC held a press conference to unveil the latest data from our volunteer-run fertility control program that is helping to stabilize the horses’ population as their habitat continues to be swallowed by development. Read about those results below!
At the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), we’re committed to securing the safety and freedom of wild horses and burros every way possible – working in the field, in federal court, and on Capitol Hill.
As our team is gearing up for 2023, we wanted to share with you some of the major legislative victories we achieved in 2022! Last year, our government relations team worked tirelessly with U.S. House Natural Resources Committee staff to craft the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022, which was introduced in October. This historic piece of bipartisan legislation would restore protections for wild horses and burros that have been eroded over the past few decades.
This bill would enact sweeping changes to the way the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manage our wild herds.This includes putting an end to the disastrous cash incentives that are driving adopted wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, prioritizing humane methods of population management like fertility control vaccine programs as an alternative to cruel helicopter roundups, andmuch more.
In addition to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act, we achieved another huge victory on Capitol Hill by securing language in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill dedicating up to $11 million in funding specifically for humane fertility control as an alternative to inhumane helicopter roundups.
This proven and safe method of population management allows wild horses to stay in the wild where they belong. Our own PZP fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range has reduced foaling rates by 62%. And hard-hitting data like this has helped us demonstrate to the public, Congress, and the BLM that there is a better way to manage our wild herds.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including: an opportunity to speak up for the the McCullough Peaks wild horse herd in Wyoming, an update on our battle to protect the Theodore Roosevelt wild horses in North Dakota, and the latest blog from volunteer Deb Sutherland on what’s been going on with some of our favorite stallions on Nevada’s Virginia Range.
Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>
The public comment period may have officially ended, but the battle to protect the Theodore Roosevelt wild horses in North Dakota continues. Advocates fighting for this historic herd are garnering support from state legislators and other officials as they make their case for saving these wild horses. Read more about the growing movement to protect this historic wild horse herd.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including:an opportunity to take action to protect a wild herd that calls the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota home, an introduction to Withers Jr., one of the Virginia Range’s beloved stallions, and an inside look at a recent rescue that saved 22 burros from slaughter!
Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>
The historic wild horses that live in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota are currently stuck in the crosshairs of the National Park Service and need your help. Right now, the agency is considering three management proposals that will determine whether or not the Teddy Roosevelt horses will have a future on the lands they have called home for centuries. Please take one moment to speak up for these beloved mustangs.
Meet Withers Jr., an incredible Nevada stallion! When AWHC volunteer Deb Sutherland first saw him on the Virginia Range in 2017, he was just a tiny newborn colt walking next to his mother. Fast forward to today → He is the proud lead stallion of his own band with three beautiful mares to protect!
Last month, we received word from California-based, Auction Horses Rescue (AHR) that a load of 22 donkeys – mostly BLM burros, many pregnant – were being directly shipped to slaughter. In a collaborative effort between AWHC, AHR, Skydog Sanctuary and Oscar’s Place, these burros are now safe.
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!!
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.
Tessa is a special mare. She is in pretty rough shape as you can see, and her poor hoofers are horrible. But if you look at that face, well there is something special..
God keeps putting her in front of me, so I know I am supposed to save her.
She is scheduled to load on the trailer this afternoon, on that horrific trip to slaughter. So once again I have to decide if she lives or dies based on Faith. I truly believe that we are supposed to save her. Just look at those beautiful eyes. She is asking us to save her!
Will you please help me save this beautiful old girl?
Norman says THANK YOU SO MUCH! He celebrated his 3 week old birthday yesterday. He is still struggling with multiple issues but every day he survives gives him that much more strength. Please keep him in your prayers!
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.
That’s how many wild horses and burros the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to remove from the wild this year. And sadly, that astounding number is just the beginning of the agency’s multi-year-long effort to rid western public lands of most of these iconic animals.
When our team heard about an influx of BLM mustangs and burros to kill pens, we investigated and documented a clear link between the BLM’s cash incentive adoption program and the increased number of wild horses and burros being sold at slaughter auctions. We got the New York Times to expose it.
Any day now, the BLM will release a plan to conduct its final assault on the wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard. As if the recent removal of nearly 4,000 of these animals wasn’t enough, the agency has future plans to round up and remove every wild horse that lives in the Great Divide Basin and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas (HMA), drastically reduce the number of wild horses living in the Adobe Town HMA, and either eradicate the White Mountain wild horses immediately or slowly over time, by leaving a non-reproducing population of 200 surgically sterilized mustangs.
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
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.
Giving Tuesday is finally here — and so is our biggest Giving Tuesday fundraising goal EVER!
Last week, we emailed you about an exciting match opportunity — and I’m thrilled to announce that we unlocked our Giving Tuesday 2x Match, so all gifts made today will be DOUBLED!
We set a goal to raise $75,000 before midnight tonight to fuel our fight for wild horses and burros as we head into 2022. This might seem like a lot, but Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the entire year, and 2022 is set to be our busiest year yet!
Earlier this year, we uncovered the wild horse-to-slaughter pipeline that has resulted from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) failed Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). After exposing this disastrous program, we filed a lawsuit against the BLM.
While the BLM announced reforms to the program as a result of the uproar we caused — their reforms are not enough and hundreds of horses and burros are still being dumped in kill pens.
That’s why we’re dedicating part of the funds raised today to the victims of the Adoption Incentive Program. Your donation today will help to continue our lawsuit against the BLM and fuel our fight to prevent more wild horses and burros from entering the slaughter pipeline through the AIP.
The BLM has failed the wild horses and burros that have been placed in jeopardy through the Adoption Incentive Program. But our work to help rescue the AIP’s victims and litigate for the termination of the program won’t stop.
Just got home from meeting with the Catcher. This is killing me. There is simply no way to save everyone. I am already physically ill from having to say yes or no.
The only good news is that I have 5 days to raise the funds to save as many as we can.
The goal is to raise at least $1500 for each horse. I have to be able to provide proper care and feed for them until they are adopted.
For a mare and foal pair, $500 – bail and vetting for the pair
$350 – hay for the month
$200 – Foal Lac Pellets (Mare is emaciated)
$125 – Mama and baby grain
So after bail, vetting and basic feed for the 1st month, it costs $1175, and that does not include any medicine, special care, transport etc. The likelihood of having them for over several months is high, especially because this particular pair are in horrible shape and the baby has a very badly injured face.
So $1500 won’t even cover the cost for two months for this particular pair if baby needs stitches.
I am hoping to pull at least 10 if not more.
Thankfully I am supposed to have until the 25th to raise enough funds. Originally the deadline was today, but if we can pull at least 10, we have until the 25th.
Please help me keep saying YES, to saving these 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.
We have some breaking news to share and actions for you to take this week to protect our magnificent wild horses and burros. Remember: You are the driving force for change. Together we can keep wild horses wild! Read on and see how you can help to protect these cherished animals. >>
Yesterday, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators reintroduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to ban the slaughter of American horses both domestic and wild. The bill’s sponsors include Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
Each year, thousands of American horses, both domestic and wild, are shipped across the border to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. The SAFE Act would permanently prevent horse slaughter plants from opening in the U.S. and prohibit the export of American horses for slaughter for human consumption abroad.
The BLM is charging ahead with its accelerated roundup plan, which if not reined in — will triple the number of wild horses and burros in holding facilities over the next five years! To accommodate this influx, the agency is expanding its holding capacity.
The latest proposal is for a 100-acre feedlot to warehouse 4,000 wild horses and burros in Nevada in cramped pens that will provide just 750 square feet of space per animal. The cost?Upwards of 7.3 million tax dollars annually. That’s 23 times more for one holding facility than the BLM spends program-wide on fertility control each year to humanely manage wild horse populations on the range. Insanity! Submit your comments before Sept. 17 to stand with AWHC against this costly and cruel plan. >>
Sierra Club weighs in for wild horses: The 3.8 million-member Sierra Club, citing severe bias against wild horses in resource allocation on public lands, sent a letter last week to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, calling for an “initiation of the processes necessary to end all cattle/sheep grazing on all horse occupied BLM Herd Management Area lands.”
The letter noted that “management should prioritize keeping horses on designated HMA lands within ecological parameters that maintain or promote continued progress towards a TNEB [Thriving Natural Ecological Balance].”
This is in keeping with the Sierra Club’s new national wild horse policy as well as a growing chorus of environmental organizations speaking out against the scapegoating of wild horses for environmental damage caused by livestock. Also this month, the Sierra Club Colorado Chapter and the Western Watersheds Project called for a halt to the Sand Wash Basin wild horse roundup in Colorado, calling for removal of sheep from the HMA instead. More info here. >>
More AIP horses rescued from slaughter auctions: AWHC’s investigation into the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program continues to identify wild horses and burros sent through this cash incentive program to kill pens across the country. Along with documenting these animals and sending the evidence to the BLM and the Interior Department, we are helping to rescue victims of the AIP.
Last week, AWHC’s Rescue Fund paid the bail to save three beautiful AIP mustangs, including a two year old, and one adorable burro from a notorious kill pen in Oklahoma. Now they are safely housed at an Evanescent Mustang Rescue and Sanctuary foster, where they will decompress, gain some weight, and be available for adoption! Four more lives were saved and that is reason for celebration!
Thanks for all you continue to do to protect wild horses and burros.
