I’m Tracy — a Project Coordinator and Virginia Range volunteer for the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC).
I joined AWHC to help manage fertility control data and other projects on the Virginia Range. This range might sound familiar … that’s because it’s where AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses!
AWHC’s PZP fertility control program has proven that there is a humane way to manage wild horse populations that doesn’t require mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous sterilization, or slaughter. And being able to contribute to this historic initiative … well that has been the experience of a lifetime!
I’ve truly cherished my time working on the range — so much so that my volunteer responsibilities continue to evolve and expand! Not only do I manage the PZP database, I am on the range working as a spotter and documenter alongside PZP darters too! I also serve as a member of the Technical Large Animal Rescue team, so I’m always on call to help the Virginia Range wild horses!
I’ve grown to love each of these beautiful animals. So much so, that I’ve dedicated my time to helping nurse rescued, orphaned foals back to health so that they can be adopted out to loving families. My husband and I even adopted two mustangs from the Virginia Range!
The work AWHC is doing to protect the lives of America’s wild horses and burros is oh so important. These majestic animals are under almost-constant attacks and so it is up to us to stand up for the rights of wild horses and burros.
We have some important news we want to share with you…
On the very same day that we confirmed 10 more Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-branded burros were adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) then dumped at an Oklahoma kill pen, the BLM released a list of so-called “reforms” to the AIP.
Although we are pleased that the BLM is finally paying attention to this disastrous program, the announced changes will not stop the flow of wild horses and burros through the AIP into the slaughter pipeline.
BLM-branded burros AWHC recently helped to rescue from an Oklahoma kill pen.
And while dozens of mustangs and burros continue to be funneled into kill pens across the country, the BLM continues to minimize the extent of the problem — despite the incriminating evidence found in the report AWHC presented to the agency.
So, while the BLM’s announced changes are a start, they are certainly not enough. These reforms will not be sufficient or effective in keeping wild horses and burros out of the slaughter pipeline. That’s why our lawsuit against the BLM to end this cash incentive adoption program is so important. We won’t stop until the program is terminated. Can you chip in to our Legal Fund now to help us have the resources to put an end to this failed program?
The BLM’s announced changes continue to focus on only protecting wild horses and burros before title passes — which means once under new ownership, wild horses and burros can be sold to kill pens if their owner chooses to do so.
This is not the only critical flaw in the BLM’s proposed changes. The announced reforms do nothing to address the problem inherent in the cash incentive component of the program, nor do they provide adequate safeguards against widespread abuse within the AIP.
Over the last several months our Government Relations team has been working in collaboration with members of Congress to ensure that the interests of wild horses and burros are represented during the FY 2022 Appropriations process.
We are excited to report that the House Appropriations Committee just passed the Fiscal Year 2022 Interior Appropriations spending bill and it includes important language championed by AWHC and U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Dina Titus (D-NV), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and over 40 other Representatives!
If included in the final spending bill passed by the House and Senate, this legislation will continue the ban on slaughtering wild horses and burros, require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to allocate at least $11 million to implement fertility control programs to manage wild horse and burro populations, evaluate relocating these federally protected animals as an alternative to removals, and review the “Adoption Incentive Program,” (AIP) which was exposed by the AWHC as a pipeline to slaughter for hundreds of wild horses and burros.
This is a win for wild horses — but our work isn’t done. We’re currently working with several Senators to urge the Senate Appropriations Committee to adopt similar language.
Our next steps are very important, Meredith. We’re extremely concerned that an increase in funding to the BLM will continue the Trump Administration’s wild horse management plan, which calls for the removal of over 90,000 wild horses and burros from public lands over the next five years.
Ghost is one of the new ones. He came in today after being found alone in the wild. He has literally cooked, (hopefully not to death) out alone in the baking sun, with no family around.
At this point he is COMPLETELY DEAF AND BLIND. (Hopefully this is temporary.)
We have had other foals with damage to their vision from overheating so badly. He has horrible sunburn on his face and his eyes, and at this point he is beyond exhausted.He does love to lay his head against you and loves being handled. You can feel him just relax into you.
Can you even imagine being blind, alone and burning up in the heat wave we are having, with none of your family around? It has been over 112 – 115 degrees for days.
He would not have even survived hours longer out there, and sadly I don’t know if he will live through the night or not. Right now he is sleeping in my ICU nursery. He is beyond exhausted. He will be seeing the emergency vet tomorrow morning if he is still with us. We are doing everything Doc said to do in the meantime, and I need your help! PLEASE say a prayer for him. He fought so hard to survive I have to honor that will to live.
If you would like to help with our ongoing vet bills,
HARRAH VETERINARY 509 848-2943
GOLDENDALE VET CLINIC 509 773-0369
If you would like to order FOAL LAC & send milk, (Or baby wipes, vaseline, gloves, Foal Response, Foal Lac Pellets, syringes, Probios etc.)
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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 Biden Administration just released its proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget for the U.S. Department of the Interior. It contains an astounding increase of $36.8 million for the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program, and continues the Trump Administration’s accelerated, mass roundup plan and scapegoating of wild equids.
Remember what that plan includes: the removal of nearly 90,000 wild horses and burros from their homes on our public lands, the tripling of the number of wild horses and burros in holding facilities, and a cost to taxpayers of nearly $1 billion in the first five years! And, as the New York Times recently reported, this is already leading to the slaughter of these protected national icons.
It’s shocking that Interior Secretary Haaland has put her seal of approval on this plan. As a member of Congress, she opposed additional funding for wild horse and burro roundups, advocating instead for humane birth control. Clearly, at the helm of the Interior Department, she’s now prioritizing livestock industry interests over the protection of wild horses and burros.
But remember, this is only a budget request. It does not mean that Congress will fund it.
So, it’s time to fight back … And it’s already happening!
Increasing numbers of environmental organizations are speaking up against the scapegoating of wild horses for damage caused by massive livestock grazing. In fact, the Sierra Club recently adopted a policy calling for the elimination of livestock grazing in wild horse and burro habitats!
Support for humane, in-the-wild horse and burro management is growing on Capitol Hill. Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) were recently joined by over 40 of their House colleagues in requesting Congress to fund humane fertility control and other on-range methods as a priority over removing wild horses and burros from their homes.
AWHC is working with key members of Congress to support a humane, environmentally-focused and scientific approach to wild horse management that would drastically reduce the removal of wild horses and burros from their habitats.
We really need you to take action too.Here’s what you can do:
Protest this budget request on the Interior Department’s Facebook page by downloading the below graphic and uploading it to this post.
Email Secretary Haaland at exsec@ios.doi.gov. Suggested message: “I strongly oppose your cruel plan to remove tens of thousands of wild horses and burros from our public lands. I’m especially disappointed that you blame wild horses and burros for environmental damage and climate change while you continue to ignore livestock grazing, which is the real contributor to these issues. Humane on-range management alternatives — including birth control and removing livestock — are available, scientifically-recommended, and cost-effective. I’m very disappointed that you are prioritizing livestock interests over the interests of the 80 percent of Americans who want wild horses and burros protected, not rounded up, penned, and slaughtered.”
Over the last several months, the American Wild Horse Campaign — with assistance from Evanescent Mustang Rescue, Skydog Ranch and Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary — has been conducting an investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), leading to today’s New York Times report exposing this federal program as a subsidized pipeline to slaughter for federally-protected wild horses and burros.
The BLM’s AIP pays individuals $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro. As AWHC predicted when the program was implemented in 2019, the initiative has been a disaster for these animals.It is now clear that the BLM is laundering horses to slaughter through the AIP and evading the long-standing Congressional slaughter ban.
This program is a predictable result of the BLM’s inhumane and costly mass roundup program and the agency’s efforts to empty holding pens to make room for the tens of thousands of horses and burros targeted for removal over the next five years.
Our investigation, as affirmed by the New York Times, has documented:
Wild horses and burros are being sent to slaughter through the AIP.
Adopters are collecting the payments then sending horses to livestock auctions known as “kill pens” where they are purchased by kill buyers and shipped across the border for slaughter.
Adopters are routinely violating their BLM adoption contracts, which they sign under penalty of perjury, prohibiting the sale of these animals directly or indirectly to slaughter.
Groups of related individuals are evading the four-horse adoption limit by adopting multiple horses each using the same location on their applications, then collecting as much as $30,000 in AIP payments and sales of the horses at kill pens.
The AIP additionally has resulted in severe neglect and abuse of horses and burros by adopters unqualified or uninterested in providing adequate care.
The AIP should not be allowed to continue. The BLM must stop rounding up wild horses and burros and start managing them humanely in the wild. Thousands of America’s iconic wild horses and burros are at risk and need your voice.
Please take these three actions to make change for them right now:
Sign our petition demanding an end to the AIP and to mass roundups that send too many wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.
On the eve of Burro Awareness Month, our rescue partner Evanescent Mustang Rescue and Sanctuary alerted us about 12 burros that were dumped in an Oklahoma kill pen. The burros were rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and were ready to ship to slaughter any day.
These burros are likely victims of the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program, which pays a $1,000 incentive for individuals to adopt wild and unhandled horses and burros. The program is resulting in many of these beautiful wild animals being “flipped” to kill pens.
We knew we had to help Evanescent rescue these innocent animals and get them to safety ASAP.
AWHC’s Rescue Fund paid the bail for all 12 burros, and Evanescent rescued them and is providing a safe landing place where they can rest and heal until they are ready for adoption!
This victory wouldn’t be possible without the support of donors like you. The resources you help to provide the AWHC & our Rescue Fund are integral in helping our rescue partners save wild horses and burros.
We have an opportunity to ban the transportation of horses across state lines in “double-decker” trailers.
Transporting horses in double-decker trailers is both dangerous and cruel, and can result in significant injuries and even death for horses. These trailers are designed for much shorter species, and fail to provide enough headroom for horses — forcing them to stand in painfully cramped conditions during long-distance transport.
There is some good news: Many states have already banned the use of these inhumane trailers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has prohibited the use of these trailers as a means of transporting horses to slaughter.
But there is no permanent federal law to prevent horses from being transported in these dangerous trailers for any other reason.
U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act in Congress to ban the transportation of horses across state lines in “double-decker” trucks or trailers.
Meredith, please take the following steps right now to help us ensure the safe transportation of horses:
Call your U.S. Representative and urge them cosponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, H.R. 921. When you call your representative, use the following script:
“Hello, I am a constituent, and I’m calling to ask you to please cosponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, H.R. 921, to protect horses from being transported in dangerous double-decker trucks and trailers. Thank you.”
Will you join us in supporting this critical bill to protect the safety of all horses? Using these double-decker trucks and trailers is a cruel and inhumane practice that often results in needless deaths of horses in transport.
Wow – the insanity has already begun. Y’all JUST SAVED TEN MORE LIVES since I arrived in WA to pick up the Stallion and the 2 Pregnant mares!
I was getting ready to head back home to NV on Monday when I received another urgent phone call for an orphaned, abandoned foal. Then a call for an abandoned, injured, newborn orphaned lamb. It never stops!
This morning I had Doc come out and pull Coggins on “Nicholas”, (Our most recent Emergency), I was prepping to finally head home and my phone rang again. There are “tinies” at the Shipper’s and I should be getting them tomorrow. So apparently I am not going home anytime soon.
Sadly, NEARLY ALL the funds have been depleted on this last rescue. Every day that I am here, I have to have folks at home taking care of the rescue. Although most of their time is volunteer, it still adds up substantially. (They are amazing!) We also need to get another load of hay for the “special needs” kids at the rescue. Fuel costs are rising and that is a substantial cost for us even before the ridiculous prices we are already starting to see.
I have to get more shelter set up for these critical babies. As the numbers increase, so does the need for safe nursery space to give them what they need.
We spent roughly $2000+ simply to “save” these lives, and spent over $1,000 on vetting for health certs, (and that does not include the latest couple visits). That was just to get the horses to camp and keep them off the slaughter truck. (Just in the last 2 weeks). This DOES NOT include medical care, feed, hauling, etc. It is just a drop in the bucket of the rescue expenses.
I realize folks are struggling. However, I will keep fighting for these lives as long as I have the funding to do so. Sadly I have been warned that they are planning on “hitting it hard” this year because there are so many horses. So I am asking everyone who wants me to keep saving these precious lives to make it happen.
Great news however, these last horses that you saved are nearly all adopted, and yes, we saved the “3 Old Ladies”. They are currently in NV and being assessed. They are approximately 25 years old and sweet as can be.
Sadly we had to let Angel Face leave this world that was nothing but cruel to her. She was in excruciating pain and it was much worse the photos showed. She is running free in Heaven with the Angels and is finally free from the horrific pain. I am still working on the mare with the long feet. However, her owner did get them trimmed (how well I don’t know), and supposedly the vet is going to assess her. I am still on standby. I know it costs a lot to set these souls free, but it is the right thing to do! It is beyond devastating and it feels like you are being torn apart, yet I will always do it if no one else will.
When you see Angel Face below, please know that your love and support ended her horrible suffering. YOU made such a difference for this beautiful soul by alleviating her endless pain. THANK YOU!
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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.
She and her unborn child will be shipping to slaughter if we don’t save them. As you know, donations have been deeply affected by the current economy.
If we don’t get the funding in time, I will NOT be able to save them. The other mare shown below is also shipping.
I honestly have no idea what the future holds for rescues everywhere. I am praying I can keep saving lives with your help.
Thank you for those who came through so we could actually cover the initial rescue costs for the last 6.
If you would like to save this Mama and her baby and keep them safe, please skip a coffee or meal out and send whatever you can. All I can do is ask for help and pray we get what we need in time.
Look at this beautiful girl below. She does NOT deserve to die. Those eyes….
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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.
For the first time since I started this rescue, we failed to raise enough funds to save the 6 wild horses who were shipping to slaughter.
LUCKILY for the horses, I went on faith and saved them even though we haven’t yet raised the funds. This means that monies slated for feed and vet bills has not been put back, and the horses really need your help.
This is a first,and sadly a result of the current times. We simply did not raise enough funds to cover the cost of saving them, transporting them, drawing blood work and getting brand inspections, health certificates etc.
Yesterday we had to geld 4 stallions, so the wild ones can find safe and loving homes.
I am praying hard, as the world simply seems to be upside down. I have no idea where the rescue is headed due to the general economy. For now, I am hoping we can raise enough funds to pay for the gelding, vetting and transport.
THE 3 SKINNY, PREGNANT MARES HAVE A WONDERFUL HOME OFFER at a private sanctuary in California. I almost cried when she said she would offer them a forever home. HOWEVER, we need funds to transport them safely, get health certificates, brand inspections etc.
The simple truth is that Chilly Pepper STILL needs help for these horses, even though they are SAFE and we kept them off of that horrible truck!
I also had a “behind the scenes” rescue of this beautiful little girl shown below. She is crippled and definitely did not need to be an appetizer somewhere. Meet “Phoebee”.
THANK YOU!
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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.
URGENT ACTION NEEDED NOW to save these precious lives.
I got another call today.In the middle of sending out donation receipts, caring for our special needs kids here and trying to prep for baby season, it’s GO TIME! *It doesn’t matter that it is not convenient.*
This is an emergency, and these horses will be loaded onto the slaughter truck on Wednesday if I do not say YES!
PLEASE help me save these precious souls. The clock is ticking and you are their only hope.
Please donate now! We are already stretched beyond tight, as I have to get Colostrum (IGG) for the newborns, Foal Lac Powder, Foal Lac Pellets and about a hundred other items to be ready for the 2021 baby season. Lately it seems like we are doing as many big kids, but this is what God is putting in front of us.
THANK YOU! I simply cannot save them without YOU!
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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 DEADLINE HAS PASSED FOR THESE 2! LET’S GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO LIVE IN 2021. THEY ARE DESPERATE, and the gelding’s story will make you cry. It literally made us ill. :(
I had to go on faith.
Meet “TREASURE”. The saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s Treasure” is beyond true. TREASURE was “THAT HORSE”.He was the bomb proof, been there – done that horse. The one you could put any kid on. The one you put the visitors on, knowing that no matter how they rode or what they did to him, the horse would take care of them through thick and thin. He was the RANCH HORSE that worked for years.
TREASURE was literally the perfect horse,
UNTIL – He could no longer work. After 20 some years of perfect service, he no longer “had a purpose”, so he was thrown away like trash. When the shipper wouldn’t even take him due to his poor condition, he decided that if he didn’t get what he wanted he would just leave him out to die. He was not going to waste money and feed him through the winter. He was not even going to waste a bullet…..
TREASURE is starved, weak and so full of worms I don’t even know if he will make it. He is exhausted and the first thing I am going to do is get his bloodwork done. Please say a prayer for him. He is so tired and so sad. He still doesn’t understand he is truly loved.
MEET “SMURF”. She is the old lady that was shipping to slaughter. She was lucky we could save her, because I received the info that she was a “done deal” and had no chance. Another “miracle for a mustang”.
She is 18ish?, a total sweetheart and did not need to end up on a dinner plate somewhere.
Saving these 2 lives is our “Last Hurrah” for 2020. Let’s end it with victory and save these precious lives! Treasure is going to need vetted asap, and will need all of us to pull together for him.
Christmas is at her new home and all settled in. Noel is with me, and sadly lost about 150 # before we could get her. She will also need lots of TLC!
I did manage to get our beautiful Annie Oakley home, in spite of the weather and incorrect forecast. I am so thankful to the folks that cared for her until I could get her. She is in better condition than when she came in, but still in horrible shape. She is extremely thin, very wormy and they literally picked 100’s and 100’s of ticks off of her. The ticks nearly killed her, and the worms are trying to finish the job. She HAS been dewormed, but is still in extremely poor health.
So we are *wrapping up 2020 with the usual 911 calls and desperate situations! PLEASE help us save these kids.*
_A quick personal note – I found out I have had Fybromyalgia for some time now. Sadly it explains why I have had such an increase in the chronic pain. Hopefully it won’t have much affect on my rescue, but prayers are greatly appreciated!
I guess being partially crippled and having an existing disease that causes chronic pain just wasn’t enough. (haha) But I know God has a plan and He will keep me going! I will keep fighting as long as I can, and I hope y’all will keep fighting with me!_
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new 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.
Today is our most critical fundraising day of the entire year. We’ll rely on funds raised today to fuel our programs, staff, field equipment, lobbying and legal work into next year when the stakes could not be higher.
What we raise today, determines the strength of our work tomorrow, Meredith. So — for the love of our wild horses and burros — I’m asking personally if you’ll make a gift of any amount right now to ensure your donation has more impact than ever before.
Your donation today will be put to work, immediately — we have no time to lose. 2021 is gearing up to be a pivotal year for our wild horses and burros and we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas for even one day.
When you make a donation to support AWHC, here’s where your money is going in 2021:
Education and Advocacy — Often, we’re the only observers onsite at federal wild horse and burro roundups. We’re showing the world what our government is doing to these national icons, and we’re building the grassroots army necessary to finally win the battle for their protection.
In The Wild Management — Our humane fertility control program for Nevada’s Virginia Range mustangs continues to break all records as the largest humane wild horse management program in the world. Our team in Nevada is showing that humane management works and is leading the charge to make roundups and slaughter a relic of the past.
Legislation — We’re developing increasing numbers of champions from both sides of the aisle in Congress to speak up for wild horses and burros. Thanks to our work, dozens of Senators and Congresspeople have spoken out against cruel surgical sterilization and in favor of humane management, and the House passed a historic amendment to require funding for fertility control as an alternative to cruel and costly roundups.
Litigation — AWHC and the coalitions of animal welfare groups we’ve formed have won over 90% of the cases we file. We’ve filed multiple lawsuits and successfully brought about a federal injunction to halt the surgical sterilization of mares in Oregon, and we’re prepared to take legal action again to protect wild mares in Utah from this same cruel plan.
STILL MORE BABIES NEED YOUR HELP!! This rescue is at 27 so far, and still growing. Catchers are running like crazy before the bad weather hits. Do I tell them, YES or No? It’s up to you!
THE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW ARE AT 27 – 23 BABIES, 1 Pregnant wild mare, the other abused wild TB mare, and still working on the pony. 5 of those are still at the Shipper’s, which pretty much guarantees by the time they are “ready to go”, there will be more. So far, there has NEVER been a pickup that didn’t have more babies.
I appreciate every penny that has been donated. Sadly, if I am going to be able to save ALL these precious lives, the horses simply need more help. It is kind of terrifying to think about so many mouths to feed etc. However, our wonderful adoption coordinator has found homes for 6 of the babies and I have both mares adopted out as well. I still have 9 babies in Golconda, and winter is coming.
I am willing do the work, but I need your help for the funding.
I want to send out a big thank you to Matt. He came up from Texas to fix my water lines and decided to come and help me on this rescue before heading to CA. He has been a big blessing and it was nice to not be here on my own this time.
For the folks who feel like reading, I wanted to share a day in the life of a rescue with y’all. It is pretty much the reality of what it is like to do this work.
This morning I woke up, ran to town for supplies, spent a couple hours with an amazing adopter, picked up more orphaned foals, fed, watered and vetted the ones with injuries and finally sat down. As I write this, the reality sets in.
I have a beautiful camp site where I have my “temporary corrals” set up.
My veggies are simmering in butter over the fire, and it is so beautiful out. The air is soft and clear, and as the music plays, my heart swells thinking of how beautiful everything is. I try to enjoy as much as I can each, and every day and appreciate what is in front of me.
Reality is the knife that comes deep in my heart. The beauty tonight is pierced by the horrors that brought me here. Although I have made this the absolute best “home away from home” I possibly can, the night is pierced by the screams of babies torn away from their Mamas and their families. Their anguished, wailing cries, hanging heads and beat up bodies show the horrors of what just happened. The absolutely, bewildered look in the eyes of these broken babies rips out your heart. At this very moment, their moms, brothers, sisters, and dads are crushed in a slaughter truck, able to make no sense of what happened. Days ago, they were running free, and tonight they are kicked and bitten as too many of them are crammed together in the truck of death.
I am so grateful to have a place to set up and take care of these broken souls, and as most of you know I spend weeks living in “camp” in my horse trailer so I can save these babies, pregnant mares, old stallions and anyone else God throws into the mix. But listening to these babies scream for their mama’s all night long, is ripping my heart out. As the tears stream down my face, the pain is so physical it nearly makes me ill.
This was NOT my dream, to be buried in the sewer that is the slaughter world. But God puts it in front of me, so this IS my world. It isn’t bad enough that only yesterday as I drove here, I was up to 16 weanlings, not including the pregnant mare, the other crazed, injured and abused wild mare, and the bratty pony. TODAY, I picked up 6 instead of 4, and there are ANOTHER 5 at the Shipper’s. So today’s number is 23, NOT 16, and that is just the babies. Every day it seems to grow……
When I think about trying to explain the need for help, it is simply overwhelming. I so say “no” all the time, but when I am the only thing standing between death and these babies, I have to give it my all. Honestly, I am beyond tired. I want to cry I am so tired. Emotionally, physically I am exhausted. But I cannot have that negative energy with these babies. They need to feel safe and like they are loved. So I sit here wondering how much more I can take. I know God won’t give us more than we can handle, but sometimes I wonder how tough He thinks I really am.
_This is my evening. Trying to make the best of the situation put in front of me.
Wondering how soon everyone would quit reading the sad news that I spout as I try to save these precious lives. So many 911’s and emergencies. THIS IS MY LIFE ON THE FRONT LINE!_
Listening to the heartbreaking screams of the babies. Knowing their families are rattling around in a slaughter bound trailer, terrified, and missing their babies. Yet I have to struggle on, because if I quit, all of these lives will be lost, and not in a humane fashion.
Once again saving ALL of these souls depends on you, my Chilly Pepper Family. YOU are the Angels that make it happen. The chance of it only being 27 is nearly impossible, but one can hope.
Thank you for saving so many lives!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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.
Meet “DAKOTA” – Chilly Pepper’s newest critical care child.
I had an emergency intake today. A 911 call from the Trapper to see if I wanted to help an injured colt. The decision had already been made to “destroy the colt”, when the trapper heard “I was still in WA”.
Is Dakota the real reason I was stuck here for so long?I knew God had a reason, and if I had left for NV as planned, this beautiful yearling would be dead right now.I am so grateful for the call and the chance to save him.
Dakota will most likely need his eye removed due to the amount of trauma. It is horribly injured and he is on pain meds and antibiotics. He will be vetted at the earliest opportunity, and sadly, his care will be spendy to say the least.
God obviously kept me here for a reason, and it was clear to me that I was supposed to be here for Dakota, so of course I agreed.
( I was actually expecting a call for something like this, critically injured or ill. )
However, I am praying hard for a different outcome than we had with my beautiful “Miracle Girl”.
Dakota was wild, but is gentling up quickly as he seems to understand we are helping. Mama Mel and Cam rushed right over so we could get him vetted and some pain meds on board. Teamwork makes the dreams work! *So grateful for the amazing folks around me!*
He also has a huge hard lump behind his right leg, which actually concerns me nearly as much as his eye. I am praying it is nothing too serious. At this point he is much more comfortable than when he arrived and is munching his hay and enjoying his pain meds.
Please help this little guy if you can and say a prayer that the infection has not spread too far.Chilly Pepper was obviously not in a wonderful financial position to take on a baby with his needs, but he is here and he is staying with me.
Again, this was a “faith decision”. How could I not when it was so obvious that I was not going home on my schedule. I am so grateful to God for all the hiccups or this little man would not be here with me.
When I get these calls, I never know what the injuries will look like or how badly they are hurt. You just get to say “yes or no”, so I said “yes”!
Please help me provide the care that he needs. Your love and support are SO APPRECIATED! Thank you to everyone who is helping us get the vehicles back on the road and the horses home safe!
Below: The Pregnant mare y’all saved!!
She came with a baby, but sadly it was not her baby. The filly has been adopted by some wonderful folks who are constantly stepping up to help me when I am up here. So again – a 3 life save!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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.
URGENT – MORE HORSES NEED YOU TO HELP THEM STAY ALIVE, and as usual, their time has run out.
We have a Mare and Foal Pair, (and Mama is bred back), so that is 3 lives to save!, PLUS…
We have the mare above that I still need to pay for, (I simply couldn’t wait to fund raise and had to commit on faith.) PLUS – MORE BABIES are coming from the trapper and the shipper!
It’s been a super rough week, and as usual we don’t know for sure how many horses need us.
One of the catchers had at least 3, and that is just for today. Shipper has ?
The rescue has been hit all at once with the need for truck tires, (and it was imminent – one was ready to blow), transmission repair and brake work for the truck and wiring on the horse trailer braking system.
After getting the transmission fixed, thanks to some amazing people out there, the hauler was on the way when the brakes started to malfunction.
After checking both the truck and trailer, we are looking at another bill (not including tires or transmission) that will be anywhere from an expected bill of $1500 to $2000?? or more. (It was internal, brake pads are fine, but we still have to get the necessary repairs to actually have working brakes, and the stock trailer has some wiring that is old and sketchy ie. dangerous.
I still can’t get back to NV until we get the 2nd truck and trailer fixed. However, instead of being gone back to NV, I was here to treat one of the colts that came in with an injury. He is beautiful, but it took all of us to safely treat him without causing him unnecessary stress. He has certainly been through enough. I know there is a reason for the delays, and the babies and emergencies have not stopped.
ONCE AGAIN, THE HORSES NEED YOU!HOWEVER, the transmission AND the new tires were covered by some amazing angels who donated specifically for that! THANK YOU ANGELS! That means we need another $1500 plus ? just to finish the brakes, front end repairs and wiring on the trailer. THEN, we still need funds to save these new kids and vet them, get them home etc. etc.
IF YOU CAN HELP me save these babies and the mares, PLEASE DO SO! This has been a crazy 3 weeks and I am going to have to turn around and come back, but I know we can save these horses, IF you help make it happen!
BELOW – The injured “Slide” stares longingly at what used to be the path to his home.
It is so traumatic for these babies to be ripped away and stuffed into what must feel like prison. Help me save him, (and the rest of them), and give them the best life we can!
Thank you as always for the love and support, and THANK YOU to my Angels who covered the cost of fixing the transmission and getting the much needed tires!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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.
Since my last update, including this little angel, y’all saved 12 babies lives!!!!!**
AS ALWAYS, the calls KEEP COMING! The new number is 12, YES – ANOTHER 12, and I am currently on standby for babies from 2 other catchers. So most likely by the time vetting would come, I will be even more buried.
DO I tell him yes?
Their Mom’s and Dad’s literally just loaded onto a slaughter truck, and I need to be able to say YES to all of them!!
This will put Vetting, coggins and paperwork in the multiple thousands.
DO WE, our CHILLY PEPPER FAMILY – SAVE THEM??? I cannot do this without raising funds to pay for them, feed them, etc. etc.
I honestly would rather crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone or see anyone. I lost my beautiful “Little Miracle Girl”. It hurts so much and it is like she literally climbed into my soul. She certainly crawled physically into me..
More heartbreak – I simply do not have words that will do this beautiful girl justice. She survived predators, ie bears, cougars, coyotes and a harsh environment with little feed and water. Her whole life must have been excruciating, except for the last 4 days she was with me. Thankfully she had pain meds and oh so much love.
All she wanted was to be in my lap. She literally would try to crawl into me and was ALWAYS nuzzling my knee. It was as if she knew that we shared the same excruciating type of pain, although hers had to be worse. She was a completely wild filly on Sunday and could kick like a pro. We bonded the second our eyes met. It sounds funny, but if you look at her in the pictures it is like we were together forever.
Sadly, when the vet took x-rays BOTH of her joints had huge broken pieces of bone floating around. It had to be beyond excruciating. Add that to her pneumonia and swollen joints (which ended up being septic), her life could hardly have been more painful. I was so not expecting this. Her pneumonia was a thousand times better, and she wanted life so badly.
It was an excruciating decision, but the ONLY RIGHT DECISION FOR HER.
All I can do is crawl out of my hole and save the next 12 in her honor. My beautiful girl took so much of my heart with her. THANK YOU EVERYONE who gave her a chance. She had the heart of a lion and if we didn’t have the bone chips we could have at least fought longer. At least if you look at her photo’s it is obvious how loved she felt and at peace, knowing she was being helped. I treasure every second I had with her, but now I have to fight for the new ones to honor her spirit.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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.
Wow – the calls just won’t stop. I’ve been home all of 3 days, and this injured and starving mare was today’s 911. We have to save her. She is super sweet and can hardly walk and is obviously starving. She wouldn’t even make the trip to slaughter and would be trampled in the truck. That can’t happen.
Shipper called and the babies below are in the trailer. Mom’s and families have been loaded and are on their way to slaughter. We have to take these babies – they have no where else to go.
Sadly, the beautiful Granny passed away last night due to the head injuries inflicted on her at the same time they destroyed her lip.Our hearts are broken but there is not even a moment to grieve, or even breathe. At least she is out of pain and was surrounded by love for her last few days.
I can only imagine what the numbers will be by the time I actually get there to pick them up. For now, Mama Mel will be taking care of the babies and I need to call tonight and let them know if we can take Reba, (the starving/injured mare).
Our vet bills were just a few dollars shy of $5,000 for this last rescue, (before I even got home). Sweet Sally, the donkey, needs more x-rays. Samantha, (the little mini) needs her eye either repaired or removed. The stallions need to be gelded and the kids with Cushings need more meds. The list goes on and on.
I know the world has turned upside down, but my life didn’t really change. I keep getting calls and as long as y’all keep helping and want to save these lives, I will keep on fighting.This is beyond exhausting, but if you look at that worried face on Reba, well it is almost as if she knows something bad is coming. Let’s make sure only good comes to her for the rest of her life.
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, who are making a difference whether it is from sharing, caring and praying, or donating. Together we can keep saving them. Off to feed and give meds.
Someone take a nap for me please. LOL
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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.
A TRULY HEARTBREAKING 911! Meet EVELYN. (Evie for short). SHE NEEDS US NOW!!
Look at those horrific feet. Can you even imagine how much pain she is in?
Can you see her forced into the slaughter trailer? Being jostled and shoved around while the other terrified horses tripped & stepped on her feet? It would be a miracle if she even survived the trip to the slaughter house without being knocked down or having her ankle broken.
She needs your help RIGHT NOW! We HAVE to save her and keep her out of the slaughter pipeline. The clock is ticking and I need to commit. WILL YOU HELP ME SAVE HER?
Sadly, Evelyn’s outcome may not be what we want. She will require x-rays to see if her coffin bones have twisted. I am praying she will be ok. She certainly deserves every chance. Worst case scenario we are rescuing her for humane euthanasia. However, we have seen LOTS OF MIRACLES! Either way, she cannot get on that slaughter trailer.
So please, let’s save this beautiful lady. She obviously has not been shown any kind of love or care. The abuse stops today. Thrown away like garbage, let’s give her a miracle.
PLEASE HELP NOW!!
Again, we are on the front line and have to save them now. You don’t get to choose “how many”. It’s ALL OR NOTHING!! Thank you for helping us continue saving lives.
Below, EVELYN SAYS THANK YOU!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
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 DEADLINE HAS PASSED FOR THESE 2! LET’S GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO LIVE IN 2021. THEY ARE DESPERATE, and the gelding’s story will make you cry. It literally made us ill. :(
