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Wild Horse and Burro 2021

Wild Horse and Burro articles for 2021

TELL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: Become a Co-sponsor of the SAFE Act >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

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. >>

Safe Act Introduced in the Senate

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.

It’s critical that we pass this bill, especially given the number of federally-protected wild horses and burros being sent into the slaughter pipeline through the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Adoption Incentive Program. Please take action now requesting that your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative cosponsor the SAFE Act to end horse slaughter once and for all!

TAKE ACTION

 

Say Whoa to Giant Wild Horse Feedlot in Nevada

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. >>

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS

 

Some Good News for Your Wednesday:

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.

— AWHC Team

The Sand Wash Basin round up has come to an end

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) wild horse roundup in the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area (HMA) has come to an end. Thanks to your voices, and the efforts of Governor Jared Polis. First Gentleman Marlon Reis, and Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse, the roundup was called early within the HMA, and 150 more magnificent Sand Wash basin wild horses remain free. This leaves more than 300 wild horses in the HMA, instead of the BLM’s target post-roundup population of just 163.

10,000 calls and emails in 24 hours. That’s what you did, upping the political ante and providing the public pressure necessary to back up Governor Polis’ work to implement more humane wild horse management practices in his state.

In his public statement, Governor Polis cited the “public outpouring” that demonstrated “how much people care for the well-being of these iconic Colorado animals.”

Together, we made important progress for wild horses in Colorado this month. Now it’s time to take the next step by calling on Congress to conduct an oversight hearing of the BLM’s costly and cruel wild horse and burro roundup program. Click here to take action now!

TAKE ACTION NOW >>
Photo by: Carol Walker

While we cheer for the 150 wild horses were spared capture via helicopter stampede and the 52 captured wild horses (25 mares and 24 stallions released to the Sand Wash HMA and 3 relocated to the Spring Creek Basin HMA), our hearts break for the 479 wild horses who were not so lucky.

They have been shipped to the BLM holding corrals at the state prison in Canyon City amidst mounting concerns about conditions there. These horses face an uncertain future, either warehoused for years in BLM feedlots or adopted through the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending truckloads of horses into the slaughter pipeline. The Sand Wash Basin helicopter operation left a trail of destruction and a litany of animal welfare violations, including tiny foals left alone without their mothers on the range. But know one thing: as the abuses mount, so too does the public outrage and the number of political leaders willing to step up to rein in the BLM. 

Will you help us shine a light on what’s happening by emailing your member of Congress and urging them to support an oversight hearing into the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program today?

The key ingredient to fighting back — and winning – is YOU. So on behalf of our whole team – and the wild horses and burros we all love — thank you for what you accomplished for the Sand Wash Basin wild horses.

Truly. You are the last line of defense for these cherished animals, and they need you to keep fighting for them. 

With Gratitude,
The AWHC Team

enough is enough

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Since the beginning of the month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been conducting a brutal helicopter roundup of the Sand Wash Basin wild horses of Colorado. We’ve had observers on-site every day to document the roundup and to hold the BLM accountable for any wrongdoings as the operation draws to a close.

I’m saddened and angered to share with you that we received news on Wednesday that a 6-month old foal was left orphaned on the range after Tuesday’s operation and found the next morning alone near the trap site.

The BLM euthanized the foal, claiming he had “difficulties in movement and coordination” and called his death “non-gather related.” But the symptoms this foal was exhibiting are closely associated with “capture shock” — a condition caused by extreme exertion or stress, and results in tragedy for far too many young foals who are literally run to death.

If the death of this innocent, young colt wasn’t bad enough, this was the fifth foal left alone on the range to fend for themselves after their mothers were captured in helicopter stampedes at Sand Wash Basin. When will enough be enough? 

We document these horrible tragedies because the BLM must be held responsible for their cruel and antiquated practices. And I promise you — every. single. day. we are fighting back.

We continue to send field representatives out to the range to bear witness and to document the helicopter roundups. We use their reports to get information out immediately to political leaders and the media about the atrocities being committed against wild horses by our own government.

We’re fighting every court battle where we have legal grounds to hold the BLM accountable for its actions. And we’re working with legislators at the state and federal level to advocate for these cherished animals and pass legislation that furthers wild horse and burro protections.

We’re fighting every day to protect wild horses and burros, but it’s a fight we can’t win without your support. If you’re with us in the fight to save the lives of America’s wild horses and burros and make helicopter roundups a thing of the past, can you make a donation to fuel our work today?

DONATE

We’re so grateful for your continued support — thank you.

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

Happy National Wildlife Day!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Happy National Wildlife Day!! 🎉

Photo by: Kimerlee Curyl

This day serves as an opportunity to take a step back and think about all of the amazing wildlife in our world.

Today, we are celebrating America’s wild mustangs and burros that roam our public lands! 

The freedom of wild horses and burros is under constant attack — and it’s our mission to be the voice speaking up for these majestic animals. Whether it be in the field, in courts, or on the Hill, we’re continuing our fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros on the public lands they call home.

If you’re with us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros, will you make a donation to fuel our work today?

DONATE TODAY!

Thanks for your support, and Happy National Wildlife Day!

— AWHC Team

Today is the last day to speak up for the Sand Wash Basin wild horses >> ACT NOW!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

One day. That’s all the time the Sand Wash Basin horses have left. On September 1st, the helicopters will descend on little Desiree and her herd. One day. That’s how long we have to speak up for them.


Photo by: WilsonAxpe Photography

Please take one minute now to:

  1. Send a message to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management and follow up with calls.
  2. Post this graphic to the following pages. (Note: some of these pages might not allow you to post directly, but you can leave a comment with the image!)
  3. Send automated Tweets to decision makers.

Thank you for speaking up for Colorado’s wild horses! 

— AWHC Rapid Response Team

Colorado wild horses need your voice RIGHT NOW!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Right now the Sand Wash Basin wild horses in Colorado need YOU to be their voice. This iconic herd is currently in the BLM’s crosshairs and the emergency roundup will begin in just two days, on September 1st.

The BLM’s decision to deploy helicopters in the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area (HMA) is driven by the claim that the drought is so extreme that 733 wild horses must be permanently removed, BUT on the ground, recent rains have filled watering holes and rejuvenated vegetation growth. Most importantly, the wild horses remain in good body condition.

In short, there is no drought emergency in the HMA to justify displacing nearly 90% of the herd by stampeding and capturing them in a helicopter roundup that will rob hundreds of horses of their freedom and families, and cost many their lives.

Time is short, so please take action NOW to ask the BLM to halt the roundup, drop the emergency designation, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop a humane long-term management plan to protect the Sand Wash herd.

 

TAKE ACTION

 

Thanks for your support,

AWHC Rapid Response

My time on Nevada’s Virginia Range

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

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.

I have the opportunity to see firsthand how AWHC is protecting the rights and lives of America’s wild horses and burros. So, I wanted to ask — will you make a donation of whatever you can afford today to help fuel the important work AWHC is doing?

DONATE TODAY

Thanks for your support,

Tracy Wilson
AWHC Virginia Range Project Coordinator

CO-02: we need your help!!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

On behalf of the American Wild Horse Campaign and our Government Relations team, I wanted to say thank you. Your continued support helps us keep up our legislative fight to protect the rights of America’s wild horses and burros. Just this year, your support helped us to secure $11 million for fertility control funding in the U.S. House!

Unfortunately, over the last few months especially — the freedom of these cherished animals has faced constant threats. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to conduct brutal helicopter roundups of federally-protected wild horses.

And this year, more horses will be in government holding than ever before. There are already over 50,000 wild horses and burros that have been stockpiled in government holding at the expense of taxpayers, and by the end of this fiscal year (Sept. 30) this number will skyrocket to at least 60,000. 

Thankfully, we have some members of Congress who stand alongside us in our fight to protect wild horses and burros!

Your U.S. Representative Joe Neguse has always been a steadfast advocate for wild horse and burro protection, and he and several other members of Congress have advocated for alternatives to cruel roundups, including Appropriations legislation that would ensure that a significant portion of funding for the Wild Horse and Burro Program would go to:

  • The implementation of humane birth control;
  • Prioritization of public-private partnerships with nonprofit organizations;
  • A permanent ban on barbaric mare surgical sterilization;
  • And a requirement that the BLM evaluate and report on formerly zeroed-out wild horse areas for relocating horses as an alternative to holding facilities.

Rep. Neguse is also in a prominent position, as the Chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for the House Natural Resources Committee, with influence over bills that could impact wild horses and burros. 

Will you contact Rep. Neguse right now to thank him for his leadership to protect wild horses? Ask him to do all he can to fight for these cherished animals today!

CONTACT REP. NEGUSE

Thank you for your support,

Holly Gann Bice
Director of Government Relations
American Wild Horse Campaign

Have you thought about your legacy?

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Did you know that August is National Make-A-Will Month?

The subject can seem daunting … but it’s oh so important! Not only does creating a will give peace of mind and a sense of security to you and your family — but it’s a great way to create a lasting legacy for the causes you care about.

Planned gifts like wills and trusts are some of the best ways to help the charities you care about long after your lifetime.

Special gifts like these help our amazing team implement the best possible programs to protect wild horses and burros. If you’re curious how you can add a Legacy Gift on behalf of America’s wild horses to your will, check out our info on it here:

MAKE A LEGACY GIFT

Many American Wild Horse Campaign supporters have already opted to include a Legacy Gift in their will, ensuring that their legacy and passion for wild horses will be remembered for many years to come.

So when you plan your future, think about including the fight to protect wild horses in it!

– AWHC Team

P.S. Interested in other ways to give? Check out all the ways you can help wild horses!

Footage of the Onaqui herd release … you won’t want to miss it

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

A few weeks ago, I, along with several other AWHC representatives, had the opportunity to attend the release of 123 of the 435 wild horses captured during the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) roundup in the Onaqui Mountains Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah the month prior.

While our hearts break for the 312 who will never see freedom again, we want to pause and recognize the significance of the return of these beloved wild horses — including 58 mares, 60 stallions, and 5 foals — to their home on our public lands. This brings the population in the Onaqui HMA to approximately 210 horses — the high end of the “appropriate” management level (AML). This is a departure from BLM policy, which generally aims to reduce horse and burro populations to low AMLs.

Watching these horses released to freedom was exhilarating, especially after seeing so many wild horses lose their freedom over the last decade. It is a memory I will cherish for a lifetime. Kimerlee Curyl, noted wild horse photographer and AWHC spokesperson, was with me on that day and recorded some footage that I want to share with you: 

The release wasn’t perfect. Three mares scheduled to be returned to the range became sick in the holding pens and died. A fourth mare is recovering in a BLM holding pen. One mare released to the range was observed to be sick and was euthanized hours after being freed. The BLM has yet to release the cause of the illness. Other released horses are being monitored for potential sickness. As soon as AWHC receives more information, we’ll be sure to let you know.

It’s important to remember that these tragedies are not the fault of any individual BLM employees, all of whom tried their best to ensure the safety of the horses. Instead, they are the inevitable outcome of a system that relies on capturing and penning these iconic wild animals instead of protecting them and managing them humanely in the wild.

AWHC fought hard against the Onaqui roundup and we continue to oppose helicopter roundups as a means of population control. But we were able to find common ground with the BLM on the return of some of the captured horses to the wild. 

The BLM allowed AWHC to designate a representative to be onsite at the trap during the roundup to identify horses and we were proud to partner with the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation (OCF) to get this job done. AWHC, OCF, and the Wild Horses of America Foundation also provided recommendations to the BLM on criteria for returning horses to the range based on genetic viability, social bonds, and the welfare of the more senior horses in the herd. This input was considered by the BLM when making the final release decisions.

Most importantly, BLM Utah has committed to working with us and others to ensure that this is the last helicopter roundup that will ever take place in the Onaqui Herd Management Area. 

We take the BLM at its word and will work with our partners and the agency to make this goal a reality. 

Over 300 of the Onaqui horses remain in BLM holding facilities and will be placed up for adoption and sale in an online auction beginning October 12. It’s our job to speak up for the wild horses of this cherished herd along with the thousands of other wild horses and burros that are rounded up year after year and we invite you to join us.

If you’re with us in the fight for freedom for America’s wild horses and burros, will you make a donation to AWHC to fuel our work today?

DONATE

Thank you,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

P.S. Check out our blog documenting the event for more information and footage of the Onaqui release!

What we’re doing to protect wild horses and burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Because of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) use of outdated and unproductive wild horse and burro “management” practices, nearly 60,000 wild horses and burros will be stockpiled in government holding pens and pastures before the end of this fiscal year (Sept. 30). This is the highest number of wild horses and burros ever maintained in the BLM’s holding facilities. 

There’s only one place the BLM’s roundup and stockpile system of managing wild horses is heading — it’s the mass slaughter of these cherished animals. Here at AWHC, we are doing everything possible to keep wild horses and burros wild and prevent this horrific outcome. Can you make a donation to the American Wild Horse Campaign today to help us continue our fight in the field, in courts, and on the Hill to protect wild horses and burros?

In the Field
We are not just demanding change, we’re proving that a better way is possible. AWHC’s highly successful fertility control program on the Virginia Range in Nevada has reduced the foaling rate in this historic mustang herd by over 50% in just over two years. The program is proving that humane fertility control is a viable alternative to costly and cruel helicopter roundups and removals — even in large wild horse populations in a large habitat area. 

Meanwhile, we continue to send observers to document most helicopter roundups taking place so that the public knows what is happening to our wild horses and burros in these remote areas of the West. We also hold the BLM accountable for the animal welfare violations we commonly see, such as stampeding horses in extreme temperatures, chasing horses in a manner that causes foals to be left behind (then roped and brought in), and capturing too many horses at once in too-small of pens, resulting in traumatic injuries such as broken legs and necks.

Our field work is building a powerful case for change that’s being noticed at the highest levels of Congress and the Administration. 

In Court
Our legal team works around the clock to defend wild horses and burros from government actions that violate federal laws and harm these cherished animals. Just this year, we filed suit against the BLM for the continued operation of the failed Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) that is sending far too many of our cherished wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.

Currently, the BLM’s AIP program is an end-run around the Congressional ban on slaughtering wild horses and burros. We’ve documented scores of cases in which adopters are pocketing the $1,000 incentive payments then flipping horses or burros to kill pens as soon as the money clears their bank accounts. Our work even led to an explosive, front-page New York Times report on the program! Yet to date, the BLM has failed to conduct an independent investigation of the AIP or take meaningful steps to address the problem. So, we filed suit against the agency to ensure that this tax-subsidized slaughter program is shut down.

On the Hill
Our Government Relations (GR) team works in collaboration with other advocacy groups and members of Congress to ensure further legislative protections for wild horses and burros. Right now, our team is working to secure language in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill that would allocate $11 million of the BLM’s budget to implement a humane, reversible fertility control program to manage wild horses and burros in the wild. 

We’re also urging Congress to direct the BLM to implement on-range management strategies, such as relocating wild horses and burros to other suitable Herd Management Areas (HMAs) to reduce removals and keep these animals on the range where they belong. Earlier this year, we worked with members of the House of Representatives to get similar language passed in the House Interior Appropriations bill, and if this language is secured on the Senate side, it will be a historic legislative win for wild horses and burros! We also advocated hard for a provision in the INVEST Act to ban the transportation of equines to slaughter.

But it’s not just our GR team who is putting in the work! Part of our legislative fight is mobilizing AWHC’s grassroots army to contact the BLM, Forest Service, and Congress when wild horses and burros need help the most. It is because of your support that we are able to achieve significant wins, such as the $11 million for fertility control funding in the U.S. House!

There is so much at stake for wild horses and burros. That’s why we’re fighting back in every way possible to protect the rights and lives of these cherished animals. 

Can you make a donation right now to help us continue our fight in the field, in courts, and on the Hill to protect wild horses and burros?

DONATE

Thank you,

AWHC Team

 

BREAKING: The BLM has declared emergency roundups >> Take action now!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just announced a series of “emergency roundups” that will remove 6,000 wild horses and burros before the end of September.

This means that when the BLM’s Fiscal Year 2021 ends on September 30, nearly 117,000 wild horses and burros will have been rounded up and put in off-range holding facilities.

Act now to protect wild horses and burros >>

There are already over 50,000 wild horses and burros that have been stockpiled in government holding at the expense of taxpayers — now this number will skyrocket to at least 60,000. Erica, that is the highest number of wild horses and burros ever maintained in the BLM’s off-range holding facilities.

The BLM is rounding up these innocent animals under the guise of brutal weather conditions across the West — and while we agree that some areas of the range are experiencing water and forage shortages or fire emergencies, the BLM’s use of emergency roundups is at best a bandaid on a larger problem, and at worst an abuse of the public process. 

By designating these roundups as “emergency,” the BLM can avoid the standard requirements for analysis and public commentary on a scheduled roundup AND they can also reduce populations below the already-low imposed population limits.

There’s no denying that the West is suffering from some extreme weather conditions right now, but livestock like cattle and sheep have grazed these lands for months, decimating the resources for all wildlife on the range.

We’re demanding that the BLM remove all livestock from the Herd Management Areas (HMAs) where a drought emergency has been declared before any wild horses or burros are removed. Will you join us in fighting to protect wild horses and burros?

TAKE ACTION

The BLM has already started the emergency roundups — beginning with the Antelope Complex in northeastern Nevada, where 2,200 wild horses are being removed. AWHC has tasked a field representative with documenting the roundups and providing updates to our team.

The Antelope Complex is one area where livestock heavily outnumbers the wild horse populations in the area. But yet again, the BLM has placed the burden of range degradation on mustangs and is ignoring the massive effect that livestock grazing has on our public lands!

The BLM must be held accountable. If range conditions are really so poor that the BLM feels the need to conduct emergency roundups of wild horses, then the agency should remove the livestock that utilize the same habitat. Take action now: Tell the BLM to prioritize the removal of livestock and protect wild horses and burros. >>

TAKE ACTION

— AWHC Team

BREAKING: BLM announces changes to the failed Adoption Incentive Program

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

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 wild burros AWHC recently helped to rescue from an Oklahoma kill pen.
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?

DONATE TO OUR LEGAL FUND

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.

Unless the BLM stops paying people to adopt wild, untamed horses and burros, the flow of these innocent animals to slaughter auctions will not stop. We’re fighting hard to terminate the AIP and ensure that no more wild horses or burros are placed in jeopardy of slaughter as a result of this operation. Please consider making a donation right now to our Legal Fund to help us take on the BLM and put an end to the Adoption Incentive Program.

DONATE TO OUR LEGAL FUND

Thank you for your support,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

Our game plan to stop the AIP: litigation, rescues, and investigation

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

As we write this, more and more wild horses and burros continue to be funneled into the slaughter pipeline through the the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) failed Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays people $1,000 to adopt a wild, untamed horse or burro. Unscrupulous adopters are collecting the incentive payments, then sending the adopted mustangs or burros to slaughter auctions as soon as the money clears their bank accounts. Help us put an end to this shameful program >>

All the while, the BLM continues to round up wild horses and burros across the West, fueling this slaughter pipeline. The summer/fall roundup season is now in full swing — by the end of August, at least 1,400 wild horses and burros will be captured and removed from their homes on our public lands. 

We have already filed suit against the BLM over the AIP and the federal laws they broke in the implementation of this program. And, we are also funding the rescue of innocent wild horses and burros who were “adopted” through this program and have ended up at kill pens — many just days or hours away from shipping to slaughter in Mexico or Canada. 

In fact, we were just alerted to 10 BLM-branded burros up for sale in an Oklahoma kill pen. We know that burros are at a particularly high risk of being sent to slaughter through the AIP, giving us even more reason to help save these innocent animals. So we decided to offer a matching grant to help pay their bail!

We’re taking on the AIP from every possible angle. Can you make a donation to the AWHC today to help fuel our efforts?

DONATE NOW >> STOP THE AIP

 

BLM-branded burros being rescued from an Oklahoma kill pen.

We’re continuing to investigate the AIP and uncover the full breadth of the fraud and abuse that America’s mustangs and burros have suffered at the hands of this program. 

Thanks to our months-long investigation, and an explosive New York Times exposé – we have delivered compelling evidence-filled reports to the BLM and we have worked with members of Congress to call for an immediate end to the AIP.

We’re taking every possible measure — litigation, rescues, and investigation — to end the AIP and stop the flow of federally-protected mustangs and burros to kill pens. Can you help us fight back with a donation to our efforts today to help us protect the lives of wild horses and burros and put an end to the AIP?

DONATE NOW >> STOP THE AIP

Thank you for your support,
AWHC Team

Help us enact lasting change for wild horses and burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The roundup of the beloved wild horses from the Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah has officially ended. In total, 435 mustangs were captured, and there was one death of a young mare who suffered a severely broken leg after she was likely kicked in the chaos of the trap.

Approximately 135 Onaqui horses will be released back into the wild and our friends at the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation are using their comprehensive database of the Onaqui herd to assist the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in making the best decisions possible about which horses to return based on thoughtful criteria like keeping family bands together.

We are devastated, heartbroken, but more importantly we are fired up to fight harder than ever. The unnecessary mass roundup of most of the Onaqui wild horses has launched a rallying cry for true change. 

ACT NOW FOR WILD HORSES >>

For 50 years, the BLM has all but ignored the will of the American people who want humane management of our Western herds. It has flipped the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act on its head, and instead of protecting these animals from “capture, harassment, and death,” its outdated management practices actively harm these beloved animals. What’s worse — Congress has granted the agency more than $100 million dollars to continue on with this woefully mismanaged program with no restrictions to prevent the BLM from using the funds to roundup more horses without implementing real change. 

But we have an opportunity to change course during the next federal budget cycle. In fact, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to pass Fiscal Year 22 appropriations legislation that includes language, championed by AWHC and U.S Representatives Dina Titus, Steve Cohen, and Mark Pocan, to require the BLM to allocate at least $11 million to implement humane fertility control as a step toward eliminating cruel roundups and evaluate relocating these federally protected animals as an alternative to their removal from the range. Very soon, the Senate Appropriations Committee will also consider this protective language.

Time is of the essence. Join us in a day of action for the Onaqui wild horses who lost their freedom, for Velma Johnston, aka “Wild Horse Annie,” whose work contributed to federal wild horse protection 50 years ago, and for the millions of Americans who want wild horses and burros to be protected and preserved on our public lands for generations to come.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  1. Click here to send an email to your Senators today. Then, follow up the email with a call.
  2. Download this graphic and upload it to the Interior Department and the White House Facebook pages.
  3. Click here to send an automated Tweet to President Biden and Secretary Haaland.

Let’s harness the outrage over the roundup of the Onaqui wild horses to make lasting change today!

ACT NOW FOR WILD HORSES >>

Thank you for standing with us and with wild horses,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

ACT NOW>> How you can help us reform the roundup-and-stockpile system

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Late last night, advocates around the world waited with bated breath as we learned that the roundup of the beloved wild horses of the Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) had been postponed for another day. This was the second time in five days that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) postponed the roundup because of a pending federal court decision.

This morning, a federal judge denied an animal rights groups’ motion for an injunction to stop the roundup. The BLM then announced that the roundup will begin tomorrow.

Our work to reform the costly and cruel wild horse program doesn’t stop here, however. Can you sign our petition to the Biden Administration calling for meaningful reform to keep wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong?

 

SIGN THE PETITION

 

Collectively, wild horse organizations threw everything we had at the effort to halt this roundup. 

AWHC launched SaveOnaqui.com to mobilize our grassroots army, which resulted in thousands of messages sent to both Congress and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. We garnered 50,000 petition signatures and hand-delivered them to the U.S. Department of the Interior. We worked with actress Katherine Heigl on developing and delivering letters to Congress. We held a virtual rally attended by hundreds of people around the world. And, we worked with our friends at Western Watersheds Project to develop a detailed, scientifically-based proposa for long-term management of the Onaqui wild horses, which was reviewed at the highest levels of the BLM.

We want you to know that while we did not stop this roundup, our collective voices have been heard. The BLM understands the high public interest in protecting this herd and has committed to working on a collaborative plan to humanely and sustainably manage the iconic Onaqui horses and protect the public’s interest in viewing them.

This morning, AWHC’s Field Correspondent Kimerlee Curyl was with the Onaqui herd documenting what will likely be the last moments of freedom for many of these cherished mustangs.

 

  WATCH & DONATE

 
These heartbreaking images only strengthen our resolve, but not just to ensure that this is the last helicopter roundup that ever takes place in the Onaqui HMA. We’re also working nonstop to reform the entire roundup-and-stockpile system that is leading to slaughter for far too many of these cherished animals.

Thanks to the many photographs who follow this herd, we know the Onaqui wild horses as individuals and families, and the prospect of their roundup is painful. But the reality is that all wild horses and burros are individuals who love their freedom and their families and suffer under the current federal management program.

Our work will not stop until we ensure that all wild horse populations are managed humanely in the wild, where they belong. Please support this work by signing and sharing our petition to the Biden Administration calling for meaningful reform to keep wild horses and burros wild.

 

SIGN THE PETITION

Stay wild,
The AWHC Team
P.S. — We’ll be on the ground to witness and document the removal of the Onaqui wild horses. Be sure to stay up to date on our social media channels for the latest: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

ACTION ALERT: Tell your Senators to protect wild horses and burros!!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

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. 

We need your help to get this language passed in the Senate. Can you contact your two Senators right now and ask them to support this important language to protect the lives of wild horses and burros?

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS >>

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. 

We have an opportunity to protect the lives of thousands of wild horses and burros, but it can’t be done without you. Can you contact your Senators right now and ask them to adopt at least $11 million for fertility control and the horse-friendly language passed by the House to protect the lives of wild horses and burros?

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS >>

Thank you for your support,

Holly Gann Bice
Director of Government Relations
American Wild Horse Campaign

LEGAL UPDATE 🚨: We gave the BLM a chance, now we’re suing.

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last month, we sent a legal petition to the Department of the Interior, giving it until June 30, 2021 to shut down the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) failed Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). Unfortunately, Meredith, the Interior Department failed to respond to our petition.

So now, in collaboration with several of our partners — Skydog Sanctuary, Evanescent Mustang Rescue, and photographer Carol Walker — we have filed suit against the BLM to put an end to the AIP. 

We have provided the Interior Department with clear evidence that the BLM violated several federal laws when creating the AIP, and that the program has resulted in a significant uptick in the number of wild horses and burros entering the slaughter pipeline. But so far the response is just an internal “review” with no halting of the program — meaning that BLM horses and burros continue to be sent to kill pens through the AIP. 

Even if just one more wild horse ends up at a kill pen as a result of this program, that is still one too many. Will you make a $25 donation to our Legal Fund today to help us have the resources for this legal battle?

DONATE

Since uncovering this slaughter pipeline, which led to a New York Times exposé earlier this year, we’ve been working nonstop to put an end to this disastrous program. We’ve worked with Senator Dianne Feinstein and 30+ other members of Congress urging the Interior Department to suspend the program and conduct a thorough investigation.

The lives of hundreds of wild horses and burros are at stake, Meredith. The Interior Department has failed to appropriately respond to our requests to end this program. So with no signs of stopping from the BLM — we’ve now taken legal action to ensure that the AIP program is terminated. 

Can you make a donation to our Legal Fund today to help us take on the Interior Department’s BLM in court and terminate their Adoption Incentive Program?

DONATE

Thank you for your support,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

BREAKING: House Committee Moves to Reform the Wild Horse Program!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have big news: The House Interior Appropriations Committee just passed the Fiscal Year 2022 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 passed, the legislation will continue the ban on slaughtering wild horses and burros and require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to:

  1. Implement a substantial humane reversible immunocontraceptive fertility control program to manage wild horse and burro populations in the wild.
  2. Evaluate relocating wild horses and burros to other Herd Management Areas (HMAs) to avoid removals and keep these animals on the range where they belong, and create a task force within the Interior Department to address wild horse and burro management.
  3. Review the “Adoption Incentive Program,” (AIP) which was recently exposed by AWHC and the New York Times as a pipeline to slaughter for hundreds of these federally-protected animals.

This is a huge and historic step toward reforming the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program! It’s the culmination of AWHC’s hard work over the past several years — both on Capitol Hill, where we’re expanding support for humane wild horse and burro management, and in the field, where we’re demonstrating that humane management with fertility control works.

Can you make a donation today to help us continue efforts like these to protect wild horses and burros?

DONATE

The bill also marks the first time that the House Interior Committee is requiring the BLM to pursue on-range management options, following years of advising the agency to do so… advice that the BLM has repeatedly ignored. 

This extremely significant step toward eliminating cruel helicopter roundups has been achieved thanks to the leadership of Reps. Titus, Cohen, and Pocan, the unrelenting hard work of our Governmental Relations team, and the unwavering commitment of grassroots AWHC supporters like you!

Our legislative efforts won’t stop here though. Our Governmental Relations team is working around the clock to convince the Senate to adopt similar language so that this important provision can become law. Can you chip in $10 or $20 now to aid our legislative efforts?

DONATE

While this is amazing news, Meredith, we still have more work to do. As written, the Committee bill would provide a total $162 million to the Wild Horse and Burro Program — a 40% increase from last year and significantly more than the $153 million requested by the Biden Administration in its 2022 budget justification.

We’re extremely concerned that this increase in funding 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. 

The plan would swell the number of horses and burros kept in holding pens from the 50,000 today to a projected 140,000 and cost taxpayers nearly one billion in the first five years alone! As these off-range horse and burro populations skyrocket, the BLM will rely more and more on the AIP. And while we appreciate that Congress is forcing the BLM to review the AIP, we believe that the entire program must be shut down now.

The fight to protect our wild horses and burros is a marathon not a sprint, but we are making significant progress. Can you make a donation today to help keep our staff on the Hill and continue our legislative efforts to promote humane wild horse and burro management?

DONATE

Thank you for your continued support. We could not do this work without you.

Gratefully, 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

How a donation from Meredith helps us rescue wild horses and burros

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The following is from the 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. 

Day in and day out we fight to protect wild horses and burros — whether that be through our rescue fund, in the courts, on the Hill, or in the field. None of this would be possible without supporters like you. Chip in to our Rescue Fund to help us continue saving the lives of wild horses and burros.

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:

Hazel

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!

DONATE

The Roan Filly and Her Friend

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. 

We promptly rescued both of them, and are excited to share that they arrived safe and sound at MCR. While they are in need of a lot of TLC, the caring staff at MCR will nurse them back to health in no time! Please help ensure we have the funds to continue helping organizations like MCR rescue mustangs in need.

DONATE

The Victims of the Adoption Incentive Program

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! 

These animals are symbols of the failure of the AIP. When AWHC staff investigated, it was discovered that all 12 burros were adopted by the same family and were dumped at the kill pen as soon as the family received their second payment of $500. But thanks to your generous support, they get a second chance at life. Donate today to help us continue saving the lives of wild horses and burros!

DONATE

Your generous support for our Rescue Fund saves lives. Please help us continue this work by making a donation to our Rescue Fund today.

DONATE

Thank you, 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

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