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American Wild Horse Campaign

TAKE ACTION: Protect North Dakota’s only wild horse herd >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have a timely opportunity for you to speak up for the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses of North Dakota! 

We just received word that this Friday, March 10, the North Dakota House Agriculture Committee will meet to hear SCR 4014, a state resolution that urges the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve this cherished wild horse herd.

As you likely already know, the NPS is currently considering a management plan that would result in the severe reduction or total eradication of these mustangs and the Longhorn cattle that call the Park home. The Governor has already spoken out against this plan and the legislature is now following suit!

You can provide written and/or in-person testimony that will be considered for the record. (Please note that SCR 4014 does mention livestock grazing, this refers to both the mustangs and the Longhorns — NPS designates them both as livestock). Here’s how you can help:

  1. Open a Word document and draft your comments/testimony (see our talking points linked below).
  2. Click here to access the submission form.
  3. Scroll down to Agenda Items and find 9:00 AM | SCR 4014.
  4. Click, +Add Testimony.
  5. For Testimony Provided, select “In support of.”
  6. Select your preferred option for how you will submit your testimony.
  7. Finally, select Browse files to upload your Word document or PDF with your comments.

Here are some talking points to get your started, but personalizing your letter is going to be most important. Try answering the question honestly: Why do you want the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses to stay protected in the Park?

Thank you for taking action for North Dakota’s only wild horse herd, Meredith. We’ll keep you posted on the results.

– AWHC Team

Why I hike 5-10 miles a day for wild horses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Allow me to introduce myself — I’m Tandin, AWHC’s Utah Conservation Operations Manager. For the last nine months, I have spent most of my time living on public lands in my travel-trailer, tracking and documenting a remote herd of wild horses that needed our help in Utah’s Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA). 

This is a very special population of wild horses that was subjected to a large helicopter roundup last year. They live in an area where water availability has been an issue and the horses are very wild, difficult to find amongst mountainous terrain, and unaccustomed to human presence.

© Tandin Chapman

DONATE NOW TO KEEP OUR FIELD PROGRAMS RUNNING!

Prior to the roundup, I had come to know many of the bands that make up this beautiful herd, and it was heartbreaking to watch so many of them lose their freedom. However, it fueled my commitment to work toward a better way to protect the horses who remained on the range. And so, when the capture operation was over, I returned to the field.

AWHC is committed to the boots-on-the-ground work necessary to shift wild horse management from reactive solutions (like roundups) to proactive solutions that keep wild horses wild. Will you continue powering their work with a donation today? As the group that operates the world’s largest fertility control program for wild horses in Nevada, we know firsthand how important fieldwork is to successful conservation programs.

Each time I go out, I hike between 5-10 miles to locate horses to identify and enter into our database. So far, I have documented and identified approximately 500 individuals. (Post-roundup, about 390 wild horses remain in the HMA.)

  • I’ve documented 65 bands with an average of 5.98 in each. The largest band I’ve found has 13 members.
  • Bachelor stallions make up 16.3% of the population.
  • 30.3% of the horses are Pintos, 15.5% are Buckskins, and 14.2% are Bays — making this one of the most colorful herds in the West.

I have also identified every water source in the HMA and have been working with stakeholders in the area to come up with solutions to ensure water continues to flow.

This job is very personal to me. It’s been an opportunity of a lifetime to get to know and spend time with these amazing horses — watch the bands tend to their young, the bachelors spar, and the lead mares tell everyone what to do.

© Tandin Chapman

DONATE NOW TO KEEP OUR FIELD PROGRAMS RUNNING!

All of AWHC efforts in the field — from assessing the condition of wild herds and their habitat, to documenting any violations during roundup and capture operations, to implementing humane fertility control programs — helps us further our work to end the traumatic roundup and warehousing of wild horses and burros in holding facilities. 

I’m proud to be part of AWHC’s work to shift wild horse and burro management in a humane and sustainable direction that keeps these animals in the wild with their families where they belong. Will you make a donation today to continue AWHC’s field work in our fight to keep wild horses and burros wild and free?

With your support, we can ensure these magnificent mustangs that I have come to know and love remain wild. 

Thank you.

Tandin Chapman
Utah Conservation Operations Manager
American Wild Horse Campaign

TAKE ACTION: 3 steps you can take NOW to help wild horses and burros in 2023

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

In an unprecedented move, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) still has not announced any new roundups for Fiscal Year 2023. This is good news! At the same time, that doesn’t mean wild horses and burros are out of harm’s way — helicopter roundups still may be scheduled for this summer, and many of the animals who have already been removed are in danger.

Once these animals are captured, they become part of a government holding system where more than 60,000 wild horses and burros are confined — a system that’s at its breaking point. In 2022, the BLM conducted assessments of some of its facilities, and  the results were shocking. These assessments showed widespread animal welfare violations, including inadequate access to food and water, lack of basic care, and poorly maintained facilities that put animals at a higher risk for injury and disease.

AWHC is taking action to address this crisis and proactively ensure that wild horses and burros are treated humanely, both in holding and in the wild. But we cannot do it alone! Here are three actions you can take NOW to help support the safety and freedom of our cherished wild horses and burros in 2023.

  1. Urge Congress to Support Wild Horse and Burro Protection
    Contact your member of Congress today and urge them to support humane, common-sense, and fiscally responsible reforms that would stop the endless cycle of removals and keep our magnificent mustangs and burros in the wild where they belong.
TAKE ACTION
  1. Call on Congress to Mandate Camera Installations at Wild Horse and Burro Capture Operations
    In order to ensure transparency and accountability during wild horse and burro roundups, we must urge legislators to mandate cameras on helicopters and at trap sites. Ensuring cameras are installed at roundup operations to record and document potential violations will provide a record of activities most Americans never see.
TAKE ACTION
  1. Tell DOI and BLM to Address Holding Facility Conditions
    The BLM’s holding system cannot safely hold the thousands of additional wild horses that the agency intends to capture over the next few years. We must demand change today. Please contact Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and ask them to ensure the humane care of wild horses and burros in these facilities.
TAKE ACTION

Thanks for taking action, team.

— AWHC Team

Behind the Scenes: How supporters like you power our lifesaving programs →

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The donations supporters like you make to our organization power the important work that we are doing day in and day out. We often tell you in these emails that we’re working in the field, in court, and on the Hill to protect wild horses and burros. And we are. Every dollar you donate to the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is critical to powering our work in each of these areas. 

So today, we wanted to share a little insight with you about just how critical every single dollar donated really is to each of our lifesaving programs. For every $1 dollar donated to AWHC, 80 cents goes directly to powering the programs we operate to preserve the freedom of America’s wild herds:

  • In-the-Wild Management: Not only do we currently operate the world’s largest fertility control program for wild horses, but this year we are on track to jumpstart several other programs for at-risk herds across the West.
  • Government Relations: Your contributions fuel lobbying for the passage of the SAFE Act to stop slaughter, securing funding for humane management to divert funds away from brutal roundups, and working with members of Congress to introduce legislation to secure meaningful protections for wild horses and burros.
  • Investigations: Thanks to you, we have been able to bring to light the atrocities occurring as a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and dive into our investigation into holding facility conditions.
  • Advocacy: We are bringing the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by launching awareness campaigns through billboards, television and digital media, our celebrity ambassador program, and traditional media.
  • Rescue: Your generosity allows us to grant funding to rescue organizations in need of support to get mustangs and burros out of kill pens, transport animals to safety, and cover costs of care and treatment.
  • And so much more. 

And the other 20 cents? That money is invested in the operations that allow us to continue these very programs. Check it out:

Being this transparent doesn’t scare us – it’s exactly why we have a 100% rating from Charity Navigator, are a 5-star Top Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits, and have received the Guidestar Gold Transparency rating. We’re proud of our status as a strong, vibrant, and effective non-profit.

None of this would be possible without our staff, our volunteers, our advocates, and without supporters like you. You make this work possible and we’re proud to fight alongside you to keep our wild horses and burros wild. 

Every time you donate, you help our team prove to the BLM, Congress, and the American public that there is a better way to manage our wild horses and burros – whether it be in the field, in court, or on the Hill.

Thank you so much for your support,

 

 

 

 

 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

An update on Colorado’s horse slaughter bill

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Yesterday, the Colorado Senate Agriculture Committee narrowly passed an amended version of Senate Bill 23-038-007 concerning the Unlawful Transportation of Equines for Human Consumption. 

Bill 23-038, led by Colorado Voters for Animals, was originallydrafted to Prohibit Equine Slaughter for Human Consumption but was weakened to meet the approval of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is now limited to addressing conditions of transportation to slaughter for human consumption. The bill title was also narrowed and constrained to the topic of transport. Unfortunately, once the scope of a bill title has been narrowed, it cannot be widened and amendments must comport with the bill title.

Next, the bill moves to the full Senate for a vote. If it passes, it will move to the House for a committee hearing, most likely in the House Transportation Committee. We will continue to monitor the bill as further amendments are introduced.

You can read the full text of SB23-038-007 here.

Thank you for caring about wild horses,

The AWHC Team

Tell the BLM: End the Cash Incentives for Wild Horse and Burro Adoption!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including: an inside look at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adoption event, an opportunity to take action against the diastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), and the latest update on our groundbreaking fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range.

Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>

Help End the Cash Incentives for Wild Horse and Burro Adoption

A white mustang stands behind the bars of a holding facility pen

AWHC’s investigative team is continuing to monitor and track the consequences of the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays individuals $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro.

In fact, since the start of February, we have identified over 30 BLM-branded wild horses and burros in slaughter auctions across the country. Unfortunately, we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg and many more are shipping directly across the border for slaughter. It’s time to end the cash incentives that are sending hundreds, if not thousands of our beloved wild mustangs and burros into the slaughter pipeline.

ACT NOW

Eyewitness Report: BLM Adoption Event in Florida

A dark brown stallion stands very close to a handful of other horses all in an enclosed holding pen

Last weekend, AWHC volunteer Gail Clifton traveled to Okeechobee, Florida to attend and document a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adoption event. As part of our ongoing investigation into the agency’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) that is sending droves of mustangs and burros into the slaughter pipeline, we are ensuring the documentation of these events. Read more here →

READ MORE

Humane Wild Horse Management in the News

Several mustangs gallop and splash playfully in a puddle

The collaborative effort on Nevada’s Virginia Range for a cherished herd of mustangs is making headlines! At the beginning of the month, AWHC held a press conference to unveil the latest data from our volunteer-run fertility control program that is helping to stabilize the horses’ population as their habitat continues to be swallowed by development. Read about those results below!

READ MORE

Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros!

— AWHC Team

Kicking off 2023 on the heels of some major wild horse and burro wins in Washington >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

At the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), we’re committed to securing the safety and freedom of wild horses and burros every way possible – working in the field, in federal court, and on Capitol Hill.

As our team is gearing up for 2023, we wanted to share with you some of the major legislative victories we achieved in 2022! Last year, our government relations team worked tirelessly with U.S. House Natural Resources Committee staff to craft the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022, which was introduced in October. This historic piece of bipartisan legislation would restore protections for wild horses and burros that have been eroded over the past few decades.

This bill would enact sweeping changes to the way the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manage our wild herds. This includes putting an end to the disastrous cash incentives that are driving adopted wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, prioritizing humane methods of population management like fertility control vaccine programs as an alternative to cruel helicopter roundups, and much more.

The introduction of this historic bill was a huge victory – but now, our team is working to get it re-introduced in the new session of Congress. Can you make a donation today to help ensure we have the resources we need to keep our staff on the Hill and continue our legislative efforts to protect wild horses and burros?

DONATE

In addition to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act, we achieved another huge victory on Capitol Hill by securing language in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill dedicating up to $11 million in funding specifically for humane fertility control as an alternative to inhumane helicopter roundups. 

This proven and safe method of population management allows wild horses to stay in the wild where they belong. Our own PZP fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range has reduced foaling rates by 62%. And hard-hitting data like this has helped us demonstrate to the public, Congress, and the BLM that there is a better way to manage our wild herds. 

We wouldn’t have gotten these wins in Congress without your support, but we have to keep up the momentum. Can you make a donation today to help power our Government Relations team’s continued work on Capitol Hill to protect wild horses and burros in 2023?

DONATE

Thank you!

AWHC Team

DEVELOPING: A pattern of cruel conditions in BLM holding facilities >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our Investigations Team works day in and day out to ensure that no stone is left unturned when it comes to uncovering the consequences of removing wild horses and burros from public lands and stockpiling them in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding pens. 

Every investigative report we write, every legal inquiry we pursue, and every Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request we file, reveals the same: 

America’s wild herds are living peacefully on the public lands they call home → The BLM conducts brutal helicopter roundups to maintain pre-determined and unscientific population levels → Innocent horses and burros are crowded into government holding facilities plagued by disease outbreaks, or worse, are sent into the slaughter pipeline through the Adoption Incentive Program. 

Using FOIA, our Investigations Team recently uncovered the deaths of 45 innocent burros held captive at the BLM’s Axtell holding pens in Utah. They are the latest known victims of this cruel and costly system. Rush a donation now to power our investigative work to expose and change the way these treasured animals are treated. →

a group of burros stand in a holding pen with tags around their necks

These burros were rounded up by BLM helicopters from Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex in August of last year. Within two months of their capture, 45 of these burros died. 

  • 31 died due to hyperlipaemia, a preventable blood condition that occurs in burros who have suddenly stopped eating — most likely due to stress and an inability to adapt to confinement in this instance, according to a DVM and donkey specialist consulted by AWHC.
  • 6 died from hemorrhaging after gelding, a routine and generally low-risk procedure.
  • The remaining 7 died from causes listed as either: “old age,” “no teeth,” “colic,” or “other”.

These devastating casualties highlight the stress and danger wild, free-roaming animals face in BLM holding facilities, which are often overcrowded and understaffed.

We can’t change what we don’t know about, so exposing these conditions is the first step towards better protections for wild horses and burros on and off the range. Our Investigations Team is determined to end this suffering, but we need supporters like you to help us move forward.

Please make a donation of any amount you can — we can’t let these innocent animals die in the dark or in vain.

POWER OUR WORK

Thank you for choosing to be a part of this mission, Meredith. It means so much to us, and everything to them.

— American Wild Horse Campaign

[[Red Alert]] The Teddy Roosevelt wild horses need your help now

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have an urgent opportunity for you to speak up for the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses. Take action now to protect them!

We just received word that tomorrow, Thursday, February 9, the North Dakota Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will meet to hear SCR 4014, a state resolution that urges the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve this cherished wild horse herd. 

As you know, the NPS is currently considering a management plan that would result in the severe reduction or total eradication of these mustangs. The Governor has already spoken out against this plan and the legislature is now following suit!

Here’s where you can help: You can provide written and/or in-person testimony that will be considered for the record. In addition to including any personal stories you may have about the horses and their importance, here are some talking points that you might consider when sending in your testimony in support of SCR 4014:

  1. Wild horses are integral to the scenery, native wildlife, and wilderness qualities of the Park – the landscape that inspired President Theordore Roosevelt and still inspires visitors today.
  2. The horses in the Park are descendants of the original Badland horses with historical lineages that trace all the way back to the horses surrendered by Sitting Bull in the late 1800s.
  3. The Teddy Roosevelt horses are North Dakota’s only wild horse herd and should be protected as such.
  4. The Teddy Roosevelt herd must be kept at at a minimum of 150 horses in order to ensure a genetically viable herd.
  5. SCR 4014 will help support ecotourism and business development in North Dakota by protecting the horses.
  6. SCR 4014 is consistent with the wishes of 80 percent of Americans who want wild horses protected.
  7. If the horses are removed, I will not spend tourism dollars in the state.
  8. Vote YES on SCR 4014 to support humane, scientifically recommended methods of managing these wild horses on the public lands they call home.

SUBMIT YOUR TESTIMONY

Thank you for speaking up for wild horses, 

The AWHC Team

Tell the BLM: Don’t Roundup the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including: an opportunity to speak up for the the McCullough Peaks wild horse herd in Wyoming, an update on our battle to protect the Theodore Roosevelt wild horses in North Dakota, and the latest blog from volunteer Deb Sutherland on what’s been going on with some of our favorite stallions on Nevada’s Virginia Range.

Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>

ACT NOW: McCullough Peaks Wild Stallion, Washakie’s Herd is in Danger

Several mustangs stand grazing in a field

Photo by Sandy Sisti

Meet Washakie, a famed wild stallion who lives in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) outside of Cody, Wyoming. Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled a plan to remove more than half of his herd in the fall. Please take a moment to read about Washakie and what would be lost if we don’t take action.

TAKE ACTION

Teddy Roosevelt Wild Horses Garner Political Support

Withers Jr, a dark brown buckskin mustang stands facing the camera

The public comment period may have officially ended, but the battle to protect the Theodore Roosevelt wild horses in North Dakota continues. Advocates fighting for this historic herd are garnering support from state legislators and other officials as they make their case for saving these wild horses. Read more about the growing movement to protect this historic wild horse herd.

READ MORE

New Beginnings on Nevada’s Virginia Range

Many burros stand crowded in an enclosure

Photo by Deb Sutherland

It’s a new year on Nevada’s Virginia Range, which brings new beginnings for many of the wild horse bands that call the range home, including well-known stallions Will and Shaggy’s band.⁠ Take a moment to read the latest blog from volunteer Deb Sutherland, and don’t forget to sign up for the Pinto Post while you’re at it!

READ MORE

Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros!

— AWHC Team

Introducing our OFFICIAL 2023 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card…

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’re grateful for the generous donations supporters like you provide to AWHC year after year. As one of our most dedicated advocates, we wanted to make sure you received your virtual copy of our 2023 AWHC Member Card.

So here it is… Introducing our OFFICIAL 2023 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card:

We have so much in store for 2023. Not only are we continuing our fight on the Hill, in courts, and in the field — we’re also working on a number of groundbreaking new initiatives — all in the name of keeping wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong. 

We’re laser-focused on our mission to preserve the freedom of wild mustangs and burros. That means in 2023, we are: 

✅ Proving through our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range that humane, in-the-wild management works,
✅ AND expanding our fertility control programs to other herds across the West;
✅ Continuing our lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline and our legal team is preparing for other upcoming legal battles;
✅ Working with key legislators in Congress to pass wild horse-friendly legislation;
✅ Spreading the word about the threats our cherished wild horses face through our national awareness campaign and celebrity ambassador program;
✅ And so much more!!

Thank you for your support — both past and present. We’re grateful to have you along with us as we head into the new year. 

— American Wild Horse Campaign

Introducing our OFFICIAL 2023 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card…

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

You voted, so here it is (!!) 

Introducing our OFFICIAL 2023 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card:

We have so much in store for 2023. Not only are we continuing our fight on the Hill, in court, and in the field — we’re also working on a number of groundbreaking new initiatives — all in the name of keeping wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong.

Will you renew your support as an AWHC member to help fuel our fight for wild horses and burros in 2023?

We’re laser-focused on our mission to preserve the freedom of wild mustangs and burros. That means in 2023, we are: 

 Proving through our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range that humane, in-the-wild management works,
AND expanding our fertility control programs to other herds across the West;
Continuing our lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption Incentive Program that’s sending horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline and our legal team is preparing for other upcoming legal battles;
Working with key legislators in Congress to pass wild horse-friendly legislation;
Spreading the word about the threats our cherished wild horses face through our national awareness campaign and celebrity ambassador program;
And so much more!!

But to have the means necessary to protect our beloved wild horses and burros for generations to come, we need your help. Will you renew your support as an AWHC member today to help fuel our fight in 2023?

RENEW YOUR 2023 SUPPORT

Thank you for your compassion and generosity.

— American Wild Horse Campaign

LAST CHANCE! Help us pick our Official 2023 AWHC Member Card >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’re announcing the winning design for our Official 2023 American Wild Horse Campaign Member Card THIS FRIDAY!Make sure to cast your vote now and have a say in our final 2023 member card design! >>

A 2023 AWHC Member Card is *the perfect way* to show off your dedication to protecting America’s wild herds. 

Will you cast your vote before it’s too late and let us know which of our 2023 card designs is your favorite?

CAST YOUR VOTE

A brown mustang faces the camera. The card reads "2023 Member"
Option #1

A herd stands grazing in the sunset. The card reads "GIVING THEM A VOICE"
Option #2

2 horses run in a field. The card reads "2023 Member"
Option #3

North Dakota’s only wild horse herd is at risk of being *totally* eliminated. ACT NOW >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The wild horses who call North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park home are in serious danger. The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing a plan that could potentially eliminate the historic herd in its entirety.

Currently, the park is home to at least 186 wild horses. The Teddy Roosevelt horses have roamed the badlands for centuries, and many believe they are descendants of Sitting Bull’s horses and are related to the rare Nokota breed. They are a significant part of the historical and natural heritage of the park and are the only wild horse herd in North Dakota, but the NPS’ new plan threatens to wipe them out. 

We cannot allow this plan to move forward.Thankfully, there is still time to stop it. The NPS is accepting public comments on the plan until January 31st – meaning we have two weeks to provide our input. Will you use your voice and call on the NPS to abandon its disastrous plan?

TAKE ACTION

Currently, the agency’s preferred plan is to reduce the wild horse population to zero in a phased approach. This is unacceptable. These horses deserve to be protected. 

The NPS must implement ​​a humane management plan to keep these innocent animals wild and free on the lands they have called home for centuries. If you agree, sign on to this letter and make your voice heard!

TAKE ACTION

Thank you,

AWHC Team

Help us pick our Official 2023 AWHC Member Card >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Can you help us pick our 2023 AWHC Member Card?

We’re asking dedicated American Wild Horse Campaign supporters like you to cast your vote and help us select our Official 2023 AWHC Member Card design!

 

A brown mustang faces the camera. The card reads "2023 Member"

Option #1

A herd stands grazing in the sunset. The card reads "GIVING THEM A VOICE"

Option #2

2 horses run in a field. The card reads "2023 Member"

Option #3

A 2023 AWHC Member Card is a great way to show off your dedication to protecting America’s wild herds.Will you cast your vote and let us know which design is your favorite?

VOTE NOW

We’ll be announcing the winner soon!

— American Wild Horse Campaign

ACT NOW: Protect the Wild Horses of the Teddy Roosevelt National Park!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s eNews, including:an opportunity to take action to protect a wild herd that calls the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota home, an introduction to Withers Jr., one of the Virginia Range’s beloved stallions, and an inside look at a recent rescue that saved 22 burros from slaughter!

Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds! >>

Speak Up for the Wild Horses of the Teddy Roosevelt National Park

Several mustangs stand grazing in a field

Photo: National Park Service

The historic wild horses that live in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota are currently stuck in the crosshairs of the National Park Service and need your help. Right now, the agency is considering three management proposals that will determine whether or not the Teddy Roosevelt horses will have a future on the lands they have called home for centuries. Please take one moment to speak up for these beloved mustangs.

TAKE ACTION

Meet the Mustang: Withers Jr., a Nevada Stallion

Withers Jr, a dark brown buckskin mustang stands facing the camera

Photo: Deb Sutherland

Meet Withers Jr., an incredible Nevada stallion! When AWHC volunteer Deb Sutherland first saw him on the Virginia Range in 2017, he was just a tiny newborn colt walking next to his mother. Fast forward to today → He is the proud lead stallion of his own band with three beautiful mares to protect!

READ MORE

ICYMI: A Holiday Rescue of 22 Burros

Many burros stand crowded in an enclosure

Last month, we received word from California-based, Auction Horses Rescue (AHR) that a load of 22 donkeys – mostly BLM burros, many pregnant – were being directly shipped to slaughter. In a collaborative effort between AWHC, AHR, Skydog Sanctuary and Oscar’s Place, these burros are now safe.

READ MORE

Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros!

— AWHC Team

 

Time is running out

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Time is running out.

I’ll keep this quick: In just a few short hours, our biggest fundraising opportunity of the year — unlocking a $150,000 matching gift — expires. We’re still $24,312 from reaching our goal, and I’m worried that for the first time ever, we may not get there.

Together, we can ensure that our work in 2023 gets off to the strongest start possible; with funding for our ambitious legal, legislative, and field program goals.

Can you chip in whatever you can afford — one last time in 2022 before it’s too late?

I can’t wait to see what we achieve together for our wild horses and burros in the year ahead. If it’s anything like the momentum we’ve experienced this year, we have a lot to be hopeful about. Thank you for all that you’ve done to power our movement in 2022.

Together, we’ve accomplished so much, so I want to share with you a video our team put together highlighting some of our 2022 victories. We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to do and are so grateful for your belief in our work, Meredith.

Will you take a moment to watch and then make a 2X matched donation to help us finish the year off strong?

A thumbnail of the 2022 recap video with a play button

WATCH & DONATE →

On behalf of our whole team, thank you for your compassion and dedication to protecting wild horses and burros. We wish you and your family a peaceful and healthy New Year.

For the wild ones,

Suzanne, a white woman with brown hair stands wearing sunglasses and a "stay wild" hat

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

BREAKING NEWS: The BLM is coming for Wyoming’s wild horses >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We just received word that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has denied our legal protest against a plan in Wyoming that would result in the largest-ever eradication of federally protected wild horses and their habitat. 

That means it’s game on.

We have given our attorney’s the green-light to begin preparing litigation for what could be the most important legal battle for wild horses in history, with implications for ALL herds across the West. Can you rush a donation before tonight’s Year-End deadline to fuel our Legal Fund for the fight ahead in 2023?

The BLM’s plan calls for the complete elimination of 2.1 million acres of wild horse habitat in Wyoming and the complete eradication of two iconic wild horse herds. Statewide, 43% of all wild horse habitat would be eliminated and the entire wild horse population in Wyoming — which currently totals less than 5,000 — would be slashed by one-third. 

In addition to zeroing out the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin HMAs, the BLM’s plan will reduce the population in the neighboring Adobe Town HMA by half. In total, over 1,000 wild Wyoming mustangs are stuck in the BLM’s crosshairs. If they survive brutal helicopter roundups, they will be confined within the BLM’s holding system, which is riddled with animal welfare violations and disease outbreaks.

Who is at stake: the Salt Wells Creek wild horses.
Photo: Kimerlee Curyl Photography

We have less than 12 hours until our year-end fundraising deadline and we still have a ways to go to hit our $150,000 goal. We now have even more urgency to meet this deadline as this lawsuit could cost upwards of $100,000, and we know we have a long battle ahead. 

Right now, we are tracking at $112,431 of the way to our goal — $37,569 short of where we need to be to finish out strong. Any donation you make today will be DOUBLED in our fight to protect Wyoming’s wild horses. Donate now and make 2X the impact for wild horses and burros in 2023. >>

$25 becomes → $50

$50 becomes → $100

$100 becomes → $200

$500 becomes → $1,000

$1,000 becomes → $2,000

We know we’re asking for a lot during this last week of the year. But it’s because the stakes have never been higher, and we need the resources to keep the fight going. The plan in Wyoming sets a dangerous precedent for private landowners and public land ranchers to dictate whether federally-protected wild horses will be allowed to live in their designated habitats and threatens to undermine federal protections for all wild horses and burros across the West. 

But we’re not backing down. We’re committed to fighting back against this disastrous plan from every possible angle, but we need your help to keep us battling in court and on Capitol Hill. We’re just HOURS away from the opportunity to unlock our $150,000 match before we close the books in 2022. Can you make a donation right now to help us unlock this HUGE matching gift opportunity?

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT →

Thanks so much.

— American Wild Horse Campaign

$30 to keep them free as nature intended

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The cost to vaccinate a single mare with a PZP vaccine is just $30. 

But instead of utilizing this proven, safe, and cost-effective method of keeping wild horses in balance with the environment, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to brutally round up our wild horses and burros in deadly helicopter chases.

Humane fertility control programs keep wild horses wild, while the roundups sentence tens of thousands to a life of captivity, depriving them of the two things they value most: family and freedom. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, thousands of these beloved animals are entering the slaughter pipeline through the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). We have exposed the extent of the problem through our ongoing investigation into the AIP, and theNew York Times exposed the situation in an explosive report based on our work.  

On Nevada’s Virginia Range, where a population of state-managed wild mustangs is threatened by habitat loss, we’ve operated the largest PZP fertility program for wild horses in the world for almost 4 years – and Meredith, our work there is paying off. 

Our PZP program has reduced foaling rates by 62% while allowing these animals to remain free as nature intended. This success is helping us prove to lawmakers and to the BLM that there is a better, more humane, and cost-effective alternative to the agency’s current approach to managing our wild horse populations. 

So today, on December 30th, I’m asking you personally to donate $30 or more to support our PZP program and allow us to expand humane management to other herds in the West. Thanks to generous donors, every gift made now through tomorrow at midnight will be doubled — that means your $30 gift today helps not one, but two horses!Can you help us fuel this groundbreaking program in the new year?

DONATE $30 →

Thanks,

Suzanne, a white woman with brown hair stands wearing sunglasses and a "stay wild" hat

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

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