I know that the video below of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) recent roundup in Utah will make you as angry as I am, and as committed to fighting for change.
Terrified wild horses stampeded by helicopters into trap pens. An innocent mare and foal chased relentlessly by the helicopter before being trapped and separated forever. The tiny foal now confined in a muddy BLM pen, never to see his mother again.
The BLM helicopters are taking a break right now for foaling season (March-June), but we aren’t.
AWC is fighting initiatives in states like Utah that want to “harvest” wild horses as “protein resources” by slaughtering them, challenging — and defeating — rancher-led lawsuits seeking the removal of tens of thousands of wild horses and burros from western public lands, and lobbying on Capitol Hill to block efforts to kill the 46,000 wild horses and burros in holding facilities either directly by lifting the slaughter ban, or through the back door, by transferring captured animals to state and local agencies.
Are you with us?
I just returned from Washington, and I cannot stress to you enough how important this work is. Both lawmakers and agency officials know that the public will not stand for the slaughter of our national icons. It’s clear that we, collectively, are the line that stands between our wild horses and burros and mass roundups and slaughter.
This Congress and Administration will make decisions in the coming months that will determine the future for wild horses and burros for decades to come. Can we count on you to sustain this fight at this very critical time?
Thank you — we could not do this work without you!
The fight over the future of America’s wild horses and burros will take place in Washington, DC this year as the Administration charts a new course for the Department of the Interior and Congress funds the government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2017 and for Fiscal Year 2018. As an American citizen and taxpayer, YOU have both the right and ability to weigh in to influence these decisions. When it comes to your elected officials in DC, YOU – as a constituent – are the best lobbyist for protecting wild horses and burros from mass roundups and slaughter.
Click below to learn how to best wield your power and get started today!
Registration is now open for the AHC’s 2017 Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum. Registration information, along with a tentative schedule and link to make room reservations is available on the AHC website Events tab . New this year, the AHC is offering discounted registration for those who register before April 15th!
The theme of the National Issues Forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, will be “The Power of Unity,” and will feature keynote speaker Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association. The Issues Forum will feature two panels: a Research Panel and a Youth Panel.
The Research Panel will be moderated by Allyn Mann of Luitpold Animal Health and will feature researchers from AQHA, AAEP, Grayson Jockey, Horses & Humans, and Colorado State University. The panel will focus on why research is important to our industry, and some of the research they have recently completed that is transforming the industry.
The Youth Leader Panel will be moderated by Julie Broadway & Dannette McGuire of the American Youth Horse Council and will include youth leaders from Arabian Horse Youth Association, Harness Horse Youth Foundation, US Pony Club, AMHA and AQHA. They will focus on what their respective organizations are doing to engage youth and give attendees some insight as to what the industry should be doing in order to remain relevant to the younger generation.
The AHC will also provide an overview of its new Strategic Plan, and Tom Zitt of the Innovation Group will give attendees an update on the progress of the 2017 Economic Impact Study. Two members of Congress have also been invited to speak on why the horse industry means so much to them and what we can do to ensure it remains successful and thriving. Finally, in a new part to the Issues Forum, breakout group discussions will take place at the end of the presentations with various topics being discussed.
The AHC’s Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum is the only meeting where every single segment of the equine industry meets! We hope you will take advantage of the discounted registration if you register before April 15th.
Recently, President Trump issued several executive orders relating to increased immigration enforcement and border security. These actions will impact many employers, including those in the racing and showing segments of the horse industry, even those that rely on legal foreign workers.
For many years horse farms, horse shows, trainers and others have had difficulty recruiting American workers. This has forced many to rely on foreign workers and utilize both the H-2B non-agricultural and H-2A agricultural temporary foreign worker programs to meet their labor needs even though these programs are often extremely burdensome to use. Additionally, many of the workers employed in the industry may lack legal status.
Most foreign workers in the industry are directly responsible for the care of the horses upon which the entire horse industry is dependent. Without these workers to raise, train, and care for the industry’s horses, many other jobs held by Americans not only in the horse industry, but also supported by the horse industry will be in jeopardy.
Generally speaking, increased enforcement, increased competition for legal workers and greater demand for H-2B and H-2A workers will make it more difficult for horse industry employers to fill many positions.
Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) has reintroduced the Horse Protection Amendments Act (H.R. 1338). This is the exact same bill DesJarlais introduced last year to amend the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The bill would create a single Horse Industry Organization (HIO) that would be responsible for enforcement of the HPA. This bill is opposed by the AHC.
The HPA was enacted in 1970 and prohibits the showing, sale, or transport of a horse that has been sored. Soring is an abusive practice used by some horse trainers in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Spotted Saddle Horse, and Racking Horse industry to intentionally cause pain in a horse’s forelegs and produce an accentuated show gait for competition.
The AHC opposes the DesJarlais bill because it would not reduce the prevalence of soring in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Spotted Saddle Horse, and Racking Horse industry and does not address most of the issues raised in a USDA Office of Inspector General Report on the HPA enforcement program. In fact it could exacerbate the situation by placing responsibility for enforcement of the HPA more firmly in the hands of a walking horse-controlled HIO.
The bill has 9 co-sponsors; Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), John Duncan (R-TN), Marsh Blackburn (R-TN), Hal Rogers (R-KY), Diane Black (R-TN), Andy Barr (R-KY), David Roe(R-TN), James Comer (R-KY) and Bret Guthrie (R-KY).
The AHC continues to support the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act (PAST Act) that would strengthen the HPA and prevent the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, and Racking Horses.
Please visit our fundraising auction page to see the directions for bidding and pictures of all the great items and services that are up for auction!
Thanks in advance for your participation. The auction generates a lot of interest (and competitive bidding!), and the proceeds allow us to carry out our mission of helping donkeys and mules in need. In 2016 we placed 40 long ears – a new record!
In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) issued a new regulation to redefine “Waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Trump administration has announced it will instruct the EPA and the Corps to review and reconsider the 2015 rule known as the Waters of the United States rule or WOTUS. The rule was opposed by the American Horse Council (AHC) and other agricultural groups.
The CWA regulates discharges of pollutants into navigable rivers and lakes, collectively known as “Waters of the U.S.” The 2015 rule redefined “Waters of the U.S.,” in a manner that significantly expanded the waters subject to the requirements of the CWA. The CWA includes exemptions for agriculture, however the AHC and other agricultural groups had serious concerns regarding the 2015 rule and the AHC believed it could negatively impact horse farms, ranches and racetracks in all parts of the country.
During the original comment period, the AHC asked the EPA and Corp to withdrawal the rule in its entirety and supported Congressional efforts to block the rule. The AHC supports the decision to review and reconsider the 2015 rule.
Where can you find people involved in every segment of the equine world working together to advance our industry? How can you find out what projects and initiatives are being worked on in every corner of the equine industry?
The answer: the American Horse Council’s (AHC) Annual Meeting & National Issues Forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health! Save the Date on your calendars for June 11-14, 2017 at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC.
“Even if you are not a member of the American Horse Council, we encourage anyone involved in the industry to try to attend our Annual Meeting and Issues Forum,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “This is the only meeting where every segment of the industry gets together to discuss issues of importance to not only their respective fields, but to the industry as a whole.”
Monday will see committee meetings for the 5 committees the AHC has: Animal Welfare, Horse Show, Health & Regulatory, Recreation, and Racing. “Anyone is welcome to attend any committee meeting they like until they go into executive session. In fact, we encourage people to attend as many as they can to get an idea of what the AHC is working on within each committee,” said Ms. Broadway.
Monday will also spotlight the Van Ness Award, which is given to a member of a State Horse Council who has shown leadership and service to the horse community in his or her state.
The theme of the National Issues Forum (NIF) on Tuesday will be “The Power of Unity,” and will feature keynote speaker Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which is the national umbrella organization representing all segments of travel in America. “The U.S. Travel Association works to engage, connect and inform the travel industry,” said Mr. Dow, “similar to how the AHC seeks to inform and engage all segments of the equine industry. Although different in the types of businesses we work with, the AHC and the Travel Association are similar in that we both encourage working together to advance the industry.”
Additionally, a panel of researchers from the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, AAEP Foundation, AQHA Foundation, Horses & Humans Research Foundation, and Colorado State University’s Temple Grandin Equine Center will discuss the importance of research for the industry, as well as any research they have done and its significance. Allyn Mann, of Lutipold Animal Health, will be the moderator for the panel.
The Innovation Group will also provide a progress report on the update of the National Economic Impact Study- of which its findings are certainly highly anticipated. The AHC will also present its new strategic plan to give attendees an idea of what the AHC will be undertaking in the years ahead.
At the conclusion of the Issues Forum, breakout sessions will be set up to allow groups to have further discussion about topics they found particularly interesting.
Please check theEvents tab on the AHC website where a tentative schedule, room reservation information, and more will be posted there in the upcoming weeks.
The February doldrums are upon us, and at Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue, we have a full house of donkeys and mules snuggled down in beds of fluffy shavings with piles of hay keeping them warm and cozy as they wait for new homes. In the meantime, the humans of Save Your Ass are keeping busy with their care, as well as planning our 2017 fundraisers to support the rescue in the upcoming year.
Our next event, which is guaranteed to bring some fun into the dark days of winter, is the annual Cabin Fever Online Auction which will be held from March 5th to March 12th on our special Facebook Auction page. We are reaching out to you to ask if you would consider donating an item to this 2017 event. Over the years we’ve auctioned off a little bit of everything – travel, art, handcrafted items, services, gift certificates, produce, baked goods, clothing, equine items, animal training, collectibles, household items – you name it! We welcome and appreciate all donations, large, medium or small.
The auction generates a lot of interest (and competitive bidding!), and the proceeds allow us to carry out our mission of helping donkey and mules in need. In 2016 we placed 40 long ears – a new record!
If you are interested in making a donation of any kind, please email Joan Gemme with the following information.
Deadline for donation submission is February 28.
Item Name
Short description
Donor Name
Website (if applicable)
Donor email
Item Value (including a rough shipping cost)
Opening Bid
Please attach a photo, logo, or any other image that will appear with your item. As in the past, we request that the donors be willing to arrange shipping, delivery or pickup of their item to the winning bidder.
We have had a busy start to the new year here at the rescue. Lots of new animals have joined the herd. They will all be brought up to date on their vaccinations, get a clean bill of health from our veterinarian, then you will see them available for adoption on our website.
All of the animals have been wonderfully healthy and have been getting through the winter just fine… until last Sunday morning. When I looked out the window, cup of coffee in hand, just observing the mules hanging out across the driveway in the paddock closest to the house I noticed that my favorite rescue mule Slick was holding a hind leg up. He put it down and lifted his other hind leg, put that down and did the same with both front legs, then back to lifting the hind legs again. This was not normal. I bundled up and went out to check on him to find him shaking and unwilling to move.
It took me quite a while to get him into a stall where I was able to check his vitals. Other than a slightly elevated temperature, all vitals were fine, no digital pulses, but something was very wrong.
We are very fortunate to have VT/NH Veterinary hospital’s doctors to work with our animals. Dr. Lea Warner came out to examine Slick and draw blood. Slick was very foot sore. I was advised to make Styrofoam pads for his feet and keep him in a deeply bedded stall. He was started on medication for the pain and Dr. Warner started a course of five days of IV antibiotics.
By Tuesday, day three of his IV injections, Slick was feeling much better. He was being given his injection by Dr. Ted Johnson who said “Slick is a wonderful little mule that appears to be dealing with a tick borne arthropathy that is responding to anti-inflammatory and tetracycline therapy. He has blood work pending and will continue his therapy as long as he continues to improve without adverse drug reactions eg. diarrhea.”
So sweet Slick has completed his IV injections, and started on a five week regimen of oral antibiotics; 14 pills twice a day!!! This whole ordeal is going to be quite spendy; we are looking at about $100 a day for the five days of farm calls and IV injections and exam. The minocycline is not cheap and we are going to need 980 pills! Slick is one of the sweetest mules I have ever met. He is the one that meets me with a “whicker” the word I use to describe the sound he makes when saying hello, every morning. He is the one that comes up and drops his head so anyone near will give him some scratches and love. He is more like a dog than a mule in terms of wanting to be with his “peeps”. He is so deserving of all the help we can give to him.
We have taken in a mini mule that is an 11 on a cuteness scale of 1 to 10. We’re calling him Mighty Mouse and he is as cute as a bug’s ear. He came in with his bestie Garnet, a full sized, pretty and sweet, red mule.
This past Monday night our dear friend Lorraine Smith of Sun Dew Saves, and 24 Carrot Equine Transport delivered four donkeys that a group of thoughtful, kind people “bailed” from Camelot Sale Barn and paid to get them here. They were very frightened, but all appear to be generally healthy. They have settled in nicely and we have started working to get to know them.
Between getting the two new mules and the four donkeys brought up to date on their vaccinations, having them get a thorough vet exam, teeth floated if needed and hooves trimmed, in addition to the costs incurred by Slick, we sure would appreciate any financial support you can offer.
I hope by the time the next newsletter comes out I will have good news to report on Slick and all the new additions.
If you have already taken our strategic planning survey, thank you very much! We know you are busy, as we appreciate the time you took to give us your feedback. As such, you may disregard this email.
This is a FINAL reminder that we would greatly appreciate 15 minutes of your time to complete a survey to aid in the American Horse Council’s upcoming Strategic Planning workshop. The information gathered in this survey will be used by the board and leadership to help identify key focus areas and priorities.
Please note, responses are completely confidential and will not be linked back to any individual. All responses are due back by Monday,February 20th. We appreciate your time, feedback and insights!
The wind is blowing the frozen snow and the roads are covered in ice. The temperature has been -18 degrees wind chill factor and conditions are brutal. However, the good news is that more horses are going out today, and even more are scheduled to leave in the next week or so.
Your donations have purchased another $1100 in milk products for the 6 babies back at Chilly Pepper. Another $1000 to pull 4 more horses (transport, vetting etc.) this last week and yesterday it was over $550 for medical supplies. This was for medicine used for the babies and for horses in need of meds at this time.
We purchased over $5000 worth of panels and had previously purchased $4200 worth. The $4200 was specifically donated by a wonderful woman named Sara, thanks to Elaine Nash and Fleet of Angels.
It sounds like a lot of panels, but unfortunately even with the additional panels purchased by Fleet of Angels, we are still substantially short. A great number of the panels purchased for this rescue are being used to cover up very dangerous fencing so we can safely sort without horses being torn up.
I know God put this in front of us, so we are here, but sometimes it is just really hard. Even though we did not cause the situation, we are the ones who have to listen to the stallions and mares screaming for each other. We are the ones in the middle of the stallion fights and due to the lack of gelding, there are so many more in small areas than is normal. We are also dealing with horses with long standing injuries and we are the ones separating the families.
Unfortunately we are not able to stay in the trailer on the property this time, so there are food and lodging expenses, as well as many miscellaneous expenses. We have had to purchase lots of rope to tie the panels together, hardware for fixing dangerous situations and the list goes on and on. Many of the expenses are small, but they do add up. Hay prices are rising due to the extreme winter, and the initial budget was $250,000. At the same time these costs are being incurred to secure these 500+ horses their forever home, our rescue still has it’s normal expenses, with the additional “ranch hand costs.
But we will get this done with your help. Y’all have been amazing, and saved so many lives already. With the 30 that have already gone out, TOGETHER WE HAVE SAVED OVER 300 LIVES – JUST SINCE OCTOBER. THANK YOU!!
P.S. If you have donated via a check and it hasn’t cleared quickly, please understand we are stuck here in South Dakota and even when we can get mail forwarded we are hours away from a bank, and we normally work straight through, 7 days a week. There were also several pieces of mail that were lost from around October. We just received them. If you are worried about a donation, please call me at 530 339 1458. Thank you!
Veterinarians must know how to properly document findings and avoid destroying evidence while still putting the horse’s welfare first.
How a veterinarian goes about examining and treating allegedly abused horses can mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful case against the owner. He or she must know how to properly document all findings and avoid destroying evidence while still putting the horse’s welfare first.
Nicole Eller, DVM, a Minnesota-based field shelter veterinarian with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Field Investigations and Response team, described the veterinarian’s unique role in animal crime scene investigations during her presentation at the 2016 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Orlando, Florida.
First, she reviewed the basics of evidence identification, collection, and preservation. “Evidence is generally defined as anything that can demonstrate or disprove a fact in contention,” said Eller. In equine abuse investigations, this can include anything from photos of a horse’s injuries or body condition to the moldy hay in his feeder.
Veterinarians must view these cases through the lens of someone looking for and collecting evidence. As the equine expert, the veterinarian will recognize key pieces of evidence that other investigators might overlook.
Eller then described the four phases of processing an animal crime scene.
Phase 1: Document the condition of the facility or farm upon arrival
The area will most likely have already been secured by law enforcement and documented via photos and video by the time the veterinarian arrives on the scene.
Phase 2: Document each animal and its environment
The veterinarian will conduct what Eller called “critical triage” during the initial walk-through of the property.
“Critical triage is a rapid visual sorting of animals for treatment priority,” she said. “It’s done to identify animals in immediate need of medical care.”
The practitioner should classify horses needing immediate care as “red animals.” Eller said this might include horses with open fractures, seizures, hemorrhaging, etc.
“Document everything as fast as possible before treating, because the live animal is evidence, and treatment alters evidence,” she said.
After caring for the red animals, Eller said the veterinarian should perform a second walk-through and color-code the remaining animals as yellow (in need of treatment before transport), green (ready for transport), or blue (exhibiting signs of infectious disease).
“Given how horses are typically housed, if one has infectious disease, they may all have it,” said Eller. “But if a few are obviously infectious, you would want to handle them last and have an isolation area set up at the clinic or place where the horses are being transported.”
Once the horses have been documented and tended to, then it’s time to document their living conditions and environment. “Demonstrate how that environment may have directly affected the animal,” she said, including taking photographs or directing the person who is.
Any dead horses, carcasses, or skeletal remains on the property must also be catalogued as physical evidence. Once all horses have been removed from the property, the veterinarian should perform a more thorough documentation of the living space. Note the dimensions of each enclosure or shelter as well as how many horses shared each space, said Eller. Take mid-range and close-up photos of “any receptacles, presence or lack of good and water, quality of food and water, shelter and fence construction and possible hazards, feces, and urine,” she added.
The February doldrums are upon us, and at the Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue, we have a full house of donkeys and mules snuggled down in beds of fluffy shavings with piles of hay keeping them warm and cozy, as they wait for new homes. In the meantime, the humans of SYALER are keeping busy with their care, as well as planning our 2017 fundraisers to support the rescue in the upcoming year.
Our next event, which is guaranteed to bring some fun into the dark days of winter, is the annual Cabin Fever Online Auction which will be held from March 5-12 on our special Facebook Auction page. We are reaching out to you to ask if you would consider donating an item to our 2017 event. Over the years we’ve auctioned off a little bit of everything—travel, art, handcrafted items, services, gift certificates, produce, baked goods, clothing, equine items, animal training, collectibles, household items—you name it! We welcome and appreciate all donations—large, medium or small.
The auction generates a lot of interest (and competitive bidding!), and the proceeds allow us to carry out our mission of helping donkey and mules in need. In 2016 we placed 40 long ears—a new record!
If you are interested in making a donation of any kind, please respond to this email with the following information. As in the past, we request that the donors be willing to arrange shipping, delivery or pickup of their item to the winning bidder.
Deadline for donation submission is February 28.
Item Name
Short description
Donor Name
Website (if applicable)
Donor email
Item Value (including a rough shipping cost)
Opening Bid
Please attach a photo, logo, or any other image that will appear with your item.
Feel free to contact me with any questions, either through email or at 413-559-8414, evenings.
The report from Julie Girling MEP sets out to stop the abuse of horses across Europe and ensure their welfare is catered for.
Major steps to halt the abuse and cruel exploitation of horses and donkeys, set out in a report from British MEP Julie Girling, were approved this week by a key committee of the European Parliament.
The package of measures for equine welfare received the approval of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on Wednesday (January 25).
“We are on our way to a better deal for donkeys and horses. Cruelty and neglect is a problem across the continent and we must tackle it,” Mrs Girling declared.
The report sets out to stop the abuse of horses across Europe and ensure their welfare is catered for, whether they are used in farming or sport, for breeding or in tourism and entertainment.
Measures include:
Comprehensive guides on horse and donkey care, including responsible breeding and end of life care;
Better information for tourists on how animals are treated by attractions such as rides and sideshows;
Increased inspections of farms;
A pilot project awarding funding to farms committed to good welfare practices;
A shorter maximum journey time for all movements of horses for slaughter.
Mrs Girling, Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, said: “Horses and humans have been best friends for thousands of years.
“Responsible ownership and care of horses should always be expected as a minimum but given the number of health and welfare problems faced by Europe’s horses and donkeys today, it is clear that it is too often neglected. Action is therefore not only necessary, but also overdue.”
She continued: “This is an important first step to ensuring fully that welfare is sufficiently upheld. The report does seek additional legislation. I want to improve and strengthen the rules that already exist and to tackle ignorance through putting together guidance based on best practice across Europe.
“It is in everyone’s interest for the animals involved in these businesses to be healthy and productive. Many of the measures I propose are simple to introduce but would make a big difference to both the welfare of equines and their economic potential. It is a win-win for all involved.”
The measures include better information for tourists on how animals are treated by attractions
The EU equine sector is worth more than £80 billion a year and the equestrian sports industry alone supports 900,000 jobs, often in rural areas.
The report is expected to be considered by a full session of the European Parliament in March. If approved, it will be passed to the European Commission with a recommendation for action.
KEALAKEKUA — Loneliness isn’t just a human phenomenon. Its existence has been well documented throughout the animal kingdom, from elephants to primates to canines.
It’s even prevalent with donkeys, the beasts of burden that served a fundamental function in the development of the coffee industry on Hawaii Island.
Just this week, perhaps the island’s most famous donkey — Charlie, the 30-year-old pack animal who has spent the better part of the last 15 years as a staple of the Kona Coffee Living History Farm — finally found himself a friend to share the load.
The Kona Historical Society, which operates the farm, announced Tuesday that its crowd funding campaign, “Charlie Needs a Bestie,” had resulted in the donation of a 6-month old donkey.
“We used to joke his only friends were chickens,” said Gavin Miculka, assistant program director at the Kona Historical Society.
“And those chickens were kind of selfish friends, because they’d just come around when he was eating and steal all of his food,” added Carolyn Lucas-Zenk, volunteer coordinator and development associate with the society. “He’s getting old in age. We wanted him to have a friend. Wouldn’t everybody want a friend instead of being here lonely, by yourself, with some selfish chickens?”
The new animal, yet to be named, won’t just fill a long-existing void in Charlie’s personal life, but will also one day take over demonstration duties at the farm, during which visitors are offered a glimpse of how the coffee industry operated in Kona during the first half of the 20th century.
The new companion was donated by Gary Yamagata, a fourth-generation Kona coffee farmer at Yamagata Farms, which was started in 1898.
Yamagata said he offered the young donkey to help preserve historical authenticity at the only living history coffee museum in the United States.
“Donkeys played an important role in the setting up of the coffee industry years ago,” he said. “That was our main way of packing the coffee from the field to the point where it could be taken to the mill.”
Yamagata made the donation on Dec. 27, 2016, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that the two donkeys finally met.
Miculka described the new friends’ first interaction as a heartwarming affair.
“When we unloaded the donkey, Charlie’s ears went up. When we brought her over to him, he was very curious,” Miculka said. “It was really cute just watching them nuzzle each other, nose to nose.”
The crowd funding campaign began in December of 2015 and raised just shy of $10,000 from more than 90 donors around the world. Those donations and help from dozens of volunteers made possible upgrades to the farm that were necessary to accommodate Charlie’s new pal. Work included clearing land of weeds and invasive plants, some tree removal, and the purchase and installation of new fencing.
“In order to make that happen, the community completely stepped up and helped us out a lot,” Lucas-Zenk said.
She added the farm has a special place in the hearts of many residents, who came as children and have returned in recent years with kids of their own in tow, either as parents or teachers. Many of them remember Charlie from their first trips to the farm.
The site is also visited by travelers from across the globe, Miculka said.
To help keep the experience authentic for everyone who makes the jaunt to the farm, Charlie will serve as a mentor to the new donkey, showing her the ropes until one day, she takes over some of the demonstrative duties he now struggles with in his advanced age.
The final step in the process is naming the new donkey. Because the community was so crucial in making this new friendship possible, Miculka and Lucas-Zenk said they want the public to participate in the naming process as well.
Anyone interested is invited to suggest possible names, which can be submitted until Sunday on the society’s Facebook page.
After that, a committee from the Kona Historical Society will select the top few names, which will be announced on its Facebook page, as well as at the farm and on the society’s website — www.konahistorical.org.
Voting requires a $1 donation, which can be paid at the farm or on the website. The donkey’s name will be officially chosen on March 1. All the money collected will go to care for the donkeys.
“The community was a crucial component in making improvements to our pasture and bringing the second donkey to the farm,” Miculka said. “We’re excited to now have the community play an active role in naming her.”
And Charlie’s excited, too, he added, as Kona’s most famous donkey won’t have to live out any more of his years alone, surrounded only by aloof farm cats and selfish chickens.
This week only…Get your limited edition ‘Keep Wild Horses Wild‘ T-shirt…and support our work! We are thrilled to announce that FLOAT is featuring these T-shirts, and for the next six days, will donate $8 for every shirt sold to the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
SHOP today – there are lots of fun colors and styles to choose from! This is a great way to support our work to Keep Wild Horses Wild and free on the range and look fabulous! Don’t miss this opportunity!
An animal charity has called for a halt to the global donkey skin trade after finding shocking welfare concerns and suffering on a mass scale.
The Donkey Sanctuary has conducted an investigative report into the trade, titled Under The Skin, and has found that as many as 10 million donkeys are at risk.
It is lobbying for an immediate end to the trade until it can be “proven to be sustainable and humane.”
“We have seen reports of donkeys being skinned alive, being bludgeoned to death, being transported for long distances with no opportunity to rest, feed or drink,” said Alex Mayers, the charity’s international program manager.
“The welfare of any donkey, both during and at the end of its life, is paramount and should be the primary concern, as for any food-producing animal.
“Sadly the welfare of donkeys used to produce skins and meat is frequently reported to be ‘severely compromised’ during sourcing, transport and slaughter.”
A rise in demand for ejiao — a traditional Chinese medicine that uses gelatin from the hides — is thought to be behind the hike in the donkey skin trade.
The report, published yesterday (Monday, 30 January), reveals the trade has resulted in an “explosion” in the number of donkeys from Africa, Asia and South America being sourced, stolen and slaughtered for their skins.
It claims that both the illegal and legal trade is resulting in a “chain of welfare issues”.
Burkina Faso and Niger have banned donkey hide exports, and the charity is concerned the huge demand could also have a negative impact on the people who rely on the animals for their livelihoods.
“Donkey populations cannot continue to be decimated and communities must not be deprived of their only means of survival,” said Mike Baker, chief executive of The Donkey Sanctuary.
“Action must be taken now to curb this trade, in the interest of both animal and human welfare.”
The charity is calling for:
A halt to the trade in donkey skins to produce ejiao until its impact can be assessed and shown to be both humane for donkeys and sustainable for the communities that depend on them
Countries affected to ban the slaughter and export of donkeys for their skins
Governments and the industry to help raise public awareness about the impact of this trade so ejiao consumers can make an informed choice
Governments and local authorities to join efforts and support affected communities, protecting them from the illegal trade and preventing the decimation of donkeys through the legal trade
The Bureau of Land Management’s Humboldt River Field Office is accepting public comments on a Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) to manage the federally protected horses and burros in the Blue Wing Complex in Nevada. The Complex, which includes the Kamma Mountains, Seven Troughs Range, the Lava Beds, Blue Wing Mountains, and Shawave HMAs, spans 2,283,300 acres (over 3,500 square miles!). Yet the BLM has set “Appropriate” Management Levels (AMLs) of just 333 to 553 wild horses and 55 to 90 wild burros for this entire area! At the upper population limit, that’s only one horse or burro per 3,551 acres!
The BLM wants to drive the wild horse and burro population down to low AML in 20 years by implementing an unprecedented plan to sterilize 30 percent of these herds using highly controversial procedures that are untested in wild free-roaming horse herds. The BLM’s plan does not disclose when and how many roundups will occur, how many wild horses and burros will be permanently removed, when and how many mares and jennies will be treated with fertility control or spayed, or when and how many stallions and jacks will be gelded.
Now is the time take a stand against this BLM proposal that will expose wild horses and burros to this dangerous experiment that is thinly disguised as a management plan. Please personalize and submit the sample letter below to demand fair treatment of wild horses and burros in Nevada!
Please visit the link below for the opportunity to submit your own letter and stand against this injustice. The comment deadline is February 10, 2017.
For all donations $25 and over, we’ll send your special someone a postcard with the beautiful image above by esteemed wild horse photographer Kimerlee Curyl.
Your support will help fund our legal, legislative and grassroots programs to protect wild horses and burros during this most dangerous time. The threat of mass roundups and slaughter is real. The new Congress and Administration will determine their fate.
Will love save our mustangs? It will, if we harness love into action, because we have the power of the people on our side!
Thank you sincerely and Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at AWHPC. We are so grateful that you are part of our herd… …together we will prevail for our cherished mustangs and burros.