UPDATE: Our new report on the AIP’s slaughter pipeline is grabbing the media’s attention >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Over the past two years, we’ve been working diligently to raise awareness about the deadly consequences of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) – and that work is paying off:
The Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article last month highlighting the findings of our newest report on the slaughter pipeline resulting from the AIP. This program is meant to incentivize the adoption of wild horses and burros and to provide them with a new home, but in reality it has led to over 1,000 of these innocent animals being funneled to slaughter auctions where if not rescued, they are shipped to foreign slaughter plants.
It’s bad enough that these precious horses and burros are subjected to the BLM’s inhumane helicopter roundups and removals, but the agency’s continued operation of a program that is funneling federally-protected animals into the slaughter pipeline is unacceptable. That’s why we are doing everything we can to alert the public to the plight of wild horses → Enter: Our national awareness campaign and our homepage takeover of the Review-Journal!
Last month, we launched our first ever nationwide advertising campaign to ramp up the pressure on the BLM to end cruel helicopter roundups and keep wild horses in the wild where they belong. From Colorado to Oregon, we’ve been hitting the airwaves and engaging folks to urge their members of Congress to stand up for these innocent animals.
And so far, our campaign has been a HUGE success. When Americans learn about the brutal tactics the BLM uses to “manage” our wild horses and burros, they’re shocked, they’re angry, and they are ready to take action. We are so excited that our efforts to raise awareness about the BLM’s mistreatment of wild horses are working, but raising awareness is only one piece of the puzzle.
| POWER OUR WORK → DONATE TODAY! |
Thank you,
AWHC Team
The FY23 roundup season has begun >> Act NOW to protect wild horses and burros
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Any day now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will announce the wild horse and burro herds it is targeting for roundup and removal in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). These helicopter roundups are brutal and traumatizing operations that often result in injury or death.
But the danger does not end there. Once these animals are captured, they become one of the nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros held in the BLM’s holding system — a system that is at its breaking point.
Just this year, the BLM conducted assessments of some of its facilities and Meredith, the results were shocking. On the heels of the deadliest disease outbreak in BLM holding facility history, these assessments showed underfeeding, lack of basic care, and poorly maintained facilities that put animals at a higher risk for injury.
AWHC is taking action to address this crisis and break the silence surrounding the beginning of the BLM’s next roundup season. But we cannot do it alone! Here are three actions you can take NOW to help us change this broken system and support the safety and freedom of our cherished wild horses and burros in FY23:
1) DEMAND BLM ACCOUNTABILITY ON CAWP VIOLATIONS
The BLM has its own assessment standards for holding facilities called the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). Even with this program in place, many holding facilities have been found in violation of these standards. Send a message to the Department of the Interior to demand the BLM actively enforce its own CAWP standards. →
| SEND A MESSAGE |
2) SUPPORT THE WILD HORSE AND BURRO PROTECTION ACT
One of our wild horse champions in Congress, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced legislation this year that would take a stand against the brutality of the BLM’s helicopter roundups: The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act (H.R. 6635). This bill would ban the use of helicopters for capture once and for all. Send a message to your representatives in Congress letting them know you support this legislation and ask them to sign on as a cosponsor. →
| SEND A MESSAGE |
3) CALL ON THE BLM TO MANDATE CAMERA INSTALLATIONS
Often wild horses and burros are chased for miles before our field representatives see them. And even when the helicopter comes into view, the BLM places the observers as far as a mile away from the operation, making it nearly impossible to really see what’s happening. We’re fighting for the passage of Rep. Titus’ legislation to ban the use of helicopters, but so long as these roundups continue, we’re advocating for the installation of cameras on all helicopters used for these operations! Mandating helicopter cameras to record and document roundups will help the public hold the BLM accountable and establish a record of activities most Americans never see. Send a message to the BLM to advocate for camera installations on helicopters. →
| SEND A MESSAGE |
There is a better way to manage wild horses and burros and brutal helicopter roundups are not it. Thanks for taking action.
— AWHC Team
Closing out Animal Remembrance Month by remembering Oriana
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range is proving that there is a humane way to manage wild horses without removing a single animal from their home on western lands. It costs just $30 to dart a mare with the PZP fertility control vaccine — today, on the 30th, will you donate $30 or more to fuel our lifesaving and historic PZP program?
| POWER OUR PZP PROGRAM |
On this last day of World Animal Remembrance Month, we could think of no better way to close things out than by sharing the story of a Nevada mare all of us at the American Wild Horse Campaign fondly remember, Oriana — or who we liked to call: the Queen of the Virginia Range.
Oriana was a mare that embodied everything we continue to fight for. She lived truly wild. Wary of humans, she was quick to move away from those who would approach. She was fast, strong, and incredibly beautiful — her long blonde mane a testament to her majestic nature.
Photo by Deb Sutherland
While we were devastated when Oriana passed in 2020, we took solace in knowing she died free, never to experience a lifetime of holding facilities — or worse.
| DONATE $30 → KEEP WILD HORSES WILD |
For over 3 years, we’ve managed our PZP program on the Virginia Range. This program is the first of its kind, and in those 3 years, it’s helped us reduce foaling rates by 62% — proving to the public, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Congress that there is a more humane AND more cost-effective way to manage wild horses than brutal helicopter roundups and removals.
Wild horses like Oriana thrive in their natural habitats where they can run wild as they’re meant to. And our fertility control program makes that possible. As we pay homage to Oriana’s memory, let us also remember that there are nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros stuck in confinement at BLM holding facilities right now — more than ever before — and thousands more are targeted for removal this upcoming year. There’s a better way to manage wild horses than this cruel cycle, and Meredith, our work in Nevada is proving just that.
The success of our PZP program is critical to the future of our cherished wild herds, and in fact, we’re working to expand our lifesaving program to other herd areas across the West right now.
We owe it to these innocent animals to keep fighting to ensure that they can live out their lives wild and free like Oriana did. A donation towards our PZP Program helps us build and grow these future programs and continue to protect the horses who like Oriana, call the Virginia Range home. So, Meredith, today on the 30th, will you make a donation of $30 or more to power the continued success and expansion of our PZP program so that we can keep wild horses and burros living wild and free where they belong?
| $30.00 >> HELPS 1 HORSE |
| $60.00 >> HELPS 2 HORSES |
| $150.00 >> HELPS 5 HORSES |
| $300.00 >> HELPS 10 HORSES |
| DONATE OTHER > |
The FY22 roundup season is almost over. Here’s what you helped us accomplish,
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
| At the beginning of this year, you recommitted your support to stand alongside us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros. A lot has happened since then, so as the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) roundup season comes to a close and the FY23 roundup season is set to begin, we wanted to share our incredible accomplishments so far — and all the work that still needs to be done. >>
Together we’ve achieved:
How we’re continuing our fight:
None of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year would’ve been possible without the help of supporters like you. When we stand together, there is nothing we can’t achieve for our beloved wild herds. These innocent animals still need our help – so, will you keep standing with us in this fight and help us continue our work to protect the lives and freedom of America’s wild horses and burros?
Thank you, American Wild Horse Campaign |
Happy National Public Lands Day!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Today is National Public Lands Day, celebrating the magnificent landscape that is home to our nation’s beloved wild horses and burros.
The conservation of our public lands — and the wildlife that inhabit them — is a proud statement of what Americans care about and our desire to protect what’s wild, free … and vulnerable.
A century and a half ago, the U.S. supported almost two billion acres of public lands.
Today, that number has been reduced to 640 million acres. Along with this dwindling of the public landscape is the systematic elimination of space for America’s wild horses and burros, which now inhabit less than 27 million acres of public lands in ten Western states. Worse, the federal government is determined to shrink wild horse and burro habitats and population numbers further, while giving 97% of those lands — your lands — to the commercial livestock industry for cattle and sheep grazing that we, the taxpayers, subsidize.
In short, with 64,000 wild horses removed from those lands and held in captivity — at a cost to taxpayers that could approach $1 billion dollars over 5 years — America’s wild horses and burros are in crisis.
There is a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros on public lands where they belong: www.
On this National Public Lands Day, we hope you will have the opportunity to venture out and enjoy the beauty and splendor of our public lands and the wild horses and burros that grace them. If you can’t see them in person, then we hope you will enjoy this video of wild horses roaming free.
Happy National Public Lands Day!
Yours,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
After roundups, the horror continues. But we can do something about it >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Far from prying eyes, nearly 64,000 wild horses and burros are being held in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding pens across America. After being rounded up, forcefully separated from their families, and removed from the public lands they call home, it is in these facilities that wild horses and burros face further mistreatment.
In many cases, they don’t receive critical vaccines in a timely manner. Some don’t have constant access to food and water. Too many are in poor body condition. The facilities are not maintained in working order. And this takes a toll: Just this year, hundreds of wild horses contracted fatal and preventable diseases and many tragically passed away in these facilities.
The answer to this growing crisis — which the BLM aims to only accelerate in the coming years — is to stop the problem before it starts. Fertility control allows us to humanely and safely manage populations of wild horses and burros in the wild, shielding them from BLM roundups.
Our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range is doing just that — proving with science, that the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to manage these cherished animals is in the wild where they belong.
| DONATE |
Thanks.
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
What happens to wild horses after they have been captured?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Helicopter roundups are dangerous and expensive operations that result in horses being traumatized, separated from their families, and injured or killed. But the cruelty doesn’t end with helicopter roundups — once captured, wild horses are corralled in overburdened Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities, where they face even more inhumane treatment.
| ACT NOW TO PROTECT THEM |
The BLM has guidelines for holding facilities that are part of its Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). These guidelines include ensuring captured animals receive basic care such as access to food and water, vaccinations, and well-constructed facilities to minimize injuries.
Our Investigations Team has long had concerns about the BLM’s care of wild horses and burros in these holding pens, and unfortunately, our concerns were validated when the BLM finally began to evaluate its facilities using CAWP standards this year.
Here’s what it found: Vaccinations were not given in a timely manner, facilities were understaffed, not all animals had simultaneous access to food and water, facility maintenance and upkeep had fallen by the wayside, horses were found in poor body condition, and little attention was paid to proper biosecurity measures.
These findings are incredibly concerning with nearly 64,000 animals confined in facilities across the country. Even worse, 2022 saw the deadliest disease outbreak in BLM history in its Cañon City holding pens, which claimed the lives of nearly 150 unvaccinated wild horses who had been in the “care” of the agency for 9 months.
This system is at a breaking point, which is why we’re calling on you to take action and demand that the Department of the Interior address these CAWP violations and commit to keeping captured wild horses and burros safe. Will you take action now, and speak up for these innocent animals?
| DEMAND ACTION |
Thousands of wild horses and burros are locked up in these overburdened and unsafe facilities right now → and American taxpayers are footing the bill. This is an outdated and expensive cycle that desperately needs enhanced accountability measures and stronger enforcement from the BLM.
As the roundups continue, more and more wild horses and burros are going to be piled into this network of overcrowded and under-resourced holding facilities. It’s a crisis that’s only going to worsen as time goes on — unless we choose to act here and now and demand that the BLM rigorously and consistently enforce its own CAWP standards.
| TAKE ACTION NOW |
Thanks for acting on behalf of wild horses and burros, Meredith.
— AWHC Team
UPDATE: Our national ad campaign is gaining MAJOR traction
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Advocates like you and I have known about the plight of our cherished wild horses and burros for years, but millions of Americans are still unaware of the tragedies happening to these innocent animals across the West.
But we are changing that. Since Monday, when we launched our largest national campaign ever, we’ve seen a huge outpouring of support. In less than a week, our TV and online ads have gained a LOT of traction, playing across major news networks, because one thing is clear: Once Americans learn about the brutal practices the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses to “manage” our wild horses and burros, they’re shocked, they’re angry, and they are ready to take action.
But spreading awareness isn’t all it takes to protect the future of our wild herds. And that’s why broadcasting our new ads nationwide is just the first step. Now, the next leg of our national campaign to protect wild horses and burros is in motion — literally:
Over the course of the next week, mobile billboards broadcasting our commercial will circle the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Department of the Interior to encourage our federal leaders to use their power to stand up for wild horses and burros.
Between the public support we’ve received thus far, and bringing our message directly to decisionmakers in Washington, we’re confident in the success of this campaign. People are more engaged than ever to be the voice of our beloved wild equines. So we won’t let up — we’re doubling down to increase awareness and pressure for change in the states where roundups are happening this month — Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah.
| DONATE |
The work we are doing is critical to ending the suffering of thousands of wild horses and burros across the West. Right now, the BLM and U.S. Forest Service are conducting helicopter roundups that will forever rob 2,700 of these innocent animals of their freedom and families.
If every American knew that their tax dollars are funding this cruel and inhumane practice, they would be outraged! That’s why it’s so important that we not only keep our national campaign going but expand our ads to reach even more people in states where BLM roundups are happening this fall.
| DONATE |
Thank you,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
COMMENTS DUE: Two major opportunities NOW to speak up for wild horses >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We wanted to share two critical opportunities for you to speak up on behalf of wild horses and burros, an in-depth look into the trajedies of the Ejaio trade and how we can stop it, and a spotlight on one of our awesome AWHC volunteers! Read on to learn more and speak up for our cherished wild herds. >>
Tell the BLM: Implement Real Solutions for the Roberts Mountain Herd!
The wild horses who call the Roberts Mountain Complex in Nevada home need your voice. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mount Lewis Field office is seeking public comments on its plan to reduce the population of mustangs to a mere 104 horses on 162,000 acres of public lands just northwest of Eureka, NV. The BLM plans to use helicopters to brutally round up and remove hundreds of wild horses, to achieve the unscientifically low appropriate management level (AML) of 104 wild horses — this represents an average of just 1 horse per every 1,500+ acres!
| TAKE ACTION |
In-Depth on the Ejaio Burro Trade:
Photo by Tara Arrowood
There are concerns that American burros are being funneled into the ejiao trade – the brutal international donkey hide industry. There is no system in place to document whether America’s wild burros who are transported to slaughterhouses across the border are being killed for the purpose of ejiao. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Read our latest in-depth blog and learn what you can do to help:
| LEARN MORE |
Comment at the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting
Mark your calendars! The Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet in Phoenix on October 4-6, 2022. The public will have an opportunity to make a verbal statement to the Advisory Board in person and virtually via Zoom but you must register in advance.
| LEARN MORE |
Volunteer Highlight: Cathy Cottrill
In this month’s Pinto Post – a collaborative once-monthly newsletter highlighting the work on Nevada’s Virginia Range – we asked volunteer Cathy Cottrill a few questions about the many ways she volunteers her time for mustangs.
Cathy has served on the Board of Directors of the Wild Horse Preservation League, she is a certified darter for American Wild Horse Campaign, a certified responder for LRTC’s Technical Large Animal Rescue team, and also a volunteer with Wild Horse Connection. Who said retirement was boring?!
| LEARN MORE |
Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our wild horses and burros!
— AWHC Team
We are BACK ON AIR! Help us keep this commercial live >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Apologies if this is the second time you are receiving this email, we just want to make sure you’ve received this important message. If you have already donated, thank you for your support!
Meredith: It’s official — Our national campaign has launched and our television ads are on the air! Watch our campaign ad here and then help us keep our commercial live as we broadcast it nationwide with a donation now. >>
| WATCH + DONATE TODAY! |
Right now, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service helicopters are descending on wild horse herds in Oregon, Nevada, California, and Utah, chasing these innocent animals sometimes to the point of exhaustion with the ultimate goal of removing more than 2,700 before the month’s end. This will bring the total number of wild horses and burros captured this Fiscal Year close to a devastating 19,000.
We refuse to sit by as the BLM targets these cherished animals for removal — it’s why we’re fighting around the clock in courts, in the field, and on the Hill to defend the freedom of our beloved mustangs — and now, we’re taking the fight to TV screens across the country.
Earlier this year, we launched an ad campaign in Colorado demanding an end to the brutal roundups occurring in the Piceance Basin. The results were better than we could have expected — online, our ads received over 250K views reaching 1.5 million people, over 188K Coloradans were made aware of the tragedies happening to wild horses right in their backyard, and over 20K wild horse advocates joined us in calling for an immediate end to the roundup.
If we’re going to stop the BLM’s plan to slash wild horse and burro populations to near extinction levels, we need Americans across the country to stand up and speak out for our beloved herds. But first, we need to make every citizen aware of this fight, and that’s exactly what we’re planning to do — starting with our biggest national campaign on TVs everywhere.
Meredith: It’s time for American taxpayers across the West and across the nation to know exactly what their tax dollars are going to. There is a better way to manage our wild horses and burros to keep them safe, free, and in the wild — where they belong.
| WATCH + DONATE TODAY! |
Thank you.
Grace Kuhn
Communications Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
September is World Animal Remembrance Month, and this is how we’re commemorating >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
September is World Animal Remembrance Month – a time dedicated to honoring the memory of animals who are no longer with us.
In that spirit, we here at the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) would like to commemorate all of the wild horses and burros who have lost their lives or their freedom this year as a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel and inhumane helicopter roundups.
| SIGN ON |
In 2022, over 15,000 wild horses and burros have been captured through BLM helicopter roundups so far. Stripped of their freedom and crammed into overcrowded holding pens, these innocent animals have been subjected to injuries, diseases, and even death.
Our investigation team also discovered that hundreds of the captured wild horses and burros have been funneled to kill pens through the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). While the AIP, which pays adopters $1,000 per adopted BLM horse or burro, is meant to give these animals a permanent home, the sad reality is that the program is being abused by individuals scheming to make a quick buck off our beloved wild horses and burros.
These sweet animals don’t deserve to endure the mistreatment and abuse they suffer thanks to the BLM’s cruel mismanagement. Our mission at AWHC is to keep them in the wild where they can live safely and freely – where they belong. We fight every day towards that goal, but we need you in this fight with us.
| SIGN ON |
Thank you,
AWHC Team
Celebrating National Wildlife Day with Stargazer and Nora
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Melissa here.
Today at AWHC, we’re celebrating National Wildlife Day by continuing the fight to keep wild horses and burros wild, and if they’ve lost their freedom — making sure the ones we can help are given a life that’s truly the next best thing.
Today, I wanted to introduce you to two horses that I adopted, Stargazer and Northstar (or Nora for short), a bonded pair who I think are the perfect embodiment of what this holiday represents.
In the Spring of 2020, Stargazer found Nora injured and alone on the Onaqui Mountain range in Utah. He never left her side until July of 2021, when the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) helicopters descended on the Herd Management Area and rounded up over 400 innocent wild horses. I knew if I did nothing, these two mustangs would never be together ever again.
Stargazer and Nora on the Range. Photo at left, Kimerlee Curyl Photography. Photo at right, Darlene Smith Photograph
Over the next several months, I did everything I could to reunite this pair. I needed to get my home ready for them, get my adoption application approved by the BLM, and keep an eye on the auction calendar for my chance to bid. After many delays, auction day was finally here and with bated breath, I finally secured the winning bids.
This bonded pair was coming to their forever home with me.
Picking them up from BLM holding was an emotional day. The two had been placed in a special pen together — they were never seen far apart, often touching. Nora would lie down in the mud and Stargazer would stand over her, protecting her. We loaded them onto the trailer, clearly nervous, they stepped in unsure of what was to come, but they would do it together.
Stargazer and Nora waiting in holding to go to their forever home
Photo: RJ Stein Photography
When they arrived at our farm, Stargazer and Nora seemed to recognize they were no longer in danger. They had a dry space, fresh water, space to roam, and gentle humans to care for them. Every day, these two gorgeous mustangs are curious, open, and trusting. They are willing and forgiving.
When I watch them with one another, I still desperately wish they were in the wild, but sadly I know that can’t be an option for them again. So every day, the staff at AWHC works to fulfill our mission to honor the mustangs and burros that were taken from the wild by fighting to keep those still on public lands wild, free, and with their families.
Stargazer and Nora home at last
Photo: RJ Stein Photography
I am so proud to be a part of the important work that AWHC is doing – in the field, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill. Please consider donating in celebration of National Wildlife Day as we fight to keep our cherished wild herds in the wild where they belong.
| CONTRIBUTE |
Thank you. For the wild ones,
Melissa Tritinger
Deputy Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
URGENT: Less than 10 days until the BLM’s next set of roundups begin
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This summer, we’ve been keeping you up to date with the latest information regarding our cherished wild horses and burros and the brutal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter removals many have endured. While the final August roundup in the Frisco Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah will soon come to a close, the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service are planning to start three more roundups in less than 10 days (!!)
Wild horses and burros have been under immense pressure from the BLM’s relentless roundups – and to hold the BLM accountable for this mismanagement and abuse, we’ve had AWHC observers at nearly every operation to document the terror and danger these innocent animals are facing. According to our records, at least 65 wild mustangs and burros have been killed in BLM helicopter roundups in just two recent roundups, including at least 15 young foals.
Now, in less than 10 days time, the BLM and the Forest Service are planning to launch three new helicopter capture operations in the South Steens HMA in Oregon, the Calico Complex in Nevada, and the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory in California.
The BLM is planning to remove over 1,400 horses from the Calico Complex alone.
That means more foals could perish. Terrified stallions could be severely injured trying to escape the traps. More horses and burros could be exposed to dangerous infectious diseases from being crammed into overcrowded holding facilities after their capture.
These beloved animals deserve better than this, Meredith. They deserve to live free in the wild where they belong. That’s why we work day in and day out to fight for wild horses and burros across the West. But we need your help to keep going.
| DONATE |
Thank you for standing with us in this fight,
— American Wild Horse Campaign
ICYMI: Recapping the largest roundup in Colorado history >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We wanted to share a recap of the largest roundup in Colorado history in the Piceance Basin, a call to action to help us put an end to brutal helicopter roundups, and a preview of what herds are in the Burea of Land Management’s (BLM) sights in September. Read on to learn more and take action to help us protect our cherished wild herds. >>
Tell Your Representative: Cosponsor H.R.6635 to Stop Helicopter Roundups!
This summer’s brutal helicopter roundups claimed the lives of more than 60 wild horses and burros, and hundreds more are on the line.
New roundups slated to start in September, have been announced in Oregon, Utah and Nevada. Now is the time to encourage our members of Congress to act by supporting H.R. 6635, the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act which would ban the use of helicopters for wild horse and burro removals.
| TAKE ACTION |
After the Roundup: A Look Back at Piceance Basin
Earlier this summer, the BLM conducted the largest roundup in Colorado history in the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area near Meeker.
In our latest blog, we take you through the controversial situation from start to finish – from the announcement that led to the Governor’s intervention, to the scientific ecology report that debunked the BLM’s assertions about the land and horses, to the roundup itself where 867 wild horses lost their freedom and ultimately to the agency’s goal of never having a helicopter enter the Basin again. Click below for the full story.
| READ MORE |
More Roundups Are Coming: A Glance at September
As the roundups that began in July wind down, we want to give you a look at what herds are next on the chopping block for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service. Read more at the blog by clicking below.
| READ MORE |
Thank you for continuing to stand with our wild horses and burros, Meredith!
— AWHC Team
Wild horses need our voice in the courtroom
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
It’s no secret that our cherished wild horses and burros are safest in the wild, where they are kept away from brutal helicopter roundups and out of disease-ridden holding facilities.
But thanks to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) relentless campaign to slash wild horse and burro populations to near-extinction levels, these innocent wild equines are being deprived of their right to live free on western public lands where they belong.
Here at the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), we’re fighting to keep wild horses and burros wild through every avenue possible — including in federal court.
These wild animals cannot defend themselves in our legal system. That’s why we are dedicated to being their voice in the court of law. And, when we sue, we win.
When we first heard that the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) was sending adopted horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, our investigative and legal teams lept into action and filed dozens of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to obtain the concrete evidence needed to expose the program.
We even had to take the BLM to court to force it to hand over many of these records. Without doing so, we would have not been able to put the many puzzle pieces together and prove once and for all that the AIP is funneling wild mustangs and burros right into the hands of kill buyers.
Not only that, AWHC is still in court battling the BLM and the Department of Interior (DOI) against the government’s alleged illegal implementation of the AIP. Can you make a donation today to fuel our legal efforts? We need your support to power our Legal Fund and keep up the pressure on the BLM and DOI.
Our latest investigative report revealed that in less than two years, at least 840 federally-protected wild horses and burros ended up in the slaughter pipeline. Of the animals we obtained brand information for, 73% were confirmed to be adopted via the AIP and dozens were adopted by groups of related individuals, scheming to make a quick buck off our beloved wild horses and burros.
If it weren’t for the work of our investigative and legal teams, none of this would have been brought to light. Please chip in a contribution now to support our Legal Fund and help us continue to fight for these innocent animals in the courtroom!
| FUEL OUR LEGAL EFFORTS |
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
ACT NOW: Demand camera installations on BLM helicopters!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
As you know from our last email, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been on the attack against thousands of wild horses and burros across the West since this summer’s roundup season began. The BLM’s brutal helicopter roundups have caused the deaths of dozens of innocent equines just in the past month.
Thankfully, the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) has had observers on the ground at each of these roundups to document the BLM’s wrongdoings, hold it accountable, and educate the public as to what’s happening to our federally protected wild horses and burros.
However, the BLM and its contractors who execute the helicopter stampedes have placed a number of restrictions on public observation, limiting the transparency at these traumatic roundups. We need to make sure that no BLM atrocity goes unrecorded. Will you call on the BLM to mandate camera installations on all helicopters used for roundups?
| TAKE ACTION |
These removal operations already take place in some of the most remote areas of the west and out of public view. By imposing these limitations on observers, the BLM is even further shrouding its cruel “management tactics” from the American people. For example, at the Blue Wing Complex roundup this summer, our team was placed over a mile away from the trap site and in spots where terrain blocked most of our view.
AWHC is fighting hard to put an end to these inhumane helicopter roundups. But until we can stop them for good, we need to hold the BLM accountable for ALL of its misdeeds against wild horses and burros.
| TAKE ACTION |
Thank you.
– AWHC
Wild horses and burros are under attack like never before
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Over the past month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has waged an unprecedented assault on wild horses and burros throughout the West. We’ve had observers onsite at the roundups to document the inhumanity of the BLM’s helicopter roundups – and what we’ve seen is utterly heartbreaking.
At least 64 innocent wild horses and burros have been killed in BLM helicopter roundups in California and Nevada. 31 of these deaths took place at the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) alone, including 11 foals. Several of these foals died suddenly upon arriving at temporary holding centers while others later succumbed to injuries they sustained while trying to escape the helicopters or in the temporary holding pens.
Twin Peaks. Steve Paige/American Wild Horse Campaign
As if the deaths of these poor, innocent foals isn’t bad enough, the BLM also euthanized multiple horses between the ages of 20 and 30 years old simply due to their older age. Several of these horses were considered healthy, but were still put down citing “partial blindness.”
These deaths during the Twin Peaks roundup highlight just how cruel the BLM’s “management tactics” truly are. Sadly, we are seeing similarly egregious deaths at several other roundups as well.
- At the Triple B Complex roundup, 20 wild horses have died so far – including 4 foals and two horses who suffered broken necks.
- At the Blue Wing Complex roundup, 14 wild horses and burros died and over 1,000 were captured.
- And at the Bible Springs Complex roundup (which is still ongoing), 224 wild horses have been captured so far resulting in at least one death.
Meredith, how many more of these precious animals must die before enough is enough? The BLM must be forced to change its practices, or more and more wild horses and burros will meet the same tragic fate. That’s why we refuse to give up until these cruel helicopter roundups end for good. We are fighting back every day – whether that’s in the courts, out on the field, or in the halls of Congress.
But we can’t win this fight without your support. Your generosity is what funds our humane observers at roundups, fuels our legal battles, and drives our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and in key western states. So please, stand with us in this fight to save the lives of America’s wild horses and burros and make helicopter roundups a thing of the past with a donation today. >>
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Thank you for helping us keep up the fight.
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
Have you thought about your legacy?
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:
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! |
What we’re doing *right now* to protect wild horses and burros
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our mission is simple: We will not stop working until our cherished wild horses and burros can live out their lives in the wild where they belong.
So far, during this 2022 summer roundup season, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has already removed a devastating 6,000 wild horses and burros from their homes on public lands. As we write this, 3 separate helicopter roundup operations continue on — more than we have ever seen happen simultaneously in our organization’s history.
Thousands of innocent wild mustangs and foals are set to lose their freedom forever, only to be confined to the BLM’s holding facilities — facilities that earlier this year were stricken with deadly viruses and disease outbreaks. Perhaps worse, many of these innocent animals will likely be adopted through the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) — a program that has proven to be a slaughter pipeline for far too many wild horses and burros.
We will not sit by and accept this fate for our cherished wild herds. We are working day in and day out in the field, in court, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to protect the lives and freedom of wild horses and burros. Today, we wanted to share with you what we’re doing right now to protect these innocent animals, but first, will you consider making a donation to power our work?
In the Field
We are not just demanding change, we’re proving that a better way is possible. For more than 3 years, 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 63% — all without the removal of a single horse. The program is proving that humane fertility control is a viable alternative to costly and cruel helicopter roundups and removals — and our success on the Virginia Range is prompting the expansion of our fertility control programs to herds in other areas of Nevada and Utah, all in the name of keeping wild horses in the wild where they belong.
Meanwhile, we also launched a roundup observation program this year and are deploying informed photographers and advocates to as many helicopter roundups as possible 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 our observers see, such as chasing horses in extreme temperatures, for long distances, and in a manner that causes foals to be left behind, as well as capturing too many horses at once in small pens, resulting in traumatic injuries such as broken legs.
Our field work is building a powerful case for change that’s being noticed at the highest levels of Congress and the Department of the Interior (DOI).
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. Right now, we are in court against the DOI and BLM to stop the disastrous AIP from proceeding in its current form, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the cash incentives, which have resulted in droves of mustangs and burros ending up in the slaughter pipeline.
When not litigating, our legal team is busy strategically evaluating every option available to further legal protections for wild horses and burros. We’re gearing up for a legal fight in Wyoming, as the BLM seeks to eradicate entire herds of the state’s wild horses they are charged with protecting and we have 11 active Freedom of Information Act lawsuits requesting BLM government records they have failed to hand over time and again.
On Capitol Hill
Our Government Relations 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 Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill that would better protect wild horses and burros and encourage humane, on-range management strategies. The language includes allocating $11 million of the BLM’s budget away from roundups and towards the implementation of humane, reversible fertility control programs to manage wild horses and burros in the wild, while also urging the BLM to utilize public-private partnerships with veterans and the wild horse community to implement fertility control. We’re also securing language to address the AIP and protect horses adopted through the Forest Service.
We also continue to work with Congress to pass other necessary horse and burro protections, including the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act (H.R. 6635), which would ban the use of helicopters, the Ejiao Act (H.R. 5203), to combat the brutal trade of donkey hides, and the SAFE Act (H.R. 3355 / S. 2732), which would ban the transport of horses and burros out of the country for slaughter and keep slaughter plants closed in the U.S.
But it’s not just our Government Relations 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, like an early end to the Piceance Basin roundup earlier this month.
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 Capitol Hill to protect wild horses and burros?
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Thanks for your help,
American Wild Horse Campaign
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