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It’s Burro Awareness Month!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: It’s the first day of May – and you know what that means – the first day of Burro Awareness Month! AWHC started Burro Awareness Month over a decade ago to highlight the beauty of one of our favorite equine species, the curious wild burros of the American Southwest, and to educate the public about the unique struggles they face. Originating in Africa, burros were first introduced to the Southwest by the Spaniards in the 1500s. They would go on to serve as reliable pack animals for explorers and pioneers on their treks throughout the West in the centuries thereafter, surviving even when the harsh conditions claimed the lives of their human partners. Today, most of America’s wild burros reside in Arizona, where they’ve been present since 1679! Despite having the same rich history and cultural significance as wild horses, burros unfortunately receive far less attention. That’s why it’s about time we make Burro Awareness Month a national holiday! Will you join us in calling for May to become nationally-recognized as Burro Awareness Month by signing our petition below? SIGN THE PETITION → Over the next few weeks, we’re going to focus on all things pertaining to our beloved burros. And today, we’d like to kick things off with an amazing update about our latest burro rescues, Poppy and Cosmo! Last week, we told you about the heartwarming story of these two precious little animals. With just hours left before potentially being sold off to kill buyers at the Eugene Livestock Auction, AWHC Investigations Manager Amelia Perrin managed to beat out other bidders and save Poppy and Cosmo before it was too late. Now, thanks to your support, our furry new friends have arrived safely at 3 Sisters Equine Refuge where they can finally decompress, get vet and farrier care, and play freely to their heart's content. See for yourself! We are so proud that we were able to rescue Poppy and Cosmo – but there are many more burros out there that need our help, and not enough people who know about it. We’re sure that if more people learned about these beautiful creatures, they would get the attention and care they deserve! So this May, we are once again asking for your help to spread the word about our beloved wild burros. Will you sign on to our petition today to help make Burro Awareness Month a nationally-recognized holiday? SIGN ...
ICYMI: The BLM has finally released its 2023 roundup schedule
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: We've got a lot to share with you in this week's edition of eNews, including the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) recently released 2023 roundup schedule, an inside look at a BLM adoption event in New Hampshire, and an open call to all burro lovers! Read on to learn more! >> Bureau of Land Management Releases 2023 Roundup Schedule and On-Range Population Numbers It’s officially here. After a several month delay, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finally released its 2023 roundup schedule for wild horse and burros last week. While the target number is a marked departure from the initial planned number of 20,000, when all is said and done, more than 5,800 wild horses and burros will be added to the already overburdened holding corrals. In addition to the release of this schedule, the BLM is asserting that there is a slight increase in the on-range population, but we have questions. Check out our latest on this development below. LEARN MORE Eyewitness Report: BLM Adoption Event in New Hampshire Last weekend, AWHC program specialist, Mary Koncel, traveled to Vermont to attend and document a BLM wild horse and burro adoption event at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, New Hampshire. This was the first of several adoption/sales events that will be held in the Northeastern States District of the BLM. Click the link below to read more. READ MORE Calling All Burro Fans! Submit Your Content to be Featured Wild burros have the same rich history and are just as culturally significant as wild horses, but they receive far less attention. In 2012, AWHC started Burro Awareness Month to promote awareness and appreciation for these amazing and unique residents of the American Southwest. Do you have photos of wild burros that you would like to share? A story about an experience you had on the range? Please submit your content to grace@americanwildhorsecampaign.org to be featured during the month of May on AWHC's social media! SUBMIT YOUR CONTENT! Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros! — AWHC Team ...
[IT’S HERE!] Today is National Help a Horse Day 🐴💞
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: In honor of National Help a Horse Day, we set a goal of raising $30K by midnight tonight to power our fight to defend our nation’s wild herds in 2023. Right now, we’re at $21,548 — within striking distance of our goal — can you help us get across the finish line by pitching in ASAP? Happy National Help a Horse Day! Today, and every day, our team is fighting to secure the freedom and safety of wild horses and burros across the West. On Monday, we told you about one avenue of our work — rescues — but today, we want to highlight how we’re helping horses through our legal and legislative efforts. Already this year, we’ve made great strides for our wild herds both on the Hill and in state capitols throughout the country:
- In North Dakota, we supported a resolution that passed in the state legislature urging the National Park Service to keep the state’s only wild horse herd in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (SCR 4014).
- In Nevada, we rallied public support and testified for legislation that just passed in the state Senate that would make the wild mustang Nevada’s official state horse. (SB90).
- In Colorado, we supported legislation that just passed the state Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that would increase resources to support the work of existing volunteer groups to maintain sustainable wild horse populations through a robust fertility control and stewardship program, minimizing the need for future roundups. (SB23-275).
- And on Capitol Hill, we’ve won the support of nearly 100 members of Congress who are calling for the diversion of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funds away from costly roundups and toward humane management and other important measures in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.
- Right now, we’re gearing up to take the BLM to court over its proposed plan to zero-out two iconic wild horse herds in Wyoming and eliminate grand swaths of their habitat, a case with the potential to set a precedent for herds throughout the West.
- We’re also pushing forward in our ongoing legal battle against the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which is sending thousands of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. In our case, we allege that the agency implemented the AIP without any of the analysis and ...
The BLM just announced their 2023 Roundup Plans. Help us fight back >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled its schedule to continue the unscientific and inhumane helicopter roundups of our nation’s iconic, federally protected wild horse and burro herds. The BLM announced that it’s planning to round up more than 7,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands beginning in July – permanently removing 5,857. There are already over 60,000 wild horses and burros languishing in overburdened BLM holding centers as a result of the agency’s aggressive 2022 removal schedule. If the BLM follows through with its recently released plan, thousands more of these innocent animals will be subjected to brutal helicopter roundups and crammed into crowded facilities where they are in danger of deadly disease outbreaks and where many could be funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). That’s why it’s critical we prepare NOW to ensure we’re ready to fight back for our wild herds – whether it's in the field through our efforts to implement in-the-wild humane management across the West, in courts through our legal team, or on the Hill through our government relations work. With just one day left, we are nearly halfway to our $30,000 National Help a Horse Day goal. Will you make a contribution today to help us reach our goal before the deadline tomorrow and bolster our efforts to defend wild horses and burros in 2023? DONATE NOW → In December, Congress included an important bipartisan provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill requiring the BLM to utilize up to $11 million for reversible fertility control to sustainably manage wild horses and burros – marking the second year we’ve managed to secure this critical pro-horse and burro language into the omnibus package, and the third year our work has led to Congress recognizing the importance of the expansion of humane fertility control programs. Despite this, the BLM plans to implement fertility control on just 1,575 wild horses and burros. This is nowhere near enough. The BLM must meaningfully shift course away from inhumane roundups and towards on-range conservation through the use of proven fertility control as a far more safe and cost-effective way of managing the West’s populations. We’re using every resource at our disposal to ensure wild horses and burros stay where they are safest — in the wild, with their families. But we can’t do it without your ...
IT’S EARTH DAY!! 🌎 3 ways to take action for wild horses and burros today…
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: Happy Earth Day! Admittedly, every day is Earth Day for our team at the American Wild Horse Campaign, BUT that doesn’t mean we won’t take the opportunity to celebrate a little extra on this day Today, we invite you to join us in focusing on the protection of our beautiful planet and all of the amazing creatures who inhabit it — and we can think of no better way than doubling down on our commitment to our cherished wild horses and burros. Here are 3 ways you can take action for our herds today:
- Over 60,000 mustangs and burros are stuck in government holding facilities.Recent welfare assessments at some of these facilities show widespread and concerning violations including facility maintenance, vaccine protocols, and inadequate access to food and water. Even more concerning, as more mustangs and burros are funneled into this overburdened system, disease outbreaks are becoming all the more common. Take action now to protect these captive animals!
- When people hear about what’s happening to wild horses, they care.We need you to help educate your friends and family about what is happening to our wild horses and burros right now! Take a second to share this video to your social media pages and get started!
- We're fighting to keep wild horses and burros wild, and every purchase you make with us helps fund that fight.Go wild this Earth Day with our apparel and partnerships!
