Press Release: Lawsuit filed to save wild horses from alleged slaughter

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For immediate release

Alleged violations put iconic wild horses at risk of disappearing

Coalition against slaughter and for the protection of mustangs files lawsuit

RENO, NV. (August 16, 2013)–Protect Mustangs, the California-based conservation group, dedicated to protecting native wild horses and Citizens Against Equine Slaughter (CAES), the Oregon nonprofit, have filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service asking for an injunction on their intent to impound unauthorized livestock in conjunction with the Fort McDermitt Tribal Council on and in the vicinity of the Humboltd-Toiyabe National Forest. The coalition hopes to prevent wild horses from loosing their protections and going to probable slaughter.

“This may be the first time that protected mustangs are being auctioned off for alleged slaughter en masse and publicly with the tacit approval & cooperation of federal officials,” explains Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs.

Right now hundreds of wild horses are being fattened up at a Fallon, Nevada auction yard for the sale because the Forest Service allegedly rounded up wild free roaming horses in violation of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and in violation of National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

“Horse slaughter is cruel and inhumane and we need to stop it,” says Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM and president of Citizens Against Equine Slaughter. “This stealth roundup is a heinous act toward our icons of liberty.”

“The U.S. Forest Service needs to comply with the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act as well as NEPA before rounding up hundreds of potentially wild horses–especially when the BLM’s nearby Owyhee gather plan doesn’t authorize this action,” states Jordan Beckett, attorney for Plaintiffs Citizens Against Equine Slaughter and Protect Mustangs.

The Judge has not ruled on the complaint filed by Protect Mustangs and Citizens against Equine Slaughter as of this moment.

Protect Mustangs is devoted to protecting native wild horses. Their mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horse, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.

Citizens Against Equine Slaughter is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of America’s wild and domestic horses.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Patience O’Dowd, 505-610-7644, patience_odowd@yahoo.com

Photos, interviews and video available upon request

Links of interest:

Read the complaint here: PM Complaint CAES Protect mustangs v USFS BLM

U.S. Judge refuses to block NV tribe’s mustang sale, The Associated Press, http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/15/3565447/us-judge-in-nv-asked-to-block.html

Protect Mustangs www.ProtectMustangs.org

Citizens Against Equine Slaughter http://www.noequineslaughter.org/

Beckett Law Office, P.C. http://www.roguevalleylawyer.com/

Jones Law Firm http://cjoneslawfirm.com/

Wild Free Roaming Horse & Burro Act http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/92-195.htm

NEPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act

Roundup footage & abuse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF49csCB9qM

PLAINTIFFS’ PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court:

1. Declare that the USFS and the BLM violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and their implementing regulation in implementing the Fort McDermitt Horse Gather;

2. Order the USFS and the BLM to withdraw the Notice and 2013 Horse Gather Agreement until such time as the agency demonstrates to this Court that it has adequately complied with the law, including but not limited to putting the 2013 Agreement through notice and comment procedures, ordering DNA testing to determine the origin of captured wild horses, ordering the BLM and USFS to comply with the law to determine ownership of the wild horses, and ordering the BLM and USFS return to public lands or the HMAs all seized or removed wild, free-roaming, and unbranded horses being held at Fallon Livestock Auction;

3. Enjoin the USFS, the BLM, and their agents from proceeding with the Fort McDermitt Horse Gather, or any portion thereof, unless and until the violations of federal law set forth herein have been corrected to the satisfaction of this court;

4. Award Plaintiffs their costs of suit and attorneys fees; and

5. Grant Plaintiffs such other and further relief as the Court deems just and equitable.

 

Official Request to stop federally protected wild horses from being sold to probable slaughter

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Photo James Marvin Phelps / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Photo James Marvin Phelps / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

August 15, 2013

By Electronic Mail

 

Sally Jewell, Secretary of Interior

Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, N.W.

Washington DC 20240

Tel: 202-208-3100

feedback@ios.doi.gov

 

Neil Kornze, Principal Deputy Director

BLM Washington Office

1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665

Washington DC 20240

Phone: 202-208-3801

Fax: 202-208-5242

director@blm.gov

 

Joan Guilfoyle, Division Chief

Division of Wild Horses and Burros

20 M Street, S.E.

Washington, DC 20003

Tel: 202-912-7260

jguilfoy@blm.gov

 

Amy Leuders, Nevada State Director

Bureau of Land Management

Nevada State Office

1340 Financial Blvd

Reno, NV 89502

Tel: 775-861-6400

nvsoweb@blm.gov

 

Jill Silvey, District Manager

Bureau of Land Management

Elko District Office

3900 E. Idaho Street

Elko, NV 89801

Tel: 775-753-0200

elfoweb@blm.gov

jsilvey@blm.gov

 

Gene Seidlitz, District Manager

Bureau of Land Management

Winnemucca District Office

5100 East Winnemucca Blvd.

Winnemucca, NV 89445

Tel: 775-623-1500

wfoweb@blm.gov

gseidlit@blm.gov

 

Jeff Ulrich, District Ranger

U.S. Forest Service

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

1200 East Winnemucca Blvd.

Winnemucca, NV 89445

jlulrich@fs.fed.us

 

Tom Tidwell, Chief

U.S. Forest Service

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20250-0003

ttidwell@fs.fed

 

Official Request to prevent federally protected wild horses from being sold to probable slaughter

We request for the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service ensure that no federally protected wild horses are removed from the range and transported to auction anywhere, nor sold to anyone, nor used nor held by anyone, nor claimed by anyone, in connection with the Service’s June 14, 2013 Notice of Intent to Impound Unauthorized Livestock in cooperation with the Fort McDermitt Paiute Tribal Council.(http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5427742.pdf)

In addition we request opportunities for daily public observation be provided at all trap sites, holding facilities, sites of use, auction houses and shipping centers, etc.

We require you inform us of the casualties (moralities & injuries) in this roundup.

Now with hundreds of wild horses at the Fallon Livestock Auction yard awaiting sale this Saturday August 17th we request DNA testing be performed immediately on all unbranded wild horses as well as you provide immediate public observation at the livestock auction facility for members of our group and other members of the public to document with photos and video the situation.

We request you pull from the auction–where alleged kill-buyers purchase horses for slaughter for human consumption abroad–all unbranded or branded federally protected wild horses who could have been living on BLM or Forest Service land yet were pushed by helicopter or other motorized vehicle or by cowboy to be trapped on federal land or elsewhere.

You are required by law to protect the American wild horses–please do so immediately.

We await your response, via email, to our urgent and official request.

 

Sincerely,

Anne Novak

 

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

San Francisco Bay Area

 

 

As seen on the news and in print

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562 

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Protect Mustangs in the News

Donate to help Protect Mustangs

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs is devoted to protecting native wild horses. Our mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horse, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.

Why end natural selection in the Pryors?

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1

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/mt/main_story.Par.31432.File.dat/TopStoryHorse.pdf

Should humans run a wild horse breeding program or does nature know best?

From: (http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/mt/main_story.Par.31432.File.dat/TopStoryHorse.pdf) The BLM welcomed a new partner this spring. The adept volunteer efforts of the Cloud Foundation’s Effie Orser, Lauryn Wachs, and Ginger Kathrens contributed to the successful completion of this year’s fertility treatments in record time. The trio worked in concert with two BLM employees, Ryan Brad- shaw and Jerad Werning, who were darting wild horses elsewhere on the Range.

Statement from Protect Mustangs

We are against the Cloud Foundation and BLM partnership for extreme PZP in the Pryors for the following reasons:

1.) It ruins natural selection.

2.) According to the National Academy of Sciences there is no evidence of overpopulation.

3.) Reserve design is the healthy choice for management.

4.) Risks of sterility could ruin the herd’s genetic viability.

5.) Unnatural and increased stress on wild mares from wild stallions continuously trying to breed them month after month, year after year, until they are allowed by mankind to have one foal.

6.) Man made fertility control drugs endanger the wild herds’ ability to adapt through reproduction to environmental stresses.

7.) The “Restricted Use Pesticide” known as PZP is not allowed on domestic horses–surely for safety concerns and therefore should not be allowed on native wild horses who have been misclassified as “pests” by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Natural selection has allowed native wild horses to evolve and survive for more than a million years. We believe it is unethical for a government agency and a nonprofit organization to go against natural evolution and manipulate breeding through excessive roundups and drugs approved for use as “restricted use pesticides”.

Now the public is witnessing the final phase of the Salazar Plan announced in 2009 (managing wild horses to extinction) using an EPA fast-tracked “Restricted Use Pesticide” called Porcine zona pellucida–a form of zona pellucida extracted from the ovaries of pigs.

And speaking of pigs, where are the pigs’ ovaries coming from? How were the pig’s ovaries extracted?

The Pryor Mountain Herd is already one of the two herds designated with “Treasured” status–that means they are protected and will never disappear. No need to sell out to  “restricted use pesticides” for “pest” control!

“We are proud to be working with the BLM, and we hope our partnership with them will continue and may set an example for the management of other wild herds throughout the West,” said Ginger Kathens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation in the BLM’s top story released on August 12, 2013.

What happened to The Cloud Foundation fighting for America’s wild horses’ right to live their natural lives in freedom?

“Why is Ginger Kathrens now supporting the extreme use of PZP when a couple of years ago she appeared to be against using the drug, against ruining natural selection and against creating zoo-like settings on mountaintops?” asks Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs. “We want a moratorium on roundups and call for immediate population studies before blasting wild horses with fertility control and sterilization.”

 

Links of interest:

Ginger Kathrens’ paper PZP-22… Do Unintended Side-Effects Outweigh Benefits? http://protectmustangs.org/?p=3270

Cloud Foundation Partnership with BLM to dart the Pryor herd with the “Restricted Use Pesticide” known as PZP to “control” fertility http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/mt/main_story.Par.31432.File.dat/TopStoryHorse.pdf

Ecologist Craig Downer speaks out against using PZP in the Pryors http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4178

Salazar presents ambitious plan to manage wild horses, Washington Post: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-10-08/news/36823356_1_wild-horses-burros-wild-herd

Ken Salazar’s wild horse plan fuels accusations that he’s in the pocket of ranchers, Huff Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/17/ken-salazars-wild-horse-p_n_324799.html

BLM announces The Salazar Plan (press release) http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/october/salazar_seeks_congressional.html

The Salazar Plan outlines everything in 2009

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Release Date: 10/07/09
Contacts: Frank Quimby (DOI) , 202-208-6416
Tom Gorey (BLM) , 202-912-7420

Secretary Salazar Seeks Congressional Support for Strategy to Manage Iconic Wild Horses
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today proposed a national solution to restore the health of America’s wild horse herds and the rangelands that support them by creating a cost-efficient, sustainable management program that includes the possible creation of wild horse preserves on the productive grasslands of the Midwest and East.“The current path of the wild horse and burro program is not sustainable for the animals, the environment, or the taxpayer,” Salazar said in a letter outlining his proposals to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and eight other key members of Congress with jurisdiction over wild horse issues.  Salazar said he is “proposing to develop new approaches that will require bold efforts from the Administration and from Congress to put this program on a more sustainable track, enhance the conservation for these iconic animals, and provide better value for the taxpayer.”Bob Abbey, Director of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), commended the Secretary for his initiative, saying, “The proposals we are unveiling today represent a forward-looking, responsive effort to deal with the myriad challenges facing our agency’s wild horse and burro program.”  Abbey added, “We owe wild horses and burros on Western rangelands high-quality habitat. We owe the unadopted wild horses and burros in holding good care and treatment.  And we owe the American taxpayer a well-run, cost-effective wild horse program. Today’s package of proposals will achieve those ends.”The challenges to the BLM associated with maintaining robust wild horse populations in the West have been recognized by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has warned that program costs have risen beyond sustainable levels and directed the BLM to prepare a long-term plan for the program.  The Government Accountability Office also found the program to be at a “critical crossroads,” affirmed the need to control off-the-range holding costs, and recommended that the BLM work with Congress to find a responsible way to manage the increasing number of unadopted horses.  In response to Congressional direction, Salazar’s proposals aim to achieve a “truly national solution” to a traditionally Western issue.

In four decades under the BLM’s protection, wild horses that were fast disappearing from the American scene are now experiencing rapid growth.  Secretary Salazar noted that some 37,000 wild horses and burros, which have virtually no natural predators, roam in 10 Western states, where arid rangelands and watersheds “cannot support a population this large without significant damage to the environment.”

The BLM works to achieve an ecological balance on the range by removing thousands of wild horses and burros from public rangelands each year and then offering them for adoption.   Unadopted animals are cared for in short-term corrals and long-term pastures.  With the sharp decline in wild horse adoptions in recent years because of the economic downturn, the Bureau now maintains nearly 32,000 wild horses and burros in holding, including more than 9,500 in expensive short-term corrals.  In the most recent fiscal year (2009), which ended September 30, holding costs were approximately $29 million, or about 70 percent of the total 2009 enacted wild horse and burro program budget of $40.6 million.

A key element of the Secretary’s plan, designed to address concerns raised by the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Government Accountability Office, would designate a new set of wild horse preserves across the nation.  Citing limits on forage and water in the West because of persistent drought and wildfire, Salazar said the lands acquired by the BLM and/or its partners “would provide excellent opportunities to celebrate the historic significance of wild horses, showcase these animals to the American public, and serve as natural assets that support local tourism and economic activity.”  The wild horse herds placed in these preserves would be non-reproducing.

In his letter, Salazar also proposed:

  • Managing the new preserves either directly by the BLM or through cooperative agreements between the BLM and private non-profit organizations or other partners to reduce the Bureau’s off-the-range holding costs.  This coordinated effort would harness the energy of wild horse and burro supporters, whose enthusiasm would also be tapped to promote wild horse adoptions at a time when adoption demand has softened.• Showcasing certain herds on public lands in the West that warrant distinct recognition with Secretarial or possibly congressional designations.  These would highlight the special qualities of America’s wild horses while generating eco-tourism for nearby rural communities.• Applying new strategies aimed at balancing wild horse and burro population growth rates with public adoption demand.  This effort would involve slowing population growth rates of wild horses on Western public rangelands through the aggressive use of fertility control, the active management of sex ratios on the range, and perhaps even the introduction of non-reproducing herds in some of the BLM’s existing Herd Management Areas in 10 Western states.  The new strategies would also include placing more animals into private care by making adoptions more flexible where appropriate.

Noting that his proposals are subject to Congressional approval and appropriations, Salazar said he and Director Abbey look forward to discussing them with members of Congress “as we work together to protect and manage America’s ‘Living Legends.’”

A copy of the letter is online at www.blm.gov. For background information on the national wild horse and burro program, please visit the BLM’s Website at www.blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
–BLM–http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/october/salazar_seeks_congressional.html

More PZP news regarding the Pryor herd

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Cross posted from Wild in the Pryors:  http://wildinthepryors.com/2013/08/04/more-pzp-news-regarding-the-pryor-herd/   Comments

IMG_9645

I have been home now for a little over a week.  It feels good to have some time with my husband Bill and my animals.  But I do miss the Pryors and look forward to my next trip, which is coming up fast.

Even though I am not there, I know the horses are fine.  They have been fine for over 200 years (many more than that I am sure)  and I hope that they will continue to be fine.  But with the up coming PZP proposal, I am not sure this will be the case. Let’s just say I am worried.  I need to think about this proposal and meet with some others that know and care about this special herd before I make any final judgements and construct my letter to the BLM in regards to it.

I had a message on my cell phone from Jared saying this was coming out (thank you Jared for the call).  I did go on their website:  BLMWEBSITE.  On this page you can go to the lower left and see MT/DK Draft Resource Management Plans.  Under there, there is a link to the PMWHR fertility control modification.  There are several links to read, and I encourage you to read them.

A couple of days later I got my “Interested Party” letter in the mail telling me about the proposed plan.

Dear Interested Party,

United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, Montana 59101-4669

August 1, 2013

After consideration of public input during scoping the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR) Fertility Control Modification Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) DOI-BLM- MT-010-2013-0034 and unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) are available for a 30 day public review and comment period. The documents will be available at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Billings Field Office (BiFO) website athttp://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/billings_field_office/wildhorses/pryorherd.html. The comment period will be conducted beginning August 6, 2013 and ending on September 6, 2013

This EA is tiered to the PMWHR/Territory EA (MT-010-08-24) and Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) May 2009. This tiered EA has been prepared to analyze the impacts associated to wild horses and other resources from modification to the current fertility control prescription. The analysis from the HMAP and the 2011 Fertility Control EA are incorporated by reference. All other impacts and affected environment are already described and analyzed in the HMAP and subsequent FONSI and Decision Record (DR). These documents are also available at the BLM web address above.

Comments about the EA or unsigned FONSI can be sent to blm_mt_wildhorse@blm.gov or at the letterhead address by close of business September 6, 2013. To best ensure interested party’s comments are received, comments can be sent in a written form and mailed or hand delivered to the Billings Field Office. The BLM will consider any substantive comments and revise the EA or FONSI as appropriate. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Thank you for your interest in the management of the PMWHR by the Billings Field Office. If you have any questions concerning the EA or unsigned FONSI, please contact Jared Bybee, Montana/Dakotas State Wild Horse and Burro Specialist, at (406) 896-5223.

Noble and Naolin, July 2013

Noble and Naolin, July 2013

Below is the unsigned FONSI.  If I am understanding this right, this will be the proposal and will be signed if they don’t hear enough feedback suggesting other wise.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI-BLM-MT-0010-2013-0034-EA
(Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Fertility Control Modification Preliminary Environmental Assessment
Tiered to the
Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range/Territory Environmental Assessment And Herd Management Area Plan May 2009)

This unsigned FONSI and EA (DOI-BLM-MT-0010-2013-0034-EA) is to modify the current fertility control prescription and apply fertility control to nearly every mare on the PMWHR through 2015 in order to help maintain the appropriate management level of 90-120 wild horses and reduce the need for a large scale gather. The modification to the current prescription would begin in the fall of 2013 and last through 2015 (the life of the current prescription). The modification to the fertility control would consist of applying primer doses to in the fall to mares in the one year old age class (when they are not quite two) and any mare that has not ever been primed in the fall of 2013. Mares ages 5-10 years old that have offspring on the range that are one year old or older would be given a booster. The rest of the treatment would continue as currently is. This would continue in 2014 and 2015. Treatments would still be designed to treat mares before becoming pregnant which in the spring, however in 2014 and 2015 boosters would be applied any time of the year. The EA is available for a 30-day public review and comment period beginning on August 6, 2013, and will end on September 6, 2013. The documents are available on the Billings Field Office website at http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/billings_field_office/wildhorses/pryorherd.html.

Based on the analysis of potential environmental impacts in the attached EA and consideration of the significance criteria in 40 CFR 1508.27, I have determined that with proposed mitigating measures incorporated as part of the proposed action this would not result in significant impacts on the human environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required.

The decision to approve or deny a modification of the current fertility control prescription to mares within PMWHR, and if appropriate a signed FONSI with rationale, will be released after consideration of public comments and completion of the EA. 

Niobrara, June 2013

Niobrara, June 2013

While I am not opposed to using PZP, I am opposed to the overuse of it.

Last year most of the J, K and L girls got removed.  So that alone will make a huge difference to the upcoming years of foals.  This year we have begun to see the effects of PZP.  There have only been 15 (13 surviving) foals born compared to 25 last year.

Please read and please submit your comment letter.  Comments need to be in by September 6, 2013.

Sandy

Bad science, spin and alleged subterfuge

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Reply
BLM Aug 2013 Spin-shop

Joan Guilfoyle (BLM), Debbie Collins (BLM) and Facilitator

 For the record

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) public workshop on August 6, 2013 in Reno was a pitch session for the agency’s point of view that shade is not necessary at the Palomino Valley Center (PVC). The facility is the largest wild horse and burro short-term holding, adoption and processing center in America.

PVC resembles a feedlot–fattening up wild horses before probable slaughter for human consumption. Even so there is no shelter for the close to 2,000 captive wild horses, including pregnant mares and foals, at the huge facility.

The workshop was more of a “spin-shop” and failed the BLM’s interactive promise. Often questions from the public were repeated but not answered.

The BLM’s neglectful point of view was supported by biased consultants with a history of working for the cattle industry–a long time foe of the wild horse.

We received many complaints from members of the public who were in the room, and those on the webinar, stating that their questions and comments were not answered.

Advocates were put off after traveling to Reno to give public comment but were not allowed to share their findings because the BLM was not letting them speak.

There was no brainstorming session of substance–only a BLM pitch against shade that allowed the concerned public to ask questions and some colorful writing on boards.

The advocate community and members of the global public are up in arms that the BLM appears to have found consultants from U.C. Davis who speak with alleged forked tongues to back up the BLM’s negligent care.

Ph.D. from U.C. Davis advises against minimum standards of shade/shelter at BLM facility

Ph.D. from U.C. Davis advises against minimum standards of shade/shelter at BLM facility

The recommendation by Dr. Carolyn Stull, Ph.D. from U.C. Davis, to deny America’s captive wild horses access to shade/shelter is appalling. Everyone knows the minimum basics of Animal Husbandry 101 is food, shelter, water. Obviously there is a conflict of interest. Is this because of her ties to the cattle industry or is it something else?

Stull wrote a paper titled “Managing Equine Neglect Cases” in which it states at the top, in the definitions, quote, ‘NEGLECT: is the failure to provide proper shelter, food, or water. Neglect may also include failure to provide veterinary care to a horse that is ill or injured.”

When I asked her why she was recommending no shade/shelter for captive wild horses in the BLM’s care, especially after Stull herself wrote a well known paper on NEGLECT, she appeared to downplay the importance of shade by stating that her paper was for domestic horses in California.

Everyone saw through her shocking response. Many advocates have the episode on video and will publish the whole dog and pony show soon.

The BLM’s proposition to shade only the “compromised” equids is outrageous. All captive wild horses and burros need access to food, water and shelter.

The crowd in the room, the viewers on line, and the public wants all the captive wild horses to have access to shelter.

The BLM requires all adopters provide shelter in order to adopt wild horses and burros yet they are not providing it themselves.

When asked questions about the number of uncounted dead wild horses, the BLM’s vet appeared evasive and appeared to demonstrate a blatant lack of transparency to the taxpayer. He seemed to show disrespect for his oath as a DVM by appearing to hide information about all the dead horses at the government facility.

The BLM and/or their vet appear to have neglected to perform necropsies to prove exposure to triple digit heat–without shade–contributed to the death of more than 3 wild horses during the heat wave. Without necropies, there is a lack of scientific proof–even though the BLM’s negligence points to subterfuge. Keep in mind, the BLM is routinely skewing the death count by not counting the dead without brands showing their id numbers.

The BLM’s mortality statistics avoid counting the majority of captured dead horses and burros. False mortality statistics are reported to convince Congress things “aren’t so bad”.

We request accurate death counts for transparency. Congress and the greater public need to know the truth.

More than 26,000 people have signed our petition and the number is growing every hour. http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-emergency-shade-for-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

Every day the BLM refuses to bring emergency shade and shelter, more people learn about the horrible way America’s captive wild horses are being treated by the agency charged to protect them.

Research on shade for wild horses and burros would be a waste of taxpayer funding as food shelter, water and veterinary care are the basics for animal welfare.

More roundups are inexcusable when the BLM neglects their basic care in captivity.

Protect Mustangs formally reinstates our request for captive wild horses and burros to have access to shade and shelter from the elements.

This shameful issue is being well documented by many advocates. The bad science allegedly pushed by consultants is being well documented. The BLM’s lack of transparency and avoidance to work with the public is being well documented and the whole world is watching their heinous acts of neglect towards native wild horses and burros.

If the BLM had cared for the captive wild horses then little Shadow would probably still be alive. See and share the video investigation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdM2NrJcX8o&feature=c4-overview&list=UUX02ydgQl6GSD0XdTBz9vaQ

Please sign, share and email out the petition for emergency shade: http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-emergency-shade-for-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

Now contact your senators and representative and request they intervene to bring shade/shelter to the captive wild horses and burros.

Best wishes,

Anne Novak

Executive Director of Protect Mustangs

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs is devoted to protecting native wild horses. Our mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horse, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.

Links of Interest:

August 9, 2013 This is Reno, Palomino horse facility needs shade http://thisisreno.com/2013/08/opinion-palomino-horse-facility-needs-shade/

July 20, 2013 Kansas City Star by Martin Griffith, The Associated Press BLM seeks ideas to protect wild horses from heat http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/20/4357157/blm-seeks-ideas-on-how-to-protect.html

July 20, 2013 CBS San Francisco BLM seeks ways to protect wild horses from heat after pressure from Bay Area advocate http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/07/20/blm-seeks-to-protect-wild-horses-from-heat-after-pressure-from-bay-area-advocate/

BLM’s wild horse and burro program looks to community for ideas at workshop: http://thisisreno.com/2013/07/blms-wild-horse-and-burro-program-looks-to-community-for-ideas-at-workshop/

Captive wild horses need relief from heat says HSUS http://horsetalk.co.nz/2013/07/18/captive-wild-horses-need-relief-heat-says-hsus/#axzz2ZcyetMGy

Captive wild horses need shade, advocates say http://horsetalk.co.nz/2013/07/02/captive-wild-horses-need-shade-advocates-say/#axzz2ZcyetMGy

How many foals are dying after roundups?: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4246

BLM’s email revealing they are not counting the unbranded dead amongst the 37 dead mustangs at the Nevada facility http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4220

BLM avoids necropsy to avoid proof of heat distress http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4808

BLM must provide basic care #Shade4Mustangs

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“Meet Tarzan, a 6-7 week old colt orphaned during an ’emergency’ roundup of the Seaman NV herd. He was fortunate to be adopted by photographer Jeanne Nations who used an old tarp to make him this simple shaded shelter in the corner of his paddock. It’s Tarzan’s shade, shelter & sanctuary. Do the foals at Palomino Valley need and deserve any less?” ~ Carl Mrozek, filmmaker and Advisory Board Member of Protect Mustangs.

Read Jeanne’s description of Tarzan’s attachment to his shady retreat:

“Tarzan wanders in and out of the shelter all day. He will go eat some hay, drink water then go back to the shade, especially during the hot afternoons where he’ll take siestas. If he ‘s frightened by dogs, thunder, loud noises…anything, he’ll run there. It’s his safe haven and he spends the night there too.

Summer temps here hit 90-95 degrees & sometimes the 100s, so there is definitely a need for horses to have shade and burros too.”

Jeanne is planning a more permanent shelter, but didn’t want Tarzan to suffer through the heat of summer without some kind of shade. Why can’t BLM do the same ? They demand no less from all adopters!”

Please sign and share the Petition for Emergency Shade: http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-emergency-shade-for-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

Shade in Wild Photo © Molly Malone FB

Animals’ Angels investigation of BLM mortality discrepancies continues

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http://www.animalsangels.org/

Lack of accountability remains questionable
The BLM has habitually demonstrated a complete lack of accountability regarding horse and burro mortality rates. Excuses include everything from incomplete and missing paperwork, to excluding deceased foals with the death tolls. If BLM’s record-keeping is as palpable as they would have the public believe, why are there such imposing discrepancies?

 

As mentioned in our previous report, the Nevada BLM Office utilizes a rendering company to dispose of deceased horses and burros. The figures from the mortality reports of the Nevada BLM do not reconcile with the rendering company receipts.

 

BLM Horses 1

 

Hundreds of horses were unaccounted for. The BLM’s Public Affairs Specialist Heather Jasinski rationalized this huge discrepancy in part by claiming that they do not count stillbirths (aborted fetuses, animals born dead and newborn animals found dead) and young foals that died before they were freeze marked, but also admitted that the “National WH&B Program is currently reviewing its reporting procedures for all aspects of the program and will modify them to correct any identified discrepancies.”

BLM Horses 2
Our review of the mortality rates at the Palomino Valley Holding Facility in Nevada was alarming, but unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. Received via Freedom of Information Act Request, the disposal information obtained from Utah, California, and Colorado BLM offices and landfills was enough to cause great concern. Upon reviewing the mortality reports, disposal protocols and landfill delivery sheets from January 2010 to May 2013, we were compelled to share our findings with the general public.

While each state maintained at least rudimentary mortality reports, there is absolutely no oversight whatsoever with regard to disposal. Landfills utilized by the BLM either do not keep disposal records, or refused to provide them to Animals’ Angels; referring us to the BLM instead.  One landfill in Utah did respond to our request for disposal receipts, however, the receipts were for total tonnage and not by head count. Their receipts still didn’t match the records supplied by the BLM. Without an outside agency keeping and/or providing disposal records, it is nearly impossible to know the true mortality rate of horses and burros within the BLM.

 

BLM Horses 3
Colorado:

 

Per Mr Fran Ackley, BLM Wild Horse Program Lead, the Colorado BLM has an “assistance agreement” with the Canon City Correctional Facility. Prison employees pick up deceased horses and burros and take them to the landfill.This agreement was described as an arrangement that benefited both Government organizations in various ways, providing work for inmates and providing a service needed by the BLM.

Colorado BLM supplied Animals’ Angels with copies of prison receipts, indicating a fee for this “service” being charged by the prison. Also included with this FOIA, were thefacility/mortality reports. As per usual, the BLM’s figures in Colorado often do not match the prison receipts. Animals’ Angels requested a copy of the prison’s records, but Mr. Jim Heaston, Head of the Department of Corrections Program, denied our request.

Utah:

 

Utah BLM also supplied Animals’ Angels with mortality records for the Delta, Gunnison and Salt Lake Facility. According to Juan Palma, State Director of the BLM in Utah, the BLM utilizes five landfills for dead horse disposal: Iron County Landfill, Sevier County Landfill, Millard County Landfill, Sanpete Landfill and Salt Lake Valley Landfill.

 

Iron County Landfill

Per the BLM, disposal at this landfill was rare. There was no charge for disposal, nor were any records kept by either party. Associated numbers for the word “rare” are left open to interpretation.

BLM horses 4

 

Sevier County Landfill

Per the BLM, there was no charge for disposal at this landfill, nor were any records kept. Exact totals were unknown.


Millard County Landfill

Per the Millard Landfill, records were not kept regarding horses/burros disposed of by the BLM. Sheryl Dekker, Office Manager at the landfill, also indicated that they did not invoice for the service and that the landfill does not monitor if & how many animals are delivered to their “flesh pits”.


Sanpete Landfill

According to the BLM, this landfill was utilized quite frequently for dead animal disposal from the Gunnison facility. Per the Sanpete Landfill’s Chairman Scott Bartholomew (who referred us to the UT BLM), records are not kept regarding the BLM’s disposal. However, a portion of Utah BLM’s internal records received with the FOIA included receipts for Sanpete. Money was exchanged for the service, but the BLM was again charged for tonnage, not for individual headcount, which makes it difficult to compare these figures with mortality report numbers. Exact totals are unknown. According to the mortality records, 131 horses died at the Gunnison facility in 2011. The Sanpete Landfill invoices indicate disposal of carcasses with a total weight of 56,780lbs.

 

BLM HORSES 5

Salt Lake Valley Landfill

The Salt Lake Valley Landfill provided BLM disposal records to Animals’ Angels. This landfill was paid by the BLM for tonnage. The tonnage records provided by the landfill do not match the number of dead horses listed on the mortality records. For example, according to the mortality records, no horses died at the Salt Lake Facility between April and July of 2010. However, the landfill records show several BLM disposals during that timeframe.

 

Incongruent record keeping by all entities proves only one thing: there is no way to accurately determine the death rates within Utah BLM, as concrete figures are completely unavailable.

 

California:

According to Amy Dumas, Wild Horse & Burro Program Manager, California BLM buries deceased horses and burros on-site at their holding facilities. The California BLM did provide mortality reports for the Litchfield and Ridgecrest facility. Without any external audit system, confirmation and accuracy of these figures is subject to believing that they are undeniably true. Based on the other FOIA’s we have received, it would be hard to imagine that the California holding facilities properly document the number of deceased animals.

 

In summary:

The public needs to understand the autonomous nature of BLM operations. Autonomy cannot be an attribute of a Government-run agency. Inaccurate documents, specifically those regarding mortality rates, lead to suspicion. If this was indeed a transparent agency, the numbers wouldn’t lie.

 

Animals’ Angels is awaiting FOIA responses from South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon and Arizona. We will continue our investigation into the BLM’s practices, and will update our report with our findings.  As always, we greatly appreciate your continued support.

Report from the Spinshop #Shade4Mustangs

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Shade 4 Mustangs BLM Workshop 1 August 6 2013 Marked

August 6, 2013

The BLM Workshop in Reno eroded down to a presentation of BLM spin with:

1.) Ph.D.s making statements with NO EVIDENCE and NO RESEARCH on native wild horses. (FYI the Ph.Ds’ research is only on DOMESTIC horses)

2.) A facility DVM avoiding questions regarding the true number of DEAD foals

3.) Fabulous questions repeated but NOT answered by the BLM nor their contractors.

4.) BLM personnel NOT providing answers to questions and evading transparency.

One of the Ph.D.s explained the “basic necessities’ for humane horse care yet she avoided listing “shelter”. That same Ph.D. is known for citing failure to provide shelter as “Neglect”.

Anne Novak, our Executive Director, asked her, “Why are you not including shelter as a necessity in your presentation but are putting it over into a secondary category of optional horse care elements? Why are you saying this when you wrote a paper titled “Managing Equine Neglect Cases” in which it states at the top, in the definitions, quote, ‘NEGLECT: is the failure to provide proper shelter, food, or water. Neglect may also include failure to provide veterinary care to a horse that is ill or injured.”

The Ph.D. avoided the question and made the statement that her study was for California domestic horses not wild horses.

Captive wild horses deserve shade.

Adopters are required to provide not just shade but also shelter in order to adopt a wild horse that the BLM wants to dispose of.

We ask you~

Should the BLM be allowed different care standards than they demand of their adopters?

Why is a Ph.D.s skewing their published studies and standards of care to avoid requiring shelter for wild horses?

Later the workshop facilitator was pushing for the attendees to accept the BLM’s idea to give shelter to only the sick and injured wild horses but advocates would not be duped into supporting such an offer. Advocates stayed on focus and requested shelter for all captive wild horses and burros.

During the meeting, Anne Novak was in communication with Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM and President of Citizens Against Equine Slaughter. She presented his statement that “All captive wild horses must have access to shade at the Palomino Valley facility.”

We are grateful the advocates in the room and many viewing the web transmission saw through the Delphi Technique used at the meeting and left more empowered and unified to get shade and shelter for the wild horses at Palomino Valley Center and elsewhere.

We want to thank our supporters who donated toward the gas to get the Protect Mustangs delegation to the meeting.

Please email your friends and relatives to meet the challenge for 50,000 signatures. Here is the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-emergency-shade-for-captive-wild-horses-and-burros  Thank you!

 

Links of interest:

U.C. Davis expert cites failure to provide shelter as neglect http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4867

 

Managing Equine Neglect Cases by Crolyn L. Stull, PhD, UC Davis

Delphi Technique: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4422 , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi_method