Protect Mustangs Calls for Peaceful Protests to STOP the Roundups and STOP the BLM from selling wild indigenous horses to kill-buyers
It’s time to organize peaceful protests (large & small) and candlelight vigils so NO MORE wild horses will die from roundups, be tortured by the helicopters or sold to kill-buyers for delicacy meat abroad. Spread awareness in your communities and let your friends, family and neighbors know they can contact Congress if they don’t like their tax dollars used to fund cruel roundups.
Ask Congress to find a way to work WITH the wild indigenous horses to create biodiversity on the land–a win-win for wild horses, livestock, landowners, tourism and energy development on the New Energy Frontier.
“Show me a real independent headcount before we talk about fertility control,” says Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “There aren’t enough wild horses left on the range any more. The BLM will continue to roundup wild horses to treat mustangs with fertility control. Roundups have been deadly so far. Roundups are NOT the answer. Biodiversity is the answer.”
Join us to call for a moratorium on roundups.
“More than 52,000 indigenous wild horses have been captured and are in government holding,” explains Novak. “Selling ‘excess’ wild horses to kill-buyers is a heinous act and must stop now as well as the gluttony of roundups.”
If you don’t like the cruelty and deaths at roundups contact your senators and congresspeople and request they stop it now. Congress approves funding for roundups. YOUR tax dollars are paying to wipe out America’s wild indigenous horses.
“We request a freeze on all roundups until Congress can investigate and stop the BLM from selling wild horses by the hundreds to alleged kill-buyers,” states Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “Internal corruption needs to be flushed out fast.”
Today the press revealed a man who has purchased at least 1,700 wild horses from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program for $10 a piece. Dave Phillips reports in ProPublica, All the missing horses: What happened to the wild horses Tom Davis bought from the government? It appears that the BLM is selling healthy indigenous wild horses to a known pro-slaughter kill-buyer to dispose of our living legends.
This needs to stop now.
Here are some articles providing some background about the BLM’s heinous wild horse traffic to slaughter . . . America’s living legends, betrayed by those entrusted to protect them under the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act.
National Geographic (May 5, 2005) Wild Horses Sold by U.S. Agency Sent to Slaughter http://bit.ly/IaLgoA
The agency’s mission changed in December, when Congress passed a bill that made it legal for the BLM to sell wild horses outright . . .
Since December the BLM has sold about a thousand wild horses under the new rules. The slaughtered horses were originally sold to the Rosebud Sioux Indians in South Dakota and to an unnamed Oklahoma man who said he wanted the horses for a church youth program.
The Sioux group bought 105 wild horses at a dollar apiece, then traded 87 of them to a horse broker, who sold some of the horses for slaughter. The Oklahoma man bought six at $50 apiece, according to the BLM. Slaughterhouses are known to pay hundreds of dollars for a horse.
Christian Science Monitor and cross-posted by The Seattle Times (March 2, 2005) Law allows slaughter of wild horses for meat by Brad Knickerbocker http://bit.ly/K8DWIF
Now, a law signed by President Bush will allow the slaughter and export of horse meat form thousands of wild horses. Horse lovers are urgins reversal of the measure, which slipped into a recent federal appropriations bill by Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.
Chicago Tribune (Dec, 12, 2001) Adopted wild horses are still being slaughtered by Robert Gehrkehttp://bit.ly/IcWL2gstory went viral
WASHINTON–Wild horses put up for adoption by the Bureau of Land Management continue to be slaughtered, in some cases within weeks of he owner gaining title to the animal, according to the latest BLM records.
The quick turnaround has critics questioning how aggressively BLM is enforcing a rule requiring adopters to swear that they don’t plan to sell the horse to slaughter.
‘Not only is the BLM not actually prosecuting people, but they’re not even doing the investigation to try to figure it out and it seems like they don’t want to know,’ said Howard Crystal, an attorney for the Fund for Animals, whose lawsuit led to the no-slaughter clause.
The Desert News (Dec. 12, 2001) Rules are not preventing slaughter of wild horses by Robert Gehrkehttp://bit.ly/IMYibB
The Deseret News (August 18, 1999) Wild horses are going to slaughter, BLM says http://bit.ly/IMiyKq
Adopted wild horses are being slaughtered for meat or pet food at a rate that could top five per week, according to an employee of the Bureau of Land Management.BLM wild horse expert Lilly Thomas said once-wild horses adopted from agency land are being slaughtered at four major packinghouses. Speaking this week at a meeting of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board in Salt Lake City, Thomas said she based her estimate on reports from a slaughterhouse near Fort Worth, Texas,…
Buffalo News (January 5, 1997) US effort to save wild horses leads thousands to slaughter as workers profit by Martha Mendozahttp://bit.ly/IMb3Dn
A multimillion-dollar federal program created to save the lives of wild horses instead is channeling them by the thousands to slaughterhouses where they are chopped into cuts of meat.
Among those profiting from the slaughter are employees of the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that administers the program.
AP viral story (January 4, 1997) Program to protect wild horses often funnels them to slaughter by Martha Mendoza http://bit.ly/IhtEds
NY Times(Jan 29, 1997)Report Acknowledges Wild Horses Are Being Slaughtered http://nyti.ms/IwGF1x
The Spokesman Review (December 12, 1986) Wild horses being sent to slaughter http://bit.ly/IatqoK
HELENA — The Bureau of Land Management has been shipping hundreds of horses to Montana ranchers under the government’s “adopt-a-horse” program, and some are going to slaughter, one of the ranchers says.
Since 1985, more than 1,800 horses rounded up on government land in Nevada and other states have been shipped to ranchers in eastern Montana’s Yellowstone Valley, according to figures supplied by BLM Associate State Director Marvin Lenoue,
Hundreds of other wild horses have been shipped to South Dakota, mostly to Indian reservations . . .
Some owners sold them to rodeos, he said and “some of those people sent them to slaughter.”
Lakeland Ledger (March 11, 1973) U.S. Probe Wild Horse Slaughter ~ story went viralhttp://bit.ly/Io6nC5
LA Times (March 5, 1973) Apparent Roundup of Wild Horses for Slaughter Probed http://bit.ly/JUlvvG
Federal authorities are investigating a blood-soaked cliffside in the high, remote mountains of southeastern Idaho where officials say a herd of about 60 wild horses was apparently rounded up and sold for slaughter.
Close to 300,000 acres of the Twin Peak wild horse range have burned as of midnight August 20th.
We are very grateful to the Rush fire crews working to contain the fire, protect the land, livestock, wild horses and burros and especially the community.
We ask the BLM to find a way to help the wild horses on the range by bringing them food and water as needed–until the forage grows back.
Rounding up California’s last herd of wild horses and removing them from their herd management area is wrong. We don’t want them to lose their legally designated range to livestock, energy and mining use. These other forms of public land use can move elsewhere for a while, if needed, but California’s wild horses need their home on the range.
Today Grandma Gregg wrote to us with the following news:
Twin Peaks HMA Rush Fire on Rye Patch Road August 18, 2012 (Photo by BLM)
She said her daughter contacted Jeff Fontana, BLM public affairs officer, to tell the BLM the location where the wild horse family, known as Magic’s Band, lives. She expressed her concern they would be trapped in the fire due to the extensive livestock fencing and cross fencing throughout the area.
Here is Magic and his family living in harmony before the fire.
Magic – grey stallion – son and look-alike of the great herd stallion BraveHeart, who was captured with his family in the 2010 roundup.
Hope – Magic’s mare and true love as you can see in the pic
Harley – Hope’s 2 or 3 year old colt
Curley and Shiney, two bay bachelor stallions and great buddies (not pictured)
The BLM official assured Grandma’s family that the horses would be able to get out through the gates because the ranchers and firemen had been instructed to leave them open.
Grandma’s family is very concerned that the wild horse family will not see the open gates in the smoke and concerned they could get stuck in the unsafe cattle guards. Many people are concerned Magic’s family would have been trapped by fencing while the fire rushed through the area.
She shared photos with us showing exactly where Magic and his family (eight horses total) lived before the fire went through the area this week.
Grandma took these photos last year standing in the same place at the top of the fenced “pasture” but looking in different directions. She noticed fences everywhere in every direction–a trap.
View #1
There is no fencing in this photograph – this would be looking the direction (south) that the fire would have come up toward them – fences are behind and right and left – good pic that shows where the fire would have come from -wildfires normally burn fast UP hills so the fire would have back them right up to the fences.
Location: The fire is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Northern California District (BLM-CA-NOD,) Eagle Lake Field Office, approximately 15 miles southeast of Ravendale, California. The fire is burning near a major natural gas line and transfer station, and power transmission lines that supply the Reno area.
Summary: The fire pushed south and east over the top of Skedaddle Mountain as well as spreading east of Observation Peak. Firefighters made good progress to secure the northwestern fire edge. Fire crews will continue to construct handline, dozer lines, and complete burnouts operations as conditions permit in an effort to further contain the fire.
Possible thunderstorm activity is in the forecast for the next two-three days. This fire has showed significant growth from thunder cell downdrafts on several occasions.
Voluntary evacuations of structures along eastern side of Highway 395. Structure protection is being implemented by fire crews. Residents along Mail Route/County Road 502 and Garate Road were notified that voluntary evacuations for that area are in effect. The fire is currently within ½ mile of US Route (Highway) 395. The public needs to be aware for the need of possible intermittent closures of Highway 395 due to fire activity and public safety.
Area and Road Closures in Effect: On August 16, the BLM issued a closure order for public lands in the fire area to protect public health and safety. The closed area is bounded by Highway 395 on the west, the Sand Pass Road on the east, and the Wendel Road on the south. The new northern boundary for the public land closure is the Juniper Ridge, Tuledad, Stage Road, Marr Road, and Buckhorn Road extending to Nevada Highway 447 in Washoe County. Routes closed within this closure area include the Ramhorn Springs, Rye Patch Road, Shinn Ranch, Stoney, Deep Cut, Smoke Creek, Skedaddle Ranch, Dry Valley, and Brubeck roads. The Ramhorn Springs Campground also is closed.
Travelers along the Highway 395 corridor, please use caution near the fire crews and equipment working in the fire area. Highway 395 may be closed due to fire activity. Please check for current road conditions with CalTrans at http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi or 800-427-7623.
Remarks: Fire officials remind residents and visitors that fire restrictions are in effect for public lands and national forests in northeast California. Campfires are permitted only in posted recreation sites. Chainsaws may not be used after 1:00pm daily.
Robin Warren leads youth campaign for Protect Mustangs
For immediate release:
SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (July 16, 2012)–Since joining Protect Mustangs in June as their new youth campaign director, Robin Warren, age 11, has met with a Nevada State Senator, documented wild horses on the range, was a featured speaker at the Stop the Roundups rally in California’s capital and gave oral comments at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter hearing also in the golden state. At the hearing, Warren presented the BLM representative with her Petition to Save Wild Mustangs asking the BLM to stop helicopter roundups.
“It’s not fair that the Bureau of Land Management has an exemption to the law that protects wild horses and burros,” states Robin Warren, youth campaign director for Protect Mustangs. “We want cruel helicopter roundups to stop and we want to make sure they always have access to clean water.”
The petition reads:
“We, the undersigned, do respectfully request that the Bureau of Land Management adhere to the same rules and regulations as the general public in regards to the humane treatment of wild horses and burros. We find it unreasonable that the Secretary of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, or any person or organization, is found to be exempt from our collective responsibility as humans to treat animals humanely. We further find it unreasonable that the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture are permitted to define “humane” as it pertains to their own areas of command. We respectfully request that the Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 be restored to its original intent, that no person or organization would be permitted to capture wild horses and burros by means of motorized vehicles, or by polluting or closing off watering holes, as these methods have been proven inhumane.”
Warren started the petition 3 years ago under her pen name Wild Mustang Robin–to stop the wild horse roundups. She was inspired to co-author the petition after reading “Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West” by Marguerite Henry.
She has been active in her hometown, Las Vegas, and over the internet to get signatures. After posting the petition online at Change.org she received signatures from 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico & and more than 30 countries.
At last week’s helicopter use hearing in Sacramento, Warren presented 2770 signatures from her petition to Amy Dumas, the BLM representative.”Kids don’t want to see wild horses in zoos,” states Warren. “We want to observe them roaming on the open range with their families.”
Warren’s speech at the BLM helicopter use hearing received a standing ovation from the audience.
“Robin speaks for the youth of America and touches people’s hearts across the nation,” says Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “She wants the wild horses to be protected–not harassed and torn from their families forever.”
Copy of Robin’s speech to BLM delivered as a letter at the hearing:
Robin Warren Director of the Youth Program Protect Mustangs P.O. Box 5661 Berkley, CA 94705
Mike Pool
Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management
1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665
Washington DC 20240
James G. Kenna & Amy Dumas
BLM Wild Horse and Burro State Director, and Program
California State Office
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W1834
Sacramento, CA 95825
July 10th, 2012
Re: Helicopter Roundups
Dear Messrs. Mike Pool and James Kenna and Ms. Amy Dumas;
Hi I am Wild Mustang Robin, Director of the Youth Campaign at Protect Mustangs; I came here today to talk about the mustangs. I am happy see there are many people here who could come today to say no to the roundups. First of all I would like to say the roundups are inhumane. There is a law made by Wild Horse Annie saying you cannot use motorized vehicles to round up the wild horses. If I – or even the President – was to round them up I would get arrested. Now there is one interesting thing: the BLM gets an exemption even though it is a law not to use motorized vehicles.
Helicopters are like monsters to the mustangs; children do not want America’s animals to be scared or hurt in anyway. This makes kids feel unsafe because they don’t want to have monsters in their life and children are like animals (they don’t have a voice really). The helicopters are so scary that the mustangs remember the noise for the rest of their lives. I went to the BLM holding facility in Sparks, NV and when we were walking a slow pace the horses got scared and ran away. They were scared of people walking – how do you think they feel about helicopters?
Another reason the roundups are inhumane is because they separate the families apart – the foals from the mothers and the mothers from the fathers. They might spend the rest of their lives behind gates and never see each other again. Their ability to have families is a gift because many creatures have to let their babies live on their own after a few weeks of them taking care of them. I know how it feels because I lost my whole family. I have found a new home and happiness but the mustangs may never get to be in a herd again – and they long for family. It is not humane to separate families from each other. How would you feel if you lost your family?
A much more humane idea is to keep the family bands whole and send them all together to sanctuaries. It is an idea that would save money and make money as a tourist attraction – a business like a hotel near where the mustangs and burros live. This is a great idea and it can cost less than feeding, watering, and taking care of them when they can take care of themselves. It could make money for all the states where mustangs still live – both yours and mine.
The mustangs and burros deserve to be treated right. I know that and a numerous amount of others do too. Many people care about the wild horses and burros and do not want any of them rounded up or eaten. There are the big names you know, that spoke before me, and then there are the “little names” you don’t know yet, like mine. I represent the voices of many children.
Please do not use helicopters or motorized vehicles for roundups or management. Please reconsider your roundup plans and let them live in freedom.
Federal agency pushes ahead with Salazar Plan to wipe out mustangs despite several years of public and celebrity opposition
How many foals will die in another helicopter roundup?
After the helicopter stampedes and captures of Desatoya free roaming wild horses–the Bureau of Land Management will be allowed to bait trap for another 10 years.
Who will they hire for the bait trapping? The local land owners with blatant conflicts of interest? Will they trap America’s wild horses on private land to prevent advocates from watchdogging?
If you don’t like this then contact your elected officials and ask them for a moratorium on roundups, a Congressional investigation of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burros program because the BLM has a conflict of interest and should not be managing America’s indigenous horses.
You can spread awareness. Have a peaceful protest in your community to inform the public about what is happening on public land in the West.
Stop the Roundups Rally, July 10, 2012, at 2 p.m. Federal Courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento, Ca.
We got there a half hour early to meet with two other horse advocates: Debby Coffey and Garnet Pasquel. They were very nice. Garnet gave me a button and they both signed my petition. We had brought signs from Las Vegas for American Wild Horse Advocates since Garnet flew and we were driving. Everyone liked the signs we brought.
After we had refreshments we went across the street to set up. A lot of people came to help and a lot of people brought signs. People really liked mine that said “Helicopters are Monsters”. The spectators also liked the one that said “Honk for Horses” because they kept honking. News reporters came and took pictures and video. – people from the TV and the newspaper. One reporter asked me some questions. They said they were only going to take a few pictures but once they saw all the people who came they stayed a while longer and took many more pictures.
It was about 45 minutes before the master of ceremonies, Jetara True-Love, started introducing the speakers. Many great speakers spoke before me. My favorite was Craig Downer who spoke first because he had a lot of information. But it is not right for me to choose a favorite because I enjoyed every speaker.
I am so grateful that wild horse hero, Anne Novak, chose me to be the Director of the Youth Campaign for Protect Mustangs. There could be no greater honor. I am so happy that this happened because I thought I would always be in the background but now I am in the front with all the rest of the horse heroes. Another member on the Board of Directors of Protect Mustangs is photographer Cat Kindfather and she is also a hero of mine. Both Anne and Cat are so encouraging to me. I’m really looking forward to letting other kids know about the wild horses & burros so they can help too.
I felt like I was in Hollywood because I got to meet so many horse celebrities – my heroes. I got to close the rally with my speech. The microphone stopped working but everyone got close to hear me. When I was done, everyone was cheering for me.
The rally ended but not many people left right away. We all wanted to stay and talk. Many of us stayed together after the rally until the hearing, exchanging information, and encouraging each other. Even though it was hot and a little longer than I expected I had the time of my life. And, as everyone noted, the a few hours in the heat is nothing compared to what our wild horses are put through. I will never forget this day. I hope we made a difference for the horses. I hope everyone keeps rallying everywhere until the horses are once again free!
The Sacramento Stop the Roundups Rally and Press Conference is at 2 p.m. July 10th on the sidewalk outside the Federal Courthouse across from the Amtrak station. ( 501 ” I ” Street at the 5th Street intersection in Sacramento, CA 95814)
Here is a list of speakers:
Carla Bowers, National Wild Horse Advocate
Tina Brodrick, Owner of Sonny Boys Tours
Craig Downer, Wildlife Biologist and acclaimed Wild Horse and Burro Expert
Terri Farley, Award winning writer and beloved author of The Phantom Stallion series
Cat Kindsfather, Award winning wild horse photographer
Marilyn Kroplick, MD, Board President for In Defense of Animals
Simone Netherlands, President of Respect for Horses
Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs
Jetara Séhart, Executive Director of Native Wild Horse Protection & Marin Mustangs
Robin Warren (Wild Mustang Robin), Director of The Youth Campaign for Protect Mustangs
Bring homemade signs and your friends. It will be hot so bring a rain umbrella for shade and plenty of water. Protect Mustangs encourages members of the public to carpool or take Amtrak to save on fuel and reduce pollution. Oil and gas extraction–on public land–is one of the main reasons wild horses are being wiped off their home on the range. Be part of the solution and take the train if you can.
The voiceless wild horses and burros need your help after the rally too. Give oral or written comment against helicopter roundups and attend the 6:30 pm BLM Wild Horse & Burro Helicopter/Vehicle Use Public Hearing for roundups and management. The meeting runs from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Woodlake Hotel (formerly the Radisson near Arden Fair Mall) 500 Leisure Lane in Sacramento.
Sadly these wild horses have lost their homes and their families. They need to find good people to adopt them. Mustangs are quick to learn and train.
We have adopted wild horses and would be happy to share our experience as well as some resources such as gentle trainers. We welcome you to email us at Contact@ProtectMustangs.org with your questions. Please include your phone number for us to call you back.
We encourage people to adopt a wild horse or two to keep them safe. It’s direct action you can take to save the mustangs.
If you know of someone who might adopt a mustang please forward this on to them.
Living legends at risk
Once wild horses are shipped out to long term holding their fate is unknown. The public and advocates can’t keep track of them . . . They can be purchased by the lots of 100 horses or more. Who buys 100 wild horses at a time? Where do they go?
These wild horses are located at the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nevada. They need homes quickly before they are shipped out to long-term holding.
Thank you for doing what you can do to save a wild mustang’s life.
