Petitions to Save America’s Wild Horses and Burros

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Protect Mustangs

Help get more signatures on the petitions to save America’s wild horses and burros!

Our grassroots petitions are forwarded to the decision makers we are petitioning and make an impact in many ways. We use our petitions in meetings and in communications with elected officials, the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, VIPs and change-makers. Some petitions have been used in lawsuits. People use our petitions to advocate for wild horses and burros and the dire issues of abuse when meeting with their elected officials, etc.

For example, Palomino Valley Center and many other short-term holding facilities have avoided providing shade and shelter for wild horses and burros for decades despite advocates requesting it. Our petition for shade and shelter (http://chn.ge/1DriOvN) and our 2013 investigation (http://bit.ly/2bWvwxr) has made a huge impact to bring change thanks to people like you who have an opportunity to show you care about the captives and want to end suffering in the pens.

Even after the Bureau of Land Management (BoLM) was excused from providing shade and shelter as a result of an expensive U.C. Davis study, paid for by the BoLM with your tax-dollars, the petition is keeping the pressure on for change–to end the suffering in the pens.

In an important 2015 meeting regarding shade at Palomino Valley, a Bureau of Land Management staff member was shocked when I told him about the number of people who signed our petition wanting action. At that point he realized how important this issue really was to the greater public and not just a few advocates. Since then, the Bureau of Land Management is taking the issue seriously and taking steps, although baby steps, to bring relief to captive wild horses and burros. It’s essential to keep up the public pressure.

BoLM now says they are willing to provide shade after they have finished trials and will install windbreaks soon.

The Bureau of Land Management brings in more than $4 Billion a year and should have installed emergency shade 3 years ago when our investigation proved wild horses were dying in the heat waves. They have been stalling ever since. This is why we all need to keep the pressure on and need to triple the signatures on the petition ASAP.

Getting to the goal of 110,000+ signatures is essential so I hope you will join me in asking your friends and family to sign the shade and shelter petition. 110,000 + signatures really pushes elected officials, who are political animals, to “do something because voters care”. Your elected officials in Congress along with special interests control the Bureau of Land Management. You can make a difference against the big machine by getting more signatures on our petitions.

Below are some of our petitions for change. More can be found here: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=220

Bring emergency shelter and shade to captive wild horses and burros: https://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

Defund to Stop the Wild Horse and Burro Roundups and Slaughter: https://www.change.org/p/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups

Congress & President: Stop Slaughter & Experiments on 100,000 Wild Horses & Burros: https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-congress-president-stop-sterilization-slaughter-of-100-000-wild-horses-burros

It’s not an easy battle to save America’s wild horses and burros or it would already be done. Don’t give up hope. Please keep fighting for the abused wild horses and burros.

Meet with your elected officials or their aides personally, send a hand written letter with a printed cover page of the petitions to help you explain the issues at hand and show your elected officials that voters care and want them to take action to save America’s wild horses and burros.

Together we can stop the cruelty! Be a voice for the voiceless. It’s up to us to make it happen by getting more signatures on the petitions for change. Thank you and Bless you.

For the wild ones,

Anne Novak

Volunteer Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Mission: To protect and preserve native and wild horses

Protect Mustangs is a nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

Federal agency provides shade at adoption event so why not at corrals? #Shade4Mustangs

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Protect Mustangs

The Bureau of Land Management (BoLM) is providing shade for the captive wild horses up for adoption at the Wyoming State Fair this weekend.

It’s time for the Wild Horse and Burro Program to follow their own example.

We would like to see the federal agency, who rakes in more than $4 billion a year in receipts, provide shade and shelter for all the captive wild horses in holding facilities. More than 43,500 people have signed our petition for shade and shelter (http://chn.ge/1DriOvN).

On June 9, 2013 Nevada State Senator Mark Manendo and Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs officially requested shade for the wild horses and burros at Palomino Valley Center, near Reno and elsewhere to ensure the welfare of these treasured equids. Their request for shade was refused and the sprinkler mitigation offered was unsuccessful because shelter is needed.

Now it is the summer of 2016 and due to public pressure some facilities are taking baby steps and some are conducting trials but it’s not enough. America’s captive icons of freedom deserve shade now!

The BoLM partnered with UC Davis for an expensive shade study that determined wild horses don’t need shade when they are in the corrals. It’s obvious they like having access to shade and use it as seen in the photo taken at Palomino Valley Center last week. The BoLM continues to conduct various shade trials while the years fly by and the wild ones suffer. Please sign and share the petition (http://chn.ge/1DriOvN) to get the BoLM to stop dragging their feet and do the right thing before more wild horses die.

Send this blog post to your congressional representative and two senators so they can get this done for the captives in the pens with no voice.

Protect Mustangs is a nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

The Fight Isn’t Over! Only 500 out of 1,800 wild horses and burros will get shade

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Protect Mustangs

THE FIGHT ISN’T OVER! Only 500 out of 1,800 wild horses will receive shade and wind breaks after 3 years of campaigning and public outrage demanding shade and shelter at Palomino Valley Center. Keep the pressure on!

RIP Shadow

Protect Mustangs’ investigation found wild horses were dying in the heat wave

Protect Mustangs’ campaign continues to stop captive wild horses from dying in the heat wave with no shade

Our Petition for Shade and Shelter continues to grow. As of today there are 42,301 supporters: https://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros Please continue to share this petition. It is delivered to elected officials and has been used in many important meetings with BLM and elected officials. Until shade and shelter is made available to all the wild horses (1,800) at Palomino Valley we will press forward! Your signatures count and have made this happen. Thank you!

UPDATE JULY 7, 2016

Hi Anne,

PVC is working toward purchasing and constructing windbreaks with roofs in 4 perimeter pens that would serve approx. 500 animals. The specifications for the wind breaks will be similar to the windbreaks found on this page: http://www.plusonemfg.co/products-we-build.html. BLM will modify the windbreaks to include roofs for shade. However, BLM cannot directly purchase from plusone without issuing a solicitation open to the public for a 30 day time period. (plusone will be notified that BLM is soliciting for proposals), so I cannot tell you for certainty that those are the exact panels we would purchase.

After the 30 day open solicitation, the bids are reviewed by BLM procurement officers and an award is made to the vendors that can meet spec’s and lowest price. The successful vendor is then given a performance period in order to manufacture and deliver the supplies to BLM (approx. 60-90 days). It is anticipated that by fall PVC would have the materials on site and construction would begin.

The structures will be permanent in the four pens, but BLM will be assessing their effectiveness to determine if more such panels would be purchased for additional pens through an agreement with a partner.

Thanks,

Jason

—

Jason Lutterman

Public Affairs Specialist (On Range)

National Wild Horse and Burro Program

Bureau of Land Management

Office: (775) 861-6614

Mobile: (202) 304-0967

On Tue, Jul 5, 2016 at 1:37 AM, <anne@protectmustangs.org> wrote:

Dear Jason,

What sort of shade and/or shelter is BLM providing at Palomino Valley Center? Is this a trial or a permanent structure? What does it look like? How many will be used at PVC? When will it be installed? What about the windbreaks?

Best wishes,

Anne

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

Tel./Text: 415.531.8454

Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

In memory of Shadow, RIP, and all the captive wild horses who have suffered or died with no shade or shelter.

Protect Mustangs is an organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

Keep the pressure on!

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Protect Mustangs

Update on our petition for shade and shelter for captive wild horses and burros

Last year I had several meetings with BLM staff to bring shade to the captives at Palomino Valley Center (PVC). I hoped it would set an example for other facilities without shade as well.

BLM staff wanted to try a specific shade structure to ensure it would work for the facility. They told me there was no money in their budget to buy it. I offered to quickly raise the money for the trial shade structure to fast-track the process.

Sadly the BLM’s Washington office created a lot of red tape and delays. The window for the 2015 hot weather trial period ended.

My hopes were to have the PVC shade trial completed in 2015 so by the summer of 2016 the pens would be filled with shade structures providing relief from the hot weather and triple digit heat-waves.

In the wild, equids can move to cooler zones. In the BLM pens they are trapped.

Now it’s 2016 and summer temperatures are starting to climb. . . I hope there won’t be anymore dead wild horses in the pens this summer. Previous heat-waves have been tragic.

Please email this petition to everyone you know and ask them to sign and share it. Let’s keep the pressure on BLM to do the right thing.

After all, BLM made more than $4 billion in profit last year. Funds should be made available for BLM to purchase trial shade structures themselves right now! The least BLM could do is to provide shade to the iconic captives struggling under the pounding sun.

Together we can turn this around!

With dedication,
Anne

Anne Novak
Executive Director
www.ProtectMustangs.org
Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

Mission: To protect and preserve native and wild horses.

Petition to bring emergency shade and shelter to captive wild horses and burros: https://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

Protect Mustangs is an organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

Red Alert: America’s wild horses are disappearing! Staff lawyer needed ASAP

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

It’s URGENT to hire a staff lawyer quickly so we can get the most out of the legal genius and save America’s wild horses in court before they are killed! Click here to make a tax-deductible donation today: https://www.gofundme.com/mustanglaw

The lawyer will be the only paid professional at Protect Mustangs. The rest of us are volunteers because we care so deeply about America’s wild horses and their right to freedom.

Most organizations are paying their Presidents and Executive Directors big salaries. They pay other staff good salaries and benefits too. At Protect Mustangs it’s different. We are here for the wild horses not for the paycheck.

As you know I’m deeply committed to protecting America’s mustangs so I donate all my professional time as do our other wonderful volunteers. Sadly pro-bono lawyers won’t donate enough time to take a big case through the end. And we want to pound BLM with more than one lawsuit that will really protect wild horses.

Time is running out . . .

Mustangs are being persecuted and forced off their legal land because greedy people want the resources and don’t care about wild horses. Roundups are cruel and deadly. Afterwards wild horses are traumatized even more by being ripped apart from their families that they love. Once mustangs are offered for adoption 3 times by the feds and not picked–they can be sold to slaughter because the Burns Amendment made it legal. This is heinous!

Today is a special day of giving. Please help America’ s wild horses survive and live in freedom with a tax-deductible donation to our legal fund to hire a staff lawyer. Click here to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/mustanglaw

Protect Mustangs is a boots on the ground organization saving mustangs with a great track record of 3 out of 4 successful legal actions that have saved thousands of wild horses. (Pine Nut, Wyoming and Fort McDermitt). Now our hands are tied without our own lawyer on staff because there is so much to do!

You can change that.

If you want to make a difference and you want to save America’s wild horses then make a donation to our legal fund right now by clicking here: https://www.gofundme.com/mustanglaw

Together we can turn this around!

For the mustangs,
Anne

Anne Novak
Volunteer Executive Director
www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs

P.O. Box 5661

Berkeley, Ca. 94705

Protect Mustangs is dedicated to the protection and preservation of native and wild horses

H.H. The Dalai Lama wisdom

Protect Mustangs officially requests BLM Nevada bring captive wild horses shade to end their suffering

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

John Ruhs
Nevada BLM Director
BLM Nevada State Office
1340 Financial Blvd.,
Reno, NV 89502

Front Desk: 775-861-6400
Fax: 775-861-6601
Email: nvsoweb@blm.gov

July 2, 2015

Dear Mr Ruhs,

We officially request BLM Nevada bring emergency shade to the captive wild horses & burros at Palomino Valley Center facility (PVC), the Nevada State Prison in Carson City and other short term holding corrals. Here is our petition which explains the issue and what we would like: https://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

In 2013, Protect Mustangs conducted an investigation that uncovered captive wild horses at PVC–with no access to shade–who were dying in the heat wave. You can watch the rough video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdM2NrJcX8o Now it’s 2015, they still do not have access to shade and heat waves are here again.

Aside from concerns to protect them from heat stroke, other underlying health issues can be aggravated by heat waves–resulting in suffering and sometimes death.

We respectfully request you intervene to stop this extreme cruelty towards America’s icons in honor of the celebration of American independence on the 4th of July.

Wild horses embody the American spirit of life, liberty and freedom. It’s time to take responsibility for the captives in BLM’s care and bring them shade.

Shelter is one of the 3 basics in animal husbandry. Adopters are required to provide shelter when adopting wild horses yet the bureau ignores its own basic care guidelines.

In the wild, mustangs seek out shade and cooler zones. In the captive pens, paid for with tax dollars, wild horses are at the BLM’s mercy. Please help them and end this senseless suffering.

I extend my hand to work with you and your office in an effort to bring an end to cruelty towards America’s wild horses who previously roamed free. Please contact me at 415-531-8454 to discuss this urgent matter. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Anne Novak

Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustangs
Tel./Text: 415.531.8454
Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs
In the news: https://newsle.com/AnneNovak

www.ProtectMustangs.org
Protect Mustangs is a nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

Some shade issue press clippings:

Ann Novak of the advocacy group Protect Mustangs urged Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to step in and ensure protection for the horses.

She said at least three horses could have died as a result of excessive heat at the facility since June 28, but the BLM failed to perform necropsies on two of them to pinpoint the cause of death. A necropsy of the third horse found the cause of death was a respiratory illness, but Novak said hot temperatures could have aggravated the animal’s condition.

“It’s as if they (BLM) don’t want the public to know the truth,” Novak said Saturday as the mercury reached 103 degrees in Reno. “These captive wild horses need emergency shade. Exposing them to another heat wave without shade is cruel.”

Associated Press (viral coast to coast & abroad) BLM seeks ideas on how to protect wild horses from heat deaths http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/wild-horses-nevada/blm-seeks-ideas-how-protect-wild-horses-heat-deaths

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/

Novak comments: “If the government can send people into space then they can figure out how to shade the captive wild horses or just return them to the range. In the wild they can migrate to shady areas. In captivity it’s cruel to deny them shade.”

Captive wild horses need shade, advocates say http://horsetalk.co.nz/2013/07/02/captive-wild-horses-need-shade-advocates-say/#axzz3emSmcimj
Captive wild horses need relief from heat, says HSUS
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2013/07/18/captive-wild-horses-need-relief-heat-says-hsus/#axzz3emSmcimj

BLM seeks ideas on how to protect wild horses (NBC reports) http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/BLM-seeks-ideas-on-how-to-protect-wild-horses/HpPHeFaft0-vH0JbKVfLIA.cspx?rss=3298

and more…

Please visit this area of our website for information on the ongoing crisis: http://protectmustangs.org/?tag=shade

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

Bring emergency shelter and shade to captive wild horses and burros!

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

Urgent! Captive wild horses and burros need shelter now as extreme summer weather hits! STOP baking them in the sun! It’s killing them. Sign and share the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

The freezing winter weather has come and gone. Captive icons of American freedom, wild horses & burros, were denied shelter from the freezing winds, snow, icy rain, with only the muck (manure & urine) to lie down in-despite public outrage..

Now the mustangs and burros will face another summer of blistering high desert sun in triple-digit heat waves—no shelter! Our living treasures will continue to suffer. . . The feds are at the epicenter of this scandalous roundup and removal attack against America’s wild horses & burros. This cruelty in captivity must stop now!

Captive wild horses and burros need your help!

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Protect Mustangs

Dear Friends of Wild Horses and Burros,

You have the power to make change.

People protested and public outcry grew with the number of signatures on the petition. When we investigated Nevada’s captive pens filled with roundup survivors, we found young captive wild horses were dying in the triple digit heatwave. (Video: http://bit.ly/1w5l4pp)

A few months later, the BLM held a public workshop in Reno, Nevada to address public outcry for shade and shelter in BLM holding pens. Instead of working with the public to brainstorm, they announced their decision to place shade only in the sick pens and informed the public they would be conducting shade “studies” to determine if captive wild horses needed shade.

Now BLM Wyoming at Rock Springs is making similar changes. You can read about it here. They will be installing wind screens along the west side of the facility and placing protective shelters in the sick pens. This is not enough!

The feds’ proposed remedies in Nevada and Wyoming are a small step in the right direction. We must bring them to understand that ALL the captive wild horses and burros need access to shelter from the elements.

The BLM is dragging their feet and the federal employees whose salaries are paid for with your tax dollars are very lazy. They will only change their inhumane policy if we all get much louder!

Keep up the pressure and turn up the volume. Share the petition daily to get more signatures. http://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros This is a grassroots effort and together we can do this for the captive wild ones!

Meet with your senators and representative. Show them the petition to bring shelter and shade to captive wild horses and burros. Play for them the video exposing roundup cruelty: http://bit.ly/1toytZY Politely request they intervene to put an end to the suffering in the pens. Let them know you would like a response to your request and follow up with them often.

If you cannot meet with your elected officials then mail them a handwritten letter requesting they bring access to shelter and shade for all captive wild horses and burros at the holding facilities. After all, this is what the BLM requires of adopters so why should it be any different for the BLM? The cruelty must stop now!

Keep fighting for the voiceless who suffer. Together we can turn this around.

Many blessings,
Anne

Anne Novak
Executive Director
Contact@ProtectMustangs.org
www.ProtectMustangs.org

The petition is working: Wyoming BLM to install some shelters and wind screens

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Protect Mustangs

“The petition is working. The BLM held a workshop in Reno Nevada to address international public outcry for shade and shelter in 2013. The feds’ proposed remedies are not enough but it is a beginning at changing policy. Keep up the pressure and turn up the volume. Share the petition daily. Meet with your elected officials. Show them the petition to bring change to captive wild horses and burros. Politely request they intervene to put an end to the suffering in the pens.” ~Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs

BLM schedules modifications to the Rock Springs wild horse holding facility

Changes will include a new office building to accommodate public tours and facilitate the adoption process; adding storage shelters to protect hay; constructing a roof over the trimming chute area; installing wind screens along the west side of the facility; placing protective shelters in the sick pens; redesigning the preparation area to improve animal and employee safety; and replacing worn or damaged corral panels. These projects will be phased in throughout the year and should not impact the wild horses.

Facility Manager Jake Benson states, “We’re taking a good look at our set-up and reworking things to increase safety and efficiency and at the same time see how we can reduce costs.” He adds, “While these changes are not required, we will evaluate their effectiveness and continue to make adjustments as necessary to provide outstanding care for the horses.”

The facility remains closed to allow wild horses recently removed from the Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin herd management areas to acclimate to their new environment. No public tours will be conducted during the closure; however, the public viewing kiosk is open. The public will be notified when the facility reopens.

More information about the facility is available at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/rs-wh-facility.html

Petition for emergency shelter and shade for captive wild horses and burros: http://www.change.org/p/bring-emergency-shelter-and-shade-to-captive-wild-horses-and-burros

They continue the cruelty

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Protect Mustangs

“It was hot with the desert sun beating down on PVC,” explains Anne Novak. “We were in the car with the AC on and the poor captive mustang was suffering and clinging to the fence for a strip of shade.”

Dear Friends of Wild Horses & Burros,

Last week we visited the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nevada. It’s the largest short-term holding and adoption facility in the U.S. for captive wild horses and burros coming from the roundups. We have been deeply concerned the BLM continues to commit acts of animal cruelty towards captive wild horses and burros despite international public outcry so we investigated the situation again.

During 85 degree sunny high desert weather, many wild horses in the pens were showing signs of heat stress with rapid breathing. Their coats were coming in for the winter and some mustangs were clinging to the fence and the feeders for what little shade they could find. It was a heartbreaking sight.

The majority of the pens had no shade or shelter. Some shade “studies” appear to be ongoing in the sick pens and another internal pen.

Many wild horses were overweight and their feet looked horrible. Many young wild horses have developed clubbed feet due to lack of proper foot care after being taken off the range by the feds. In the wild, their feet wear down naturally but when captured it is the BLM’s responsibility to care for them.

The majority of captive wild horses looked depressed. The burros looked unhappy too.

The BLM has repeatedly refused offers to help bring shade and shelter to the wild captives and is telling elected officials they are “doing something” by conducting studies with U.C. Davis to determine if shade and shelter is needed. Their PR tactics are outrageous. Everyone knows penned animals need access to shelter in extreme weather!

Right now the BLM is committing heinous acts of cruelty and must be held 100% accountable. The three basics of animal husband are 1.) Food, 2.) Water 3.) Shelter. Does each pen of wild horses or burros provide access to shelter? No.

With the recent good news that the feds will make animal cruelty a top-tier felony, it’s time right NOW to contact your elected officials and request for immediate action to bring shade and shelter to all captive wild horses and burros in ALL the pens not just select sick pens.

Take action to inform your voices in government that the BLM’s ongoing shade studies are delaying action and causing captive wild equids ongoing suffering.

Make an appointment to meet in person with your representative and senators. Politely request they stop the animal cruelty–paid for with tax dollars. If you cannot go in person then send them this video: http://bit.ly/1nr5d2M from our 2013 investigation and let them know that since this video was taken, only a few sick pens appear to have flimsy shade structures. Kindly remind them that animal cruelty is becoming a top-tier felony so they need to take it seriously. More than a thousand wild horses and burros are being abused in the pens because the BLM and the Department of Interior are denying them access to shelter.

You may contact Congress here: http://bit.ly/1ihTCwj . Send your elected officials a handwritten letter and encourage your children to mail in drawings asking for shelter too.

For everyone who has signed this petition, we must pull together to double the number of signatures and then we have a plan to make a big impact . . .

Email the petition http://chn.ge/ZGEgx3 to everyone you know with a personal plea asking them to sign and share it so together we can pressure the BLM to bring them shade and shelter. Share the petition daily on your Facebook page and in groups asking others to share out because more extreme weather is coming soon.

Public opinion is very important with elections only weeks away. Let’s put it to work to stop the abuse of America’s wild horses and burros. Hold your elected officials accountable to STOP the CRUELTY now!

In deep gratitude,
Anne

Anne Novak
Executive Director
www.ProtectMustangs.org
https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak
https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

Sign and Share the DEFUND and STOP the ROUNDUPS Petition: http://www.change.org/p/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups

Protect Mustangs™

Forever wild and free™

Tag Archives: shelter