Charlotte Roe, IDA In Defense
of Animals
August 2017
Sign the petition: Wild Horse and Burro Extermination — No Way!
This secretive, yet publicly funded event shut out the public and anyone who cared about this threatened equine species. No scientists or range-land specialists with expertise in humane management plans were included.
Image by Teri Farley
A collection of mustang-hating lobbyists and politicians held a "Wild
Horse Summit" at the down-town Marriott in Salt Lake City August 22 - 24.
This secretive, yet publicly funded event shut out the public and anyone who
cared about this threatened equine species. No scientists or range-land
specialists with expertise in humane management plans were included. The
organizers' primary goal, enshrined in the Trump Administration's 2018
budget request, was to promote "sales without limitation" of the estimated
46,000 wild horses and burros in captivity and the killing of "excess"
free-roaming equines.
Scheduled speakers included Dean Bolstad, Director of the BLM's Wild Horse
and Burro Pro-gram, and Aurelia Tipwith, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the
Department of Interior's Fish & Wildlife Bureau.
Protest organizers confirmed a press briefing room for Wednesday, August 23
at the Marriott to present our side of the debate. Unexpectedly, the
Marriott suddenly cancelled the meeting room, citing mysterious "vendor
issues." As we gathered at the hotel, a phalanx of policemen guarding the
entrance to the "Summit" eyed us nervously. Yet, being pushed outside helped
the wild horse protection cause.
Media coverage focused largely on public criticism of the "Secret Slaughter
Summit." High-spirited advocates from five Western states raised colorful
banners — e.g. "Solutions not Slaughter," "Keep Wild Horses Safe and
Free,""No to Mustang Murder." The Cloud Foundation Director Ginger Kathrens
pointed out that the allegedly "overpopulating" and "starving" wild horses
and burros are guilty of neither, but that for decades, the government has
ignored com-mon sense solutions for sound management of the herds.
"Helicopter company owners are made millionaires. And wild horses are
warehoused now under threat of death."
The Senate Appropriations Committee takes up the Administration's sick
slaughter plans when Congress reconvenes. Please tell your US representative
and senators you don't want Ameri-ca's wild horses and burros killed,
sterilized or sent to slaughter.
Number of animals killed in the world by the fishing, meat, dairy and egg industries, since you opened this webpage.
0 marine animals
0 chickens
0 ducks
0 pigs
0 rabbits
0 turkeys
0 geese
0 sheep
0 goats
0 cows / calves
0 rodents
0 pigeons/other birds
0 buffaloes
0 dogs
0 cats
0 horses
0 donkeys and mules
0 camels / camelids