It's not often that I'll give a WHOOP! while reading my morning newspaper, but this morning gave me one of those happy moments. Let me explain...about a week ago I read that a number of wild horses contained in BLM holding pens were going to be slaughtered because of budgetary concerns. I wrote to the BLM, our senators, our representative, even a representative from another state. I was still contemplating who else I could voice my concern to when I read in the paper this morning that Madeleine Pickens, wife of T. Boone Pickens, was going to rescue these horses. And not just the ones scheduled for the slaughter house, but *all* of the horses currently held in the holding pens - approximately 30,000 wild horses and burros! (Read a more detailed article) THANK YOU Mrs. Pickens! It's wonderful to have wealthy people with such big hearts in this world who can do such tremendous good!
I'm no expert on the wild horse issues out west, but in simple terms there appears to be some objection by private cattle ranchers to share the land with the wild horses. I came across this video that will explain more:
But this issue is not resolved. Mrs. Pickens has saved the animals currently in the holding pens, but the BLM will continue to remove others from the wild to take their place. The Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 needs to be restored.
So, if you would like to do something to help, here are some ideas:
1. Go to The Wild Horse Preservation Campaign and click on both - Take Action and Sign the Petition
2. Consider donating to one of the current wild horse sanctuaries that have been rescuing these animals over the years:
* Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary - (we've visited this sanctuary in 2005) - in Hot Springs, SD
* The Wild Horse Sanctuary - Shingletown, CA
* Return to Freedom - Lompoc, CA
I'm sure there are other sanctuaries out there, but these are three I'm aware of. Each one could use volunteers, donations of goods, or monetary donations.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about this issue.
2 comments:
Thanks for taking time to shed light on this important issue. The more people learn about the destruction of our wild animals, the more they'll take a stand against it (I hope). I signed the petition. Thanks Diane!
If you haven't seen the movie Hidalgo ... it's a *must*!
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