Free the Twins and Their Mother, A Wild Mare From Warm Springs in Oregon
May 29, 2019Action Alert: Contact Congress Now to Save Our Wild Horses and Burros
September 12, 2019Bureau of Land Management Once Again Threatens Wild Mares with Dangerous Spaying Experiments
Mares and foal in Burns Corrals
Please Comment on BLM’s Dangerous Plans to Spay Wild Mares in Oregon by June 12
by Carol Walker, Director of Field Documentation for Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Once again the BLM has announced an Environmental Assessment is now open for public comments until June 12 on its plans to spay 100 wild mares that were rounded up and removed from their homes on public lands in Warm Springs, Oregon in October, 2018.
This is now the fourth attempt that the BLM has made to use cruel, dangerous, high-risk and outdated methods of spaying wild mares, ovierectomy via colpotomy in filthy, unsterile conditions at the Burns Corrals, on wild mares. Each previous time we have stopped the BLM from proceeding using public outcry and legal challenges. We must stop them again.
The last attempt to go forward with these gruesome experiments was made by the BLM in the fall of 2018. Now in this plan, the BLM says the only change is that the mares are no longer pregnant. Most of them have given birth, so the experiments will only be done on mares that are not pregnant. We are supposed to be fine with this procedure now that the prospect of aborting pregnancies has been removed.
The problem is, ovierectomy via colpotomy still is a very dangerous procedure putting the wild mares at risk of infection, hemorrhaging, evisceration and death. I contend that since these mares are wild, and have not been handled they are also at risk of panicking and going into shock. Currently this is not a procedure used to spay even domestic mares – it is completely outdated, and domestic mares would be operated on in a sterile environment at a veterinary hospital with supervision lasting more than one week. Read the comments of Colorado veterinarian Don Moore DVM on this procedure:
https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DonMooreCommentsOregonSpayProposal.pdf
The excuses used by the BLM for doing these experiments is that they have an overpopulation on the range of wild horses and absolutely no way to control it. Of course this is completely untrue. Safe, reversible and humane birth control methods that work on wild horses have been available for the past 40 years. The BLM is simply not using them in the vast majority of the herds. Over 70% of the wild horse herds that remain in this country have below the number of 150 breeding aged adults necessary to remain genetically viable, let alone some ridiculous overpopulation. The BLM is looking for a permanent quick fix, a sterilization, an extinction of wild horses. If they can get away with sterilizing our wild herds, in 20 years we will not have any wild horses left, especially if they get away with rounding up and removing 20,000 to 30,000 wild horses from our public lands each year.
The plan requires 100 wild mares to be spayed and 100 to be used as a control group. Only 28-34 of the spayed mares will even be released back into their home in Warm Springs. The rest, 70 or so, will be offered for adoption. They can spay mares with foals as young as 2 moths old that will be separated from their mothers during the surgery then supposedly reunited after the surgery when the mares are in the recovery pen.
One of the wild mares being held had twins, which is an extremely rare event, and she and her twins were going ot go to Skydog Sanctuary for some extra care. However, the BLM then informed Skydog Sanctuary that this mare was in the spay study so she could not be allowed to be adopted. The fact that before the EA has even been commented on by the public and the Decision Record has been issued that the BLM is already planning on this study going forward and already designated which mares will be used in a study that has not even been approved yet is extremely disturbing and possibly a violation of NEPA.
Please comment today and use your own words. The BLM counts form letters no matter how many are submitted as only 1 comment. Tell the BLM you want to use Alternative A the No Action Alternative, and that you are opposed to spaying wild mares. That as many of these mares as possible should be returned to the Warm Springs HMA, and if the mare with twins is not released to the HMA she should be sent to Skydog Sanctuary.
Not only the mares being held at the Burns Corrals are relying on you – so are all of our wild horses, who are under increasing threat of being wiped out completely from our public lands.
Please send your comments to the BLM by end of day June 12.
If mailed they must be postmarked by June 12:
BLM Burns District Office
28910 Hwy 20, Hines, OR 97738
Here is the email address: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Here is a link to the BLM’s Environmental Assessment:
Related Posts:
Free the Twins and Their Mother, A Wild Mare From Warm Springs in Oregon
Action Alert: The BLM Does Not Give Up on Its Sadistic Plan to Spay Wild Mares – Please Comment Now
52 Comments
Stop the horrible act of spaying horses!
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Letter sent!
Thank you Kris!
Done! Ty ! ❤️
Thank you!
As far as the public sees it, the BLM has been bought out by the cattle ranchers and developers to eradicate wild horses. The BLM’s mission is corrupt. Why, once again, suggest brutalizing these creatures with your expermental spaying methods? You’ve completely pulled the wool over the general public’s eyes. Stop your made up statistics and reval the real truth.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Why are you doing this again? You know the public dos not want this barbaric procedure done to any mare….wild or domestic.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
This is so wrong! Wild horses are part of our American heritage. Why can’t the Bureau of land management leave these horses alone? You’re either doing experiments on them or sending them to slaughter and that’s just plain wrong. I hope that it all comes back to haunt you! Leave our mustangs alone!
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Please leave the horses alone. And charge the ranchers a reasonable fee for letting their stock eat the horses food – and by reasonable fee, I mean about $1000/month per head! It’s appallingly shameful how you grovel before the ranchers and give away OUR land and abuse OUR horses!
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Stop leave these horses alone not a science projects they have emotions
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
How would you feel if it was done to your family They are gods creatures.
I am asking BLM to reconsider using a very dangerous and unproven birth control method on our wild horses.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Are you people crazy,do NOT do your vile spaying on our beautiful wild mustangs,there are better way to handle this,stop yor inane madness.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Please stop this madness!!
No way should this be done. This is cruel and dangerous. The mares can bleed to death and are given no kind of pain treatment. Veteranians all over have already said this is cruel and inhumane and can lead to the death of the mare. You are suppose to protect the wild horses not kill them. What is wrong with you. You only seem to care about cows and money, How about standing up and following the law set up years ago to protect the wild horses on their public land. The public land that was given to the wild horses and burros not the ranchers and cows. Stand up and be a proud American and do the right thing.
Please send your comments to the BLM–they won’t see them here.
Please do not harm these magnificent animals who should remain free and healthy .
Stop the cruelty to our wild horses! Leave them be.
STOP THIS HATEFUL THING UR DOING TO THE HORSES ? ITS SO CRUEL ???? JUST LEAVE THEM BE AND FREE .. ITS THEIR LAND BEFORE YOURS.. STOP THE CRUELTY!!!!✌
Enough of this madness!! Do not rush the health of these ( or any) mares!! This land belongs to the horses and burros! NOT to the unscrupulous, greedy ranchers! Let the horses live their lives in freedom … the way God intended!!
I have e mailed the BLM again stating the World is watching them and my community over here in England where we manage our wild ponies well on the New Forest and Dartmoor. I will never stop supporting your cause for the sake of the horses and their right to live a protected life. Thank you Carol for all your incredible work. Sharon Clifton Spirit Horse Works
Thank you very much Sharon!
Carol
This is barbaric treatment for any creature. All in order to make way for more cattle and more money! We will never stop fighting.
As part of a campaign to stop this we need addresses for key BLM offices and phone numbers for those offices.
We need more Vet’s involved
We need access to a flyer we can present to our vets or other local vets to attempt to get them involved! As well, we need access to flyer’s we can print out to give to non-vets!
Where do we form picket lines besides just BLM?
I’m new but I can’t find basic things like the ones above.
. Contact Oregon State Senators: Sen. Ron Wyden FAX: 202-228-2717 and Sen. Jeff Merkley FAX: 202-228-3997
2. Contact Oregon Congressmen: Peter DeFazio Fax: 541-465-6458, Greg Walden Fax: 202-225-6730, Kurt Schrader Fax: 202-225-5711, Earl Blumenhauer Fax: 202-225-8941, and Suzanne Bonamcci Fax: 202-225-9497
3. Contact Holly Wadell, Branch Chief, BLM WHB Prog. Off Range , hwadell@BLM.gov and Theresa Hanley, Oregon-Wash. Acting State Director, THanley@BLM.gov
Why would any one think this is a good idea must be mental. Animals dont have a voice or choice. If they think its ok them let it be done to them first. Plain scum.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
I’m concerned that people leaving comments here are thinking the BLM reads this blog. Even if they do, comments here do not count as far as the BLM goes–they must be sent directly (emailed at this late date) to the BLM at the address Carol has included in the article by June 12th.
PLEASE, people–read the instructions, don’t just comment here!
Sadly – this happens every time – lots of well-meaning people putting comments here rather than sending them to the BLM where just possibly – maybe – it might do some good. I agree, Nancy – people apparently do NOT read the instructions – just click!
How Barbaric, people are outraged over this. We the people will not stand for this, these horse belong to the people of United States of America, not the BLM to do as they flipping please. This is cruel, inhumane, and the BLM knows this. Stop the madness. Animals feel pain, sorrow and love. How dare you people..
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Stop they deserve better. They have done nothing wrong but live there lives as God intended. It’s not there fault we are over populating this earth.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Please do not use these innocent and beautiful animals for a study that makes no sense and will only hurt these mares. It is barbaric in this day and age to treat animals like this.
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
Thank you! Sent !
Whatever you are doing it is to appease the pro slaughter people, inc “volunteers” at Berns Oregon , known for their pro slaughter stance . It’s also to appease the considerable “need” of the Ranchers who have carte Blanche also to kill predators in the region, after also decimating their natural food sources with poisons and traps. There is NEVER any mention of the damage the cattle do to the land, and of course this makes most of your actions suspect. BLM your numbers have been “skewed” for years- and without accurate data by a objective scientific group, not pushing fertility methods and not bought out by the cattle industry, by satellite and other means, your roundups are illegal. Now with this invasive spaying, you simply continue another layer of bullying, abuse and complete disregard of most taxpayers wishes.
Using Ovariectomy experiments on our wild mares is horrific and BLM should not be allowed to procede with those experiments, it’s barbaric and puts all wild horses in danger! Rounding the wild horses up by helicopter is such a horrible experience, the horses are terrified, some fall breaking their legs, die from fright and it is especially hard on the babies, a lot of those babies do not survive a roundup! Leave the mares alone so they can take care of their babies, they could probably teach some humans on the best way to care for their own children. Usually the horses rounded up are put in kill pens to be bought for slaughter, America does not eat horses! People come from far away places just to see our wild horses and admire them. As a taxpayer, my wish for the BLM is to think twice about how they treat America’s wild horses and come up with safer ways to protect them.
The BLM does not take into consideration how loved our wild horses are in America. Using Ovariectomy experiments on our wild mares is horrific and BLM should not be allowed to procede with those experiments, it’s barbaric and puts all wild horses in danger! Rounding the wild horses up by helicopter is such a horrible experience, the horses are terrified, some fall breaking their legs, die from fright and it is especially hard on the babies, a lot of those babies do not survive a roundup! Leave the mares alone so they can take care of their babies, they could probably teach some humans on the best way to care for their own children. Usually the horses rounded up are put in kill pens to be bought for slaughter, America does not eat horses! People come from far away places just to see our wild horses and admire them. As a taxpayer, my wish for the BLM is to think twice about how they treat America’s wild horses and come up with safer ways to protect them.
Save those two beautiful babies and their mother! Ovariectomy experiments by the BLM should be outlawed, it is a danger to every wild horse. Rounding up our wild horses by helicopter is horrific, the horses are terrified, some fall, break their legs, and it is especially tramatic for the babies, some of them die just from fright. People come from far away places just to admire our wild horses, they are a huge part of America’s history. Let those mares take care of their babies, they could probably teach a lot of humans on how best to take care of their own children. As a taxpayer, I ask that the BLM find a better way to take care of our wild horses, quit rounding them up just to put them in kill pens to be sold for slaughter, America does not eat horses!
Please send your comments to the BLM by June 12: blm_or_bu_spaystudy@blm.gov
The truth is: The BLM does not use scientific methods to determine the extent of damage on public lands is caused by livestock .
It is possible to turn this situation around if governments want it to happen.
I oppose the plan to roundup and remove 130,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands. I oppose sterilization of wild mares. I oppose sending wild horses and burros to slaughter. This has been going on far too long! The facts are there in plain sight. Please investigate why our taxes are paying billions to BLM to round up and kill our beloved wild horses and burros? Welfare cattle ranchers have no business grazing cattle on public lands. Cattle are detrimental to our eco system, wild horses are eco friendly and help prevent wild fires. We must protect these beautiful creatures from becoming extinct.
Please save these precious beings.
Please call your Senators and tell them your comments.
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