Therapy Donkeys of Young's Funny Farm
We have three donkeys that are registered therapy animal with the Delta Society. We will try to explain what makes them therapy animals, give you some basic information on the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program where our donkeys were adopted from.
We will explain their work and hopefully amaze and at the same time entertain you with photos.
“The Congress finds and declares that wild-free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death"
From The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971
The four burros of Young's Funny Farm, three of which are therapy animals, all came from the Bureau of Land Management who is charged with enforcing the above law.
We have recently become aware of changes in BLM policies on the Wild Horse & Burro Program.
The BLM manages, protects, and controls wild horses and burros under the authority of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (as amended by Congress in 1976, 1978, 1996, and 2004). This law authorizes the BLM to remove excess wild horses and burros from the range to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands. The BLM is part of the Department of Interior.
“The Congress finds and declares that wild-free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death…”From The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971
Well by most accounts, the BLM has closed a majority of the land that was used by the wild horses and burros and is rounding up overwhelming numbers which are them moved into corral areas to the count of over 40,000 horses and burros, who can no longer run wild and most will not be placed for adoption.
When the "Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971" was passed and the BLM started their program, there was approximately 53 million acres allocated to the wild horses and burros.
Since then, 21 million acres of that has been removed from use, leaving only 32 of the original 53 million acres for use by wild horses and burros.
BLM is claiming there are too many horses and burros for the amount of allotted land. BLM must be pressured to restore the amount of land available to the wid horses and burros.
Madeleine Pickens, bought two ranches and got permits to use additional land and proposed to BLM that she can give sanctuary to approximately 9,000 wild horses at a cost of $500 a year.
BLM turned down the proposal, and is planning to move 7,500 horses and burros to another state at great peril to the animals being rounded up, penned and then transfered to corrals at a cost of $2,500 a horse or donkey. Good money for the contractors, who round up any animals no matter their age or shape, since they get paid by the animal.
They are killing these protected animals in the round up proccess and after capture. To learn more and to stay current on the issue, click on the link above and go to Saving America's Mustangs site.
Please take the time to watch the videos on their page. You will be shocked as how this once great program has been over turned.
In February, Rep. Dan Burton, co-sponsored an amendment CR30, which removed two million from the BLM budget. two million is actually a drop in the bucket, but it got the attention of BLM which released the following statement:
02/27/11
Since congress removed two million dollars from the BLM budget, causing BLM to issue the statement below. there have been comments from many groups. I wll paste in some below, but above the BLM release.
For all that have made contact about this issue, I say thank you. For thoses who thought about saying something and did not, it is not to late! Pressure needs to be kept up and the light needs to be on BLM for the two year study.
If it was not for the average American and groups like Saving the Mustang and many other groups, congress might have not taken action. Your voice can make a difference. If you had contacted your congress person before the vote, sent them a nice thank you note. It may help the next time you contact them.
02/25/11 9:34 am ET
ASPCA Responds To Wild Horse Program Overhaul
The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is encouraged by the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) announcement that it is accelerating the implementation of long sought-after reforms to how the agency manages America’s wild horses and burros.
Following reprimand by the U.S. House of Representatives in the form of a $2 million cut to its budget, the BLM has outlined extensive changes to its wild horse program, including reducing the number of wild horses removed from the range for at least the next two years, increasing adoptions, significantly expanding the use of fertility control to maintain herd levels, and improving its care and handling procedures to enhance the humane treatment of the animals.
“The BLM’s announcement is a result of intense public outcry to save America’s wild horses,” said Matt Bershadker, senior vice president of ASPCA Anti-Cruelty. “The ASPCA will be watching closely to ensure the BLM lives up to its new promises.”
Bershadker added, “The ASPCA reminds the American public that more than 15,000 wild horses and burros are still slated for round-up over the next two years, adding to the tens of thousands of wild horses currently languishing in long-term holding pens. However, we are encouraged that the BLM is taking the necessary steps to correct its inhumane and fiscally irresponsible policies before these iconic horses are completely eradicated, and we look forward to greater transparency in all aspects of the BLM’s wild horse program.”
Late last year, the ASPCA filed suit in New York against U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to challenge the BLM’s illegal roundup of the Piceance-North Douglas Herd in Colo. The BLM continues to violate the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which was passed to protect wild horses and burros from capture and preserve the land used by them. More than 19 million acres originally designated for wild horse use have slowly been whittled away for cattle grazing, making them both the victim and target for removal. The use of helicopters to run the terrified horses over miles of rangeland has resulted in serious injuries and several horse deaths.
For more information on the BLM’s mismanagement of America’s wild horses, please visit www.aspca.org.
(ASPCA)
Release Date: 02/24/11
BLM Accelerates Fundamental Reforms to Wild Horse and Burro Management
Agency to Cut Back on Gathers; Increase Fertility Control and Adoptions; Strengthen Humane Animal Care and Handling Measures
Washington, DC – Director of the Bureau of Land Management Bob Abbey today announced that following an extensive public process, the agency is accelerating fundamental reforms to how it manages wild horses and burros on public lands.
The proposed strategy announced today includes reducing the number of wild horses removed from the range for at least the next 2 years; reaffirming the central role that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)’s on-going review of the program will have on science-based management decisions; increasing adoptions; significantly expanding the use of fertility control to maintain herd levels; and improving its care and handling procedures to enhance the humane treatment of the animals. The BLM will continue to oppose the killing or slaughter of wild horses or burros as a management practice.
“We’ve taken a top to bottom look at the wild horse and burro program and have come to a straightforward conclusion: we need to move ahead with reforms that build on what is working and move away from what is not,” Director Abbey said. “To achieve our goal of improving the health of the herds and America’s public lands, we need to enlist the help of partners, improve transparency and responsiveness in the program, and reaffirm science as the foundation for management decisions. It will take time to implement these reforms, but as a first step we are aiming to increase adoptions and broaden the use of fertility control. And while we do this, we are reducing removals while NAS helps us ensure that our management is guided by the best available science.”
These reforms respond to the input of more than 9,000 members of the public who commented on last year’s Wild Horse and Burro Program Strategy Development Document through public meetings and written statements.
Specifically, the BLM proposes to:
NAS study—The BLM has commissioned the National Academy of Sciences to review previous wild horse management studies and make recommendations on how the BLM should proceed in light of the latest scientific research. The NAS review is expected to be completed in early 2013. Specifically the study will look at the methods for population modeling, the annual rates of population growth, fertility control methods, evaluation of carrying capacity of various lands to support wild horse herds, genetic diversity in wild horse herds, and predator impact on wild horse population growth.
Issue Procedures to Facilitate Long-term Care by Partners -- The BLM will release within the next 30 days specific procedures by which members of the public can apply to enter into partnerships with the federal government for long-term care of wild horses that are removed from the public rangeland.
Increase Science-Based Fertility Control. The BLM proposes to significantly increase the number of mares treated with fertility control – from 500 in 2009 to a target of 2,000 in each of the next 2 years during the NAS study, pending sufficient budget allocations. Director Abbey said the BLM’s ultimate goal is to make various fertility control measures the primary means to maintain healthy population levels. He said the BLM intends to work closely with the Humane Society of the United States to implement and monitor this expanded effort.
Reduce Removals – The BLM intends to reduce the annual number of wild horses removed for at least the next 2 years from 10,000 to 7,600 – a level that would essentially maintain the current number of wild horses and burros on the range. The NAS review would be completed in early 2013. Abbey said that while drought or other emergencies may require the removal of more than 7,600 animals, the BLM has decided to adopt this more conservative approach pending input from the NAS regarding the number of horses than can be safety and humanely left on the open range.
In addition, Director Abbey said the BLM will continue to strengthen areas on which it has already started. These include:
Enhance Humane Animal Care and Handling Practices. Director Abbey said the agency will conduct thorough reviews and add appropriate controls to the agency’s contracts and policies to strengthen humane animal care and handling practices. This will apply to both gathering contracts and short-and long-term holding facility contracts.
Promote Volunteerism in the Management of Wild Horses. The proposal calls for increased engagement of the public by enhancing public outreach, recruiting local volunteers to assist in monitoring the health of the rangelands where animals roam, and encourages partnerships to increase herd-related ecotourism.
Improve Transparency and Openness. Director Abbey also said it is important to reaffirm throughout the agency the BLM’s fundamental commitment to transparency in all facets of the wild horse and burro program. This includes increasing public viewing opportunities during gathers and at short-term corrals and long–term care facilities to the highest extent possible without compromising the safety of staff, members of the public, or the animals. The BLM is also committed to the accurate, prompt, and public release of information related to the program.
An analysis of the public’s comments and a detailed proposed implementation strategy will be posted at www.blm.gov February 28, 2011. The public is invited to review and provide comments to the BLM on this strategy through March 30, 2011, and should be submitted by email to wildhorse@blm.gov with “Comments on Strategy” in the subject line.
“This document reflects our commitment to work with all stakeholders to ensure that viable herds of wild horses and burros remain on our nation’s public lands for generations to come,” Abbey said. “We share a common goal to improve the wild horse and burro program and the health of the public lands we manage. Achieving this goal will require a determined focus on reform, new ideas, and opening a new chapter in the management of wild horses, burros, and our public lands.”
