OK, first of all, the fact that these burros are BLM burros make me crazy! The BLM is supposed to caretake them, not send them off to labor camps in Guatemala…
Secondly, how can the BLM DO THIS??
The answer… the ‘three strikes rule’. Basically, if a BLM burro is advertised for adoption 3 times and has no takers, he/she is then open for ‘sale authority’ which means the donk can be sold to anyone under any circumstances.
Yup.
As you can see pictured below, the BLM ha 189 of these “Three Strikes” donks in unsheltered pastures as winter approached. The BLM plan was to ship 100 of them off to Guatemala to labor camps!!… However, Humans intercepted! Almost all were privately adopted! 11 were rushed off for TMR to be picked up at a later date! These 11 are the donks we are helping.
(We need a large piece of donated land to keep the BLM animals safe from the BLM.)
However, in the mean time, let’s help these freshly rescued donks!
189 BLM BURROS were at the Utah feedlot – 100 were going to Guatemala. How? The BLM has a rule: if they are not adopted after 3 attempts, they can be sold to anyone under any terms. without background checks or future home checks.
Here are the 189 BLM BURROS on the grounds of the BLM feedlot in Utah. No shelter as winter approaches. These donks await their fate – will they be sent to Guatemala? Not if we can help it!
GET US OUTTA HERE! WE DON’T WANT TO BE SHIPPED TO GUATEMALA!
THEIR PLIGHT!
It makes me sick to think that these sensitive and delightful donks were destined for hard labor. WHAT IS THE BLM THINKING besides, “get rid of ’em”…
Anyway, the story goes that humans got wind of the BLM’s plan at a BLM meeting that was attended by Advocates. These Advocates rallied around these donks and facilitated the private rescue of most. However, some were left behind.
This is where we come in to help…
These 11 had not been adopted… Just a few days ago, these now ‘lucky 11’ ended up at TMR RESCUE run by Marjorie Farabee in Texas!
Onboard. Look at those faces! How can we not help them?!
Where are we headed??
Do you see the newly branded “U”? That means that this burro (along with all the others) is in the “Three Strikes” group. Evidently the BLM tried to have them adopted out 3 times but failed. So these burros are deemed “sale authority’ which means they can be sold to anyone… under any terms.
Here are the “3-Strikes 11”, scared but safe. This black jenny is “Coffey”. She is the leader of this tiny pack of 11!
SAVED QUICKLY ON A SHOESTRING… LET’S HELP THEM EAT!
These 11 donks were adopted, housed and traveled on a last minute shoestring because several humans banding together to get it done.
Can we help those who rushed in to help these donks?! Can we help feed and care for these donks for a month – to ease the pressure for their rescuers? ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
Google Heifer International and scam and you’ll find a lot of interesting information. There are multiple accounts from people who have worked for and with them saying there is no oversight into the care the animals get once they are turned over to third world people who have no concept of compassion for animals. Heifer International and BLM are made for one another. They are both corrupt organizations that will pull any scam they can to make money and have no problem killing animals to do it. In fact they both profit heavily off abusing and killing animals.
Dear Horse & Man-
Thank you for your generosity in supporting this worthy cause. TMR is a wonderful organization devoted mainly to the plight of donkeys- both domestic and wild burros. They are a sanctuary for about 400 equines on a beautiful ranch in Texas. These lucky animals receive the best care possible with loving and knowledgeable people. They have helped multitudes of at-risk equine in many ways and these burros are just one example. Funding for their upkeep and care is reliant on donations, and we all know how difficult that can be to secure. So thank you for choosing TMR as your Bucket-list recipient!
All of the comments above, with a few exceptions, reflect what I believe as well. But I would like to add some information. First, I would suggest that people who support Heifer Intl. Do a quick search on Google and look at their Charity Navigator rating. Second, this mission’s objective is to provide welfare for the burros, not the people of Guatemala. While I understand that people in the Third World rely on animals to survive and that owning and using animals can lessen poverty, there are other solutions which are more logical financially, logistically, and offer the animals better welfare. I think that organizations such as The Brooke and The Donkey Sanctuary UK should go to Guatemala and teach the people how to better care for the existing donkeys they do have. They can be given expert teaching on diet, husbandry, veterinary care, workload,
proper pack equipment, etc. Guatemala already has many donkeys, but unfortunately because they are treated very well, do not live even a quarter as long as they should. This seems like a better plan than sending the American peoples’ wild burros on a long arduous journey to a completely different climate and lifestyle while the US taxpayer foots the bill.
I think everyone else has already voiced the other concerns I have.
Again, thank you Horse & Man for supporting TMR and because equine people tend to stick together, of course we will support your work too.
With sincere gratitude,
Jessica Gardner
The wild burros of this country, belong in this country!
What an absurd idea in the first place. That just shows how much the BLM really cares about the welfare of OUR wild burros and horses, people. Proof …
This infuriates me that they ,the BLM would even consider sending our burros to another country to be used as beasts of burden. This country cannot even take care of,or guarantee the safety of it’s own people,so how ,do tell me ,would we expect them to
“properly” take care of the burros we send to them? Let alone the stress of shipping them,and then the stress to their systems with regard to different food than what they are used to consuming. Plus they would most likely be underfed,overworked, no proper vetrenarian care ,period. No proper working tack to be used on them. We have all seen images of donkeys ,burros and horses so overloaded ,that they collapse from the weight . Plus no proper farrier care…
I am so opposed to this ,there are no words to describe.
I do know these, and any equines sent abroad ,would be sent to a life I of HELL. We,the American people have stressed our concerns and wishes ,over and over again. When will we be heard? WE DO NOT WANT OUR AMERICAN BURROS SENT ANYWHERE!!
They should be left alone to live their lives out on the range,the way it is supposed to be…..
We are very grateful for the donations received, and will put it to good use. Our rescue is sanctuary to not just these wild burros, but to almost 400 other donkeys, mules and horses who are in trouble. We provide food, shelter, and medical care. For many of them, sanctuary is the best option. We feel this is the best case for the wild burros. We can’t help any of these amazing animals though without donations
Wouldn’t it benefit the People of Guatemala more if they were taught how to establish and care for the burros that currently live there instead of sending ones from here?
From AMERICAN HERDS
Tribute
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2007/12/tribute.html
American Herds is devoting the month of December to the American Wild Burro, a species in significant decline whose populations under “federal protection” have continued to plummet to near Endangered Species status.
While much of the public’s attention has been centered around their love and passion for the preservation of the American wild horse, our wild burros have often been forgotten and treated as little more than an after thought.
Advocates would be wise to realize that wild burros, their stories, their treatment, and their decimated habitats and herds potentially hold the key to saving what’s left of our wild horses-nothing better illustrates the cumulative impact of what managed extinction looks like under the auspices of federal protection than the American Wild Burro.
For many that have had a wild burro touch their heart, their life has been transformed by their magical presence and the passionate devotion that these special beings have inspired has caused their advocates more heartbreak and tears than can be imagined as they have had to bear witness to these precious and unique herds being systematically destroyed.
In effort to honor those that have been irrevocably lost, to increase awareness of what little herds still remain and to those few individuals who have chosen the lonely path of trying to preserve and protect them, American Herds presents Decemburro as tribute – in rememburroance and in love.
Letter to BLM’s Chief of Wild Horse & Burro Program & BLM’s failure to manage our wild herds on federal public lands
http://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/10/24/letter-to-blms-chief-of-wild-horse-burro-program-blms-failure-to-manage-our-wild-herds-on-federal-public-lands/
We are publicly posting this letter that Grandma Gregg sent to Joan Guilfoyle, Neil Kornze, Ed Roberson and Sally Spencer:
Joan Guilfoyle, Division Chief
Division of Wild Horses and Burros
20 M Street, S.E.
Washington, DC
I strongly oppose the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plan to send 100 federally protected wild burros—at taxpayer expense—to Guatemala, where they would become working animals. Once outside the U.S., the fates of the burros would be unknown – forever.
This idea flies in the face of the BLM’s legal mandate to care for and protect these cultural treasures here on U.S. soil. It is not only cruel and a waste of resources—it also fails to address the ugly reality that led to this misguided scheme: the BLM’s wholesale failure to manage our wild herds on federal public lands.
As for BLM’s Guatemala proposal:
First off,the Guatemalans will slaughter some (and eventually all) and I doubt they will give any concern about their slaughter methods but it won’t be humane.
Second, the burros are wild and although eventually could become pack animals with humane training and care, the typical and historically forceful methods to train equine that most people use in this and other countries is inhumane.
Third, I can tell you that nobody is ever going to check on the welfare of these burros – ever. As a BLM adopter of two wild horses, BLM never checked on them until finally after two years; and then only because I pestered them about getting my ownership papers. In addition, they never checked on the wild stallion I bought – never. If anyone thinks that anyone is going to check on those in Guatemala … think again. And even IF someone tried … how could they find a hundred burros that had been dispersed throughout the country? They could not.
Fourth, by agreeing that it is acceptable to send our wild burros to another country we are setting a precedent that allows these American wild icons to be disposed of to another country and that is an unscrupulous precedent – if not illegal. They are to be protected per the United States Congress.
Fifth, our burros do not belong to BLM or the government – they belong to the people of America and BLM has no right to sell our burros overseas to an unknown future. They are not a livestock commodity.
Sixth, the most important issue is to again articulate to our government (BLM) that there are no excess wild horses and burros on their legally designated land that was (per law) given to them principally for their protection. To agree to anything less than what is really true and legal and correct is a betrayal to the wild horses and burros and the American people who own these wild equine.
With about 50,000 wild horses and burros stockpiled in BLM holding facilities, clearly the BLM’s wild equine program needs a complete overhaul. Rather than continuing to round up and remove horses and burros to holding facilities while instituting no legitimate on-range management plan, the BLM must first realize and admit that there are no “excess” wild horses and burros on their congressionally designated legal land.
The recent National Academy of Science (NAS) report on the Wild Horse and Burro Program determined that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has no evidence of excess wild horses and burros; because the BLM has failed to use scientifically sound methods to estimate the populations (NAS, 2013).
The NAS cited two chief criticisms of the Wild Horse and Burro Program: unsubstantiated population estimates in herd management areas (HMA), and management decisions that are not based in science (NAS, 2013). Shipping our protected equines off to other countries is the very opposite of proper management.
Maybe some clarification is needed here. Marjorie, working on behalf of TMR Rescue in Plantersville, TX, purchased eight of the 189 burros that we are placing in safe American homes to prevent their export to Guatemala. Marjorie is an AMAZING representative for both the threatened wild burros and at-risk domestic burros. The burros she purchased through our program do not need homes. At TMR, they have a home for the rest of their lives. TMR operates as a sanctuary, so the animals they bring into their fold are truly given ‘sanctuary’ for the rest of their lives there in the outstanding program at the TMR facility where over 400 equines are fed, housed, loved, and cared for with incredible dedication and skill. What TMR does need is public support in the form of donations. TMR’s annual costs are tremendous, and until now they have been completely self-funded. In order to continue their work- on many levels, they need for a strong and ongoing donor base to be established. Please help them if you can. Every single dollar you can give matters.
I don’t know of anyone who wouldn’t help the people of Guatemala if given the opportunity, BUT- to export America’s very threatened WILD burros- whether ‘tamed’ beforehand or not, is not the right way to help. The benefit to the people is minimal, while the risk to the burros would be far too great. Heifer International is an organization that USES animals to help people. They are NOT an organization that helps animals. Although perhaps well-intentioned, neither BLM nor Heifer Int’l are able to protect animals sent to families who live in some of the world’s most poverty-stricken areas where any animal is at a very high risk of falling victim to theft, slaughter, neglect, and over-use. How can a family that’s unable to feed its own members guarantee that they can meet the safety, nutritional, medical, and general needs of a burro? BLM’s ‘brainstorm’ to export burros as a pilot program for sending America’s wild equines to third world countries is nothing more than thinly veiled attempt to create a dumping option for equines that BLM has captured, and now resents being financially responsible for the care of. Had the “Guatemala 100” program moved forward, the next step would have been the export of “hundreds of wild mares” to the country of Ghana. This are NOT how BLM needs to ‘manage’ America’s wild equines. Those who support Heifer Int’l should send them money, NOT America’s wild equines.
While our public effort to find American homes for the 189 ‘candidates’ for the “Guatemala 100” effort has been moving forward with great success, wheels have been turning at the highest levels in Washington DC to shut down this and any future efforts to export America’s wild equines. Because of these mutual efforts, it is now safe to say that- at least for the term of this administration, there is very little chance that any of America’s endangered wild equine will be exported, anywhere.
BLM to send wild burros to Guatemala to become beasts of burden?
http://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/09/08/blm-to-send-wild-burros-to-guatemala-to-become-beasts-of-burden/
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to send America’s supposedly “protected” wild burros to Guatemala, where the once free-roaming wild burros may well become beasts of burden for poor rural Guatemalans with, most likely, little spare income for farriers or veterinary care (if there were any even available). Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Latin America.
BLM plans to ship the burros about 2, 000 miles. The food for burros will certainly differ between the USA and Guatemala. The BLM recently had about 80 wild mare’s die, supposedly from stress, shipping the mares from one location to another WITHIN KANSAS.
Will the burros be shipped by ground, through regions with drug gangs? There are many human rights violations in Guatemala, so why would American burros be safe in this environment?
The BLM’s “From the Public” page, states this:
Question: Is the BLM looking into a wild burro-related partnership that would benefit small-scale farmers in Guatemala?
Answer: Yes, the BLM, which is dealing with limits on its off-range holding capacity for wild horses and burros, is exploring the feasibility of a wild burro-related partnership with the Defense Services Cooperation Agency and Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org).
To begin with, there isn’t a “Defense SERVICES Cooperation Agency” listed anywhere on the internet, but there IS a DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Anyhow, putting this (seemingly) error aside, the BLM goes on to state:
The prospective partnership would provide gentled, sale-eligible wild burros under BLM management to assist communities and farmers in Guatemala, where burros are prized working animals and expensive for families in poverty to buy. If the partnership were to move forward, the gentled burros would help carry water, crops, and other supplies.
I wonder if the BLM realizes that a terrible problem for equine already exists in Guatemala, and humane organizations are trying desperately to help?
(Photos are included in the article)
American Veterinary Medical Association volunteers in Guatemala have often encountered severe saddle sores in horses.
World Horse Welfare observes “Working hard to transport crops through dense forests, these horses often have high physical demands placed upon them.”
And “During our research it became clear that the horses of Zaragoza worked long days with cracked, misshapen hooves and poorly-fitted shoes, which were often too small and causing pain. Many had wounds caused by ill-fitting harnesses and were in very poor bodily condition. It was frequently clear that the owners did care for their horses, but lacked the necessary skills and knowledge to look after them properly. This, coupled with the fact that skilled, locally-available farriers and affordable saddlers did not exist, meant that horses working in the Zaragoza area were enduring a life of unnecessary suffering.”
The Brooke Organization states “Reaching working horses, donkeys and mules and their owners and users in much of Guatemala is hard because of the mountainous terrain which can create access problems and the distances between communities can be large.”
So HOW in the world does the BLM, or its partners, plan to closely monitor the care of the American wild burros, and HOW OFTEN will they monitor them?
Animal Aware states “Animals are generally not well treated in Guatemala. They are usually regarded as something which serves a purpose – as food, or as a source of work, such as carrying loads, or guarding the house. A domestic animal is often not so much seen as a pet, but as a status symbol. Guatemala is a poor country, and conditions are tough and life difficult for many people. Poverty combined with a non-benevolent attitude towards animals makes for a largely unhealthy situation, for domestic animals, and for animals in general.”
Wild Horse Freedom Federation does not think this BLM plan is in the best interests of American wild burros and calls for an immediate halt to this plan. There is no possible way for our burros to be adequately monitored in Guatemala.
These are NOT BLM burros. The BLM does not own any wild horses or burros. All of these animals belong to the American people.
The most important issue is to again articulate to our government agency (BLM) that there are no excess wild horses and burros on their legally designated land that was per the 1971 Act, given to them “principally” for their protection. To agree to anything less than what is really true and legal and correct is a betrayal to the wild horses and burros and the American people who own these wild equine.
More information: http://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/10/24/letter-to-blms-chief-of-wild-horse-burro-program-blms-failure-to-manage-our-wild-herds-on-federal-public-lands/
A very sincere THANK YOU to everyone who is helping to save these burros.
I am just delighted that this rescue was selected for the Bucket Fund story! The national effort undertaken to prevent these burros from being transported out of the country was massive. It is always so true that when animals are shipped out, it is IMPOSSIBLE to follow up on their care, and the risk of them meeting a very unfortunate fate is very likely. Due to the campaign for them, more than 160 or so of around 190 have found loving homes here in their own country, and the rest will be safe from having to transport to areas that do not have the same cruelty laws that we have in the U.S. Everyone involved in the rescue effort is eternally grateful to Marjorie and others who have generously offered to give these lovely animals a great home. Feel free to contact Marjorie at her numbers, or join the homing effort for the addition burros that are not spoken for on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Keep.Americas.Wild.Equines.In.America/! Thanks again for this article!!!
I have to say I was absolutely delighted to hear that the burros were rescued from being sent to Guatamala – thank you so much everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. These burros are OUR, the American public’s, wild burros and deserve to live out their lives properly cared for here in the US. I remember being absolutely horrified when I heard at the BLM Advisory Board Meeting in August about Joan Guilfoyle’s “pet project” – it makes total sense that Guilfoyle who does not have a brain in her head and the BLM who want to rid themselves of as many wild equids as possible would think for even a moment that this ill advised scheme was a good idea.
There would be no way to follow up and see that the burros were being treated well, and in as poor a country as Guatamala, it is most likely that they would be slaughtered for food. Why not save those dollars that the BLM was so ready to spend training and shipping them down there, and invest the money in range improvements where the last few burros are still free on our public lands?
This should NOT become a pilot program for now shipping all of our wild horses and burros to other countries to get rid of them.
Hi Terri, there are already thousands of equine IN Guatemala that Heifer International could train to help lift families out of poverty, without needing to ship any from the USA. Also, these are WILD horses and burros, and the STRESS of being shipped causes deaths. The BLM recently shipped some wild mares by truck from northern Oklahoma to Kansas, and 95 of them died from stress and a change in the feed.
It would be difficult for BLM or Heifer to monitor so many animals since the rural regions are so hard to get to. And, again, these are NATIVE wild horses. And should be kept on their federally designated, and supposedly protected, Herd Management Areas here in the US, per the law.
I have much to say here concerning Heifer International and the BLM’s plan to send our wild burros to foreign lands. This was intended to be a pilot program that, should it have been pulled off by the BLM, would have opened the door to sending hundreds of wild mustang mares to Guyana South America for the same fate, as well. While they may state that they would have oversight, the fact is that this would be impossible in Guatemala where the terrain and civil strife makes such oversight impossible. Furthermore, our wild burros are critically endangered right here in the United States. A species of concern is one whose population has dropped below 50,000 members. The BLM states that there are 8,000 wild burros on our public lands, and our data finds that there are really less than 3,000 currently living on our public lands. This makes these icons of our pioneering past critically endangered. They should not be rounded up in the first place. We love our wild burros at TMR Rescue. They are by far the most exciting equine we have on our property which is home to 396 lovely souls mostly donkeys. Support for our rescue as offered by Horse and Man was truly appreciated and of course much needed since our operational costs per year exceeds one million dollars. Each animal we take in will cost $1,500. per year just to feed. This does not include dental, medical, farrier, training, shelter or staff. Our reasons for loving our wild burros and being so enthusiastic about keeping them on American soil goes to protecting our Natural History. They embody who we are as Americans. While I do fully understand the hardships of the poor in Guatemala having traveled there myself, I also believe that a breeding program for donkeys could be set up there and better serve the people without putting our amazing and critically endangered wild burros in harms way.
Marjorie Farabee, equine manager
TMR Rescue
Terri: i agree that it sounds good on the surface… My concerns are in the big picture… I have so much to say that it is difficult to write in a response… First of all, I don’t think wild donks should be sent away, they should be allowed to
be cared for under the Wild Horse and Burro Act, which the BLM is essentially reworking to fit their needs. Second, they don’t track any of the donated burros.
Thirdly, the ‘three strikes’ rule is unfair, to say the least. There are no controls regarding how the burros are advertised.
And, these burros were not ‘gentled’. None were halter trained. All but one would not allow touch. So, how would they work on a farm?
Thank you! I’ll pass that onward!
Please contact Marjorie at TMR directly! https://www.facebook.com/farabee1
If I might be interested in a very specific set , is that possible? I would be interested in red-roam, white, gray-blaze faced and most of all painted jennys to run with cattle. Is that possible to ask for such a specific group? Just person tastes….thank you, Glenn Patton
I looked at the BLM site and found information that they are working to get a cooperative program with Heifer International to provide “gentled burros” for their programs to help poor farmers in Guatemala. I don’t want to sound naive, but I do know that Heifer International is one of the best aid organizations out there and I think this would be a wonderful partnership. Please check their website http://www.heifer.org to see their work. I have been following/supporting them for over 20 years. As a matter of fact, nearly every year I send a request to them to include equines in their donation catalogue! Yes, the burros would have to work, but Heifer only gives animals to families who have been properly trained and who have proper facilities and they would be lifting whole families, maybe even communities out of poverty. Please consider looking into this further.
Are you able to contact Black Beauty Ranch in Texas? They run a large rescue and have a large herd of donks. They may be able to take aome or all of the 11, or know of other rescues who could.
Kathleen Smith