NEW-- http://news.yahoo.com/texas-shooting-donkeys-stirring-burro-backlash-070230723.html see WHF comments below.

AP wire reporter decided to write a story on a horse rescue in Alpine, Texas at the expense of his own ignorance for not researching the story before publishing. For several years the Wild Horse Foundations has had an "corrective action plan" in place.  The WHF does active fly overs monthly to monitor the burros movements in the State Park at no expense to the State and being fair about the State of Texas's agreement with burros in the area.

AP wire writes that in this story they "make you the public think" that this animal group in Alpine Texas has rescued "burro's" from the BBRSP.  The pictures posted are "NOT" of burros from the State Park and confirmation can be requested by the BBRSP Superintendent Barrett Durst or the State Office in Austin, Texas.

It can be confirmed that the BBRSP has and will continue to humanely euthanize any and all "wounded burro's"  as they see them in the park. We have called in after our fly over and reported seeing burro limping on broken legs. They may have fallen off a rock ledge or fallen off one of the many hundreds of sheer cliffs.  Even out west on BLM land, noting BBRSP is not obligated under any laws to contact any non-profit group in cases where burros are hurt or injured before they take action to prevent further pain and suffering from hurt animals, the BBRSP exceeds it duty to immediately take action once the burro is located.

The AP writer makes you think that the Federal Park east, called Big Bend National Park is a federally protected park for wild horses or burros and thats 100% misleading to the public.  Big Bend National Park is not nor ever will be on the Bureau of Land Management list of "HMA's" Herd Management Areas for wild horses or burros.  The National Park Service does not share the same land as BLM.  The NPS does not fall under the "wild horse and burro act 1971 land issues.

If and when the Burro population becomes an issue and it has silently in Big Bend National Park they seek silent remedies unknown the public at any time to remove the problems quietly.

What should have been pointed out in the AP News article is the horse rescue group in Alpine, Texas and in Presidio, Texas allow the senseless inhumane treatment of horses going to slaughter everyday in front of there own face and never have said one word about the problem.

Not until August, 2011, did they even acknowledge there existence of life as a horse group. It wasn't until again the Wild Horse Foundation Executive Director Ray Field, brought to light the issues of horses being held inhumanely by C4 Cattle Company Jim Crenan. It took one flyer over and then a phone call to confirm that horses being sold to Mexico were being starved and held as blackmail for extortion payments.  It was proven back in July 2011 after State Troopers flew over the area after requested by Texas Commission Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that hundreds if not thousands of horse were being dumped illegal in Ciblo Creek water shed which feeds off into Texas's Rio Grande River into Texas Water Recreation Area where United States citizens often canoe, swim and raft.  

This innocent corrective action plan the BBRSP and the WHF has had in place for a few years turns up that the USDA, United States Department of Agriculture and the Texas Animal Health Commission both do not inspect horses being held for Mexico due to budget cutbacks. (( BBRSP has nothing to do with any animals associated with Presidio, Texas or anywhere else in Texas))

The State of Texas has been and always will be 'OPEN' to all communication involving Burros in the State Park.  They keep a list of actions involving Burros when they are not legally required to do so.  All pending open investigations involving euthanizing burros or any other animal on State Park Property  is considered closed until all "active investigations" are completed.  The list of Burros incidents that have been provided in the past were due to an agreement that monitored Burros crossing into Texas from Mexico.  No Burros have been euthanized from the "River Road" marking 1 mile.

In the past Park Superintendent Durst has always felt it was local neighbors living in areas close to the State Park that were allowing there livestock to roam freely into BBRSP.  Past Regional Director Mike Hill stated that fences were not required due to the lack of vegetation and allowing local cattlemen to "free graze"  on BBRSP Property.

Texas laws do not allow for "free grazing" but west Texas is the exception to the rule.  Sheriff Danny Dominguez, Presidio County has never enforced fence laws as to the wild west of Texas and neither has the State of Texas on BBRSP.

Finally the AP Reporter was only concerned like HSUS, Humane Society of the United States which has nothing to do with humane care of any animal organizations but telling you what the problems is and taking your money. They offer no solutions. They're cry babies and tell you what the problem is but never offer solutions.   see. Horse Slaughter coming back to America, Representative Sue Wallis.

For Immediate Release Contact:   Sue Wallis, 307 680 8515, sue.wallis@united-horsemen.org   FY 2012 Agricultural Appropriations bill clears the way for the restoration of the U.S. Horse Industry   International Equine Business Association applauds the removal of HSUS driven annual riders that prevented USDA inspection of horse processing Washington, D.C. - Last night, November 14, 2011, the Conference Committee on HR 2112 consolidated appropriations for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science and Transportation - Housing and Urban Development signed a conference report resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill that for the first time since 2005 does not contain annual riders that prohibit USDA from providing necessary inspection for horse processing facilities.    The International Equine Business Association (IEBA) is a new association that is an outcome of the alliances that United Horsemen has formed with hundreds of entities like the National Tribal Horse Coalition, Charros Federation USA, horse councils, production agriculture, pet animal and animal entertainment groups, as well as international partners like the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada.  The Association is eager to work with equine businesses, organizations, state, tribal, and federal agencies to maximize this opportunity.      "We could not be more pleased," says IEBA U.S co-chair Sue Wallis, "and grateful to our many partners and supporters to once again have a clear path to increase the welfare of horses, reinvigorate the devastated horse related economy, and promote the ethical, appropriate use of horses that will be welcomed by a worldwide and domestic market, create jobs, and preserve our beloved horseback American culture for our children and grandchildren. The now devastated horse industry looks forward to the day when we can once again contribute more than $1.9 Billion dollars in tax revenue nationwide from an industry that prior to 2007 was a $102 Billion dollar sector of animal agriculture...to once again supporting 1.4 Million full-time jobs working with horses everyday."     The tide turned for the horse industry when Congress received a report from their research office that looked into the effect of the closure of the U.S. horse processing facilities. That Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, HORSE WELFARE: Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences of Domestic Slaughter Cessation, documents the decline in horse welfare, and the negative impacts on the overall equine economy as a direct result of the loss of a humane option for otherwise unwanted, unusable, excess horses.   Because of the back-door exclusionary efforts of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Congress adopted the first of these damaging appropriations riders in 2005, with more added in 2007 that have prevented any facilities from operating in the forty-six states that do not have state law preventing them.     "That roadblock is now removed," noted Wallis, "now we shift our focus to resuming profitable legitimate businesses in the horse industry, and a return of normal markets for horses at every level, and every sector of the diverse horse world."     The IEBA is positioned to promote and encourage equine harvesting businesses that are held to high humane handling and food safety standards, in order to bring quality products to a vibrant and viable worldwide market. IEBA will be providing legal defense, political advocacy, business consulting, technological solutions, and more for all aspects of the equine industry.       -END-      United Horsemen is a 100% volunteer grassroots nationwide organization, joined by practically every animal agriculture and horse industry organization in the country to advocate for humane and regulated horse processing to end the unnecessary and wasteful suffering of horses. Click here for Brief FACTS from the horse industry, and a sample of what real horse people have to say about the need for humane slaughter. For more information from the perspective of professional horsemen and horsewomen see http://United-Horsemen.org.

 

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last updated Feb.12, 2012