More than 50 lawmakers on Thursday condemned a federal agency’s plans to gruesomely sterilize dozens of Utah’s wild mares.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced earlier this year a plan to surgically sterilize federally-protected wild mares in the Confusion Herd Management area in Utah.
The area spans more than 235,000 acres and is home to 551 wild horses- a herd size the BLM plans to whittle down to 70 wild horses within the next decade.
The chosen sterilization method- ovariectomy via colpotomy- involves a surgeon inserting a metal, foot-long, rod-like instrument into an incision in the mare’s vulva and using a chain to blindly sever the mare’s ovaries while she remains conscious. Risks include injuries, infections, hemorrhaging, evisceration, and death.
The BLM received approval for its plan in October and plans to start gathering horses in late November.
But 58 lawmakers in both the House and Senate, led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressperson Dina Titus (D-NV, told Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt in a Nov. 19 letter that they want nothing to do with the plan: noting ovariectomies via colpotomy posed a “significant welfare risk” for wild horses.
“This attempt to use taxpayer dollars to carry out cruel and inhumane procedures on wild horses must not move forward,” said Titus. “I will always fight to protect these majestic animals that have become symbols of the American West.”
The lawmakers blocked similar surgical experiments on wild horses in Oregon in 2019. Their letter this week emphasized that ovariectomy via colpotomy remains a highly controversial, unsafe, and unwelcome approach – with national polls showing nearly 80% of the American public opposes the sterilizations.
During the BLM’s public comment period, five animal welfare nonprofits and thousands of members of the public deplored using ovariectomies via colpotomy, as opposed to safer, more humane, and already-established options like the Porcine Zona Pellucida vaccine.
“The American public, law makers, veterinarians, and other experts have all been very clear in their opposition to the BLM pursuing this reckless approach to wild horse management,” said Joanna Grossman, the equine program manager for the Animal Welfare Institute.
An act of Congress or the court system could stop the brutal sterilizations. Join Lady Freethinker in asking lawmakers to use their power to protect wild mares from the grave danger of these surgical sterilizations.
What’s New…
LET THE WILD HORSES ROAM FREE.
This is heartbreaking and cruel! Humans are so cruel!
Stop the brutality against wild mares and let nature run it’s course. We loose too many animals to Man.. leave our wildlife alone and their unborn and the young.
Humane methods exist. Please use them.
The family-friendliest I can get here is suggesting that Dr Leon Pielstick have a similar procedure done on him.
Have a chain inserted into his abdomen with no anesthetic and without the implement being disinfected.
How do people even think of things like this ?!?!?
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is horrifying and BRUTAL. THIS MUST BE STOPPED NOW!
THE BASTARD BUTCHER VETERINARIAN IS …. LEON PIELSTICK! … FIND HIM! HE DOES NOT CARE FOR THE WELFARE OF HIMSELF OR HIS FAMILY MEMBERS OBVIOUSLY!
Can you believe this monster received Veterinarian of the Year in 2004?
Dr (?) Pielstick should have something similar done to him.
K~You are asking it keep this family friendly How can you possibly ask that when the content is far from it? HELL!!””” they can’t be serious. this involves a surgeon inserting a metal, foot-long, rod-like instrument into an incision in the mare’s vulva and using a chain to blindly sever the mare’s ovaries while she remains conscious. Risks include injuries, infections, hemorrhaging, evisceration, and death.
This is absolute murder and terrible cruelty
It MUST not be allowed
Hello, this is inhumane. And needs to be stopped. So so cruel. They need to be protected . And cared for not tossed away.
Very much so I can hardly believe they even think of doing this wickedness. It cannot go on. It would be better to shoot them dead in the head than carry out this atrocity
Please stop the cruelty to these lovely animals
It’s true that some people are so disconnected from their own capacity for empathy, that carrying such brutal acts upon animals doesn’t even register as monstrous. ‘They’re just doing their jobs’, might be their defense. I would offer that the BLM has simply gotten so lazy and cruel under the Trump administration that they might actually enjoy this forced and painful sterilization of wild horses who should be ~ protected ~ , not whitlled down.
FYI – Dr (?) Leon Pielstick, the monster behind this procedure, started doing this to wild burros for the BLM in 2015.
During the Obama Administration.
No horse or mare is for meat to eat.
This is horrendous … end of all kind of humanity .. stp this non sense asap
It is absolutely unacceptable to use such barbaric middle age methods in a 1st world country. A country that should lead by example and care about the welfare of all its creatures.
One Nation under God…. are we? Can you say this sentence out loud and than proceed to do something so cruel and painful to creatures that are a symbol of the USA.
Be a Christian and don’t hurt others and protect ALL Creatures!
Animal torturers are the same as murderers, and must be dealt with accordingly.
Stop this cruel method of sterilization.
The overpopulation on this earth comes only from the ”human”.
Let us do something about sterilisation and castration, then the earth would look much better for the animals!
Man is the worst thing on this earth and decides on life and death for animals when they do NOT appear in large numbers, but that is true for ”mankind”.
Please stop the cruel and even deadly surgical sterilization of wild horse mares. There is no over-population of wild horses.
Thank you.
Evil is waiting for you who are cruel to Animals
We need to stop this evil to animals
As a Animal lover l will fight to protect any Animal even if l have to die
All you world leaders must love killing Animals everyone stop voting
Animal Lives Matter
love from uk
Some people are Evil & Brutal beyond ones imagination. How could any human who have a brain cell size of a mustard size think, that such viciously sterilize the horses are okay? I am glad that Sen. Cory Booker & Congressperson Dina Titus who genuinely standing against this ruthless project.
IN FACT THE BLM committee WHO EV ER “PLANNED” THIS VILE IDEA & PROPOSED, MUST BE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME PROCEDURE BEFORE STERILIZING HORSES. I am speechless, how can these so called authorities could become such violent minded people.
All of this cruelty….is so heart breaking…I am an animal lover!!!! I read these horrifying stories about these innocent animals and I can’t help but cry 😥 I have become vegetarian on my way to becoming completely vegan….I can’t CHOKE another piece of abused animal down my throat….no way!!!!! And as for the pets….these poor little innocent angels….yes, I said ANGEL’S!!!!!!! Don’t deserve to be abused and killed,tortured till their poor little bodies give up…the world we live in today is nothing short of hell on Earth.
Cruelty, abuse, no excuses for this despicable behavior. The BLM needs to be shut down. No excuse for this mis-management & brutality. Stop using our tax dollars to reduce wild mustang populations so ranchers can exploit public lands for their profit & continue poisoning of land, water & air with excessive amounts of cattle.
Disgusting that the BLM would go to his length of Brutality that could even lead to injury and even death…If they did their job right in the beginning we wouldn’t have this problem were having now….This won’t even work unless they sterilize the Stallions easier and cheaper an easier procedure…Maybe all those Idiots should be fired and hire someone with experience with horses it’s really obvious none of them no what they are doing chasing horses around in labor with Helicopters….It is so obvious all they are doing is standing around waiting on a paycheck,,,Not one of them cares about the Horses….You need to hire Farmers, Ranchers Trainers, some one with knowledge of Horses …..Not just someone who answers an ad in the paper.
Would also help struggling farmers Ranchers, who could train horses to ride and sell at a profit……Do you remeber the Bundy Blunder????? They all need to be replaced, and why do they need guns and helicopters anyway???????
This brutality needs to be stopped immediately. These are sentient beings who should never have to suffer like this at the hands of humans.
This brutality needs to be stopped immediately. These are sentient beings who should never have to suffer like this at the hands of humans.
What is wrong with all of you idiots? Try this same procedure on yourselves – who in the hell do you think you are to take it upon yourselves to destroy the lives of these wild horses. Mother Nature is already busy taking care of all of the abuse to her planet and her animals by giving us all the covid issues to deal with – because we are all quickly destroying her planet. This is just another example of humans overstepping their rightful boundaries. Leave the god damn horses alone all of you useless pieces of shit.
Horses are not the problem! The BLM needs to be sterilized so it does not propagate. It is staffed by human weapons of mass destruction! BLM = Bureau of Lethal Management.
Nature and its wild inhabitants do fine on their own. When the dangerous human predators interfere, it causes mass destruction!
THE DEPARTMENT OF LETHAL MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED!!!!!!!!!
Well stated. I heartily agree.
Leave them alone they are wild and do not harm anyone
The BLM is not responsible enough to care for OUR wild horses and burros. The Department needs adult supervision.
Well said.
This is inhuman what has happened to humanity.
Wonderful to have so much support in Congress!
I certainly that this plan is not carried out !
DO not allow this method of preventing the mares to have fillies or colts Nature has a way of taking care of itself if this was your wife or child what would you do. This is cruel and barbaric – these animals have been here for years running wild and its MAN that is destroying everything
To sterilise a mare is an expensive, painful and BIG operation.
Look at how many privately owned mares are sterilised…….hardly any.
If the growing numbers of wild horses NEEDS controlling, then surely the gelding of stallions is a safer and cheaper option. It can be performed standing up under local anaesthetic and as long as done correctly, requires little to no follow up care.
Please keep fighting against sterilization in this manner
Humans are so goddamn cruel and stupid! If the mares need to be sterilized find a humane method.
Disgusting to torture any animal . If people don’t want wild horses to shoot then would be kinder . What evil ideas the Americans have they go to church to pray and allow barbaric acts . A rotten race !!!!!
This is not real when people can even think to do this! And why??? The horses better be there wild instead of the meet markets damned cows! This is the meet industry lobbying, nothing else! Eat less much meet and save the planet and if anyone want to have less horses then it is much easier to castrate the stallions. This operation is just horrific and must be stopped!
This is not real when people can even think to do this! And why??? The horses better be there wild instead of the meet markets damned cows! This is the meet industry lobbying, nothing else! Eat less much meet and save the planet and if anyone want to have less horses then it is much easier to castrate the stallions. This operation is just horrific and must be stopped!
Good to know that lawmakers are finally finding their voices for the voiceless. Torturing animals to gain space or money per pound is BLM only and always been their solution. They are truly the US butchers.
If Utah owes it’s early history to man’s desire to escape from persecution, how can they justify persecution of God’s creatures for commercial gain?
If Utah owes it’s early history to man’s desire to escape from persecution, how can they justify persecution of God’s creatures for commercial gain?
Many of these laws/practices were created under Obama Admin. Many have gotten better as no more transporting our horses on a nightmare run across the border in huge cargo vans at our expense for a horrific slaughter with some one getting $$ per pound.
Not has many horrific illegal round ups as there use to be BUT still this all has to STOP NOW.
Our Horses are Protected by US laws, time to obey our old laws, and remove the ones made by the last Admin. But who knows with the new Admin, might be more of the same?’
STOP the plan to sterilize mares!!!
Please stop all plans to sterilize wild horses in horrible ways that will result in the animal being in pain and suffering afterwards including possibly death. The government needs to stop managing the horses to death and leave them on their lands where they have roamed for thousands of years. BLM should be kicking off ranchers and cows off public lands to save water and food for the horses which are native wildlife and deserve to be left alone.