In spite of staunch opposition from animal protection organizations — including Lady Freethinker — the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving forward with plans to conduct cruel sterilization experiments on wild horses in Eastern Oregon.
Front Range Equine Rescue (FRER) has opposed this inhumane proposal from the beginning, and are not giving up the battle; the organization has filed a lawsuit with the federal court in Washington D.C. to stop the project.
As previously reported by LFT, the BLM plan to use an archaic and barbaric experimental sterilization method on wild mares in the Warm Springs Herd Management Area. The procedure involves selecting random mares from the herd — many of who will already be pregnant — giving them only a local anesthetic, cutting an incision into their vaginas and using a wire tool to rip out their ovaries.
These surgeries will be performed in non-sterile environments, with only a short monitoring period before the horses are released.
“These sterilization procedures are overly invasive, and they are unlikely to have applicability for mares on public lands,” said Laureen Bartfield, DVM, who volunteers with the BLM for the administration of noninvasive birth control. “The unvisualized removal of the ovaries, while documented in the literature, is disfavored by reputable veterinarians. The BLM’s plan is not just clinically ill-advised, it constitutes animal cruelty on a large scale.”
Previously, the research was supported by Colorado State University, but after public outcry, the university pulled out of the program. More than 20,000 members of the public responded by submitting comments in opposition to the proposal — all of which were ignored by the BLM as they announced they were moving ahead regardless.
“It is unjustifiable for the BLM to conduct such barbaric sterilization experiments with a host of known risks, including death, on wild horses,” said Hilary Wood, president of FRER. “Performing unproven surgeries in a non-sterile environment violates the BLM’s congressional mandate to care for wild horses at a minimal feasible level, especially when responsible alternatives like the PZP contraceptive vaccine already exist to maintain population levels and ensure herd viability.”
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WELL-DONE! i SUPPORT YOU COMPLETELY!
SIGN MY NAME, PLEASE! I SUPPORT YOU!
Dam Government!!! These horses deserve better!!!
Please cease this cruel,painful, and unsafe method of sterilization on our nation’s horses! These beautiful animals deserve better, especially when safe, noninvasive alternatives exist! Thank You!
I just want to know what do people achieve by being cruel to any animal. Why do experiments on animals? Do it on themselves or their family members. It is cruel barbaric cowards who participate in this and those who watch and participate are truly sick barbaric cowards and most definately satans folliwers!!!
Barbaric there is no population problem only blm working for cattle ranchers and their free grazing. Land was not set aside for cattle but the horses and burros . Honor it for a change leave them alone. Criminal . Public out cry and you continue justice served for the poor horses that are rounded up and killed all in the name for cattle ranchers.disband the so called blood trail organizations.
HEY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS…HOW ABOUT YOU DO THESE EXPERIMENTS ON YOURSELVES????
May the Lord help these good people win against cruelty and greed.
The BLM is not known for their kindness to nature. They operate on a “for profit” basis with zero concern for animal welfare.
This is blatantly cruel and barbaric! I cannot believe anyone would even conceive of such a thing. I urge you to reconsider!!!
Thank you for taking a stand, this needs to be stopped.
So right they should be sued, STOP this cruelty now, it’s about time all animals were treated with the kindness and respect they deserve.
LEAVE THESE HORSES ALONE PLEASE…WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WAY OF ROUNDING THEM UP IS HORRIFIC, DONE WITHOUT CARE TO THE ANIMALS.
Thank-God Someone is suing! This kinda crap needs to STOP Immediately! Animal Cruelty laws need to be like REGULAR LAWS. Animals have NO Voice. We are their Voices!
Thank GOD someone is stepping forward and fighting this! I pray they sue the britches off ’em and WIN!
ALL ANIMAL LIVES MATTER ALL THE TIME FOREVER AND ALWAYS!
I wish them sucess ! This is a good start ! To the people hurting the horses; Please leave these horses alone !
To the injured bullfighter, it’s your karma! Respect the bulsl and get rid of the stupid festival.
Excellent and brave move. More individuals and groups should take a stand like this. I wish them success. And lots of publicity.
Animals are better than people.
THOSE WHO COMMIT THESE ATROCITIES SHOULD, IN TURN, BE PUT THRU THE TEST!!! LIKE IT??? NO??? THEN SHOW COMPASSION AND EMPATHY >> AND THE SAME WILL BE YOURS!!! NOW I EMAIL PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT HIS CABINET MEMBER TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS CRUELTY AND TORTURE!!! A SHAMEFULLY DISGUSTING TESTAMENT TO THE HUMAN RACE!!!
FOR GOD SAKE STOP THIS STUPID INHUMANE ANIMAL TORTURE AND DISRESPECT.
Esther, even if you tell Trump he will not care. He is not an advocate for animals. Look at what he is doing the the ESA. We are a truly dangerous species and not one I feel proud to be a part of even with all the caring people who do good things for animals.
Let’s sign a petition to neuter the people who came up with this tidiculous idea!!!! I am writing to President Trump TODAY. I am sure h does not even know what these idiots are during. They are probably a bunch of leftover bureaucrats.
Please forgive my typos……it is EARLY!
You’re writing to trump? I won’t even capitalise his name! Do you realise he’s passed to grizzly shooting order, not to mention his sons hunt??? Are you so dumb you think he gives a toss about ANY animal?!?!? Geez, no wonder he got in!
Who would ever come up with such an idea? That person needs to be jailed for even thinking of such barbaric thoughts!
This is animal cruelty at a high level. If this was done to a pet animal cruelty charges would apply. Why not Here?
Need to do experimental sterilization? Easy. Death row is packed! Make the trash useful
Go for it!!!! I hate he idea that these criminals are using resources to be kept in jail forever that could go for housing the homeless and feeding children who go hungry on a daily basis here in the USA.
I just ordered one of their t-shirts! It’s a great way to advertise and to help save these majestic animals.
Do we even have a director for the BLM under Trump Admin?
I don’t think so. Needs to be check up on. For Sure.
If I took a wire hook and pulled the ovaries out of my dogs, I would be arrested for animal abuse. This is animal abuse at the federal level and Washington turns a blind eye.
This is so wrong! It is cruel and inhuman! Whose stupid and barbaric person came to this idea? Please stop the BLM.
How appalling that people are considering such cruel and dangerous experiments on wild horses. This should never have been considered in the first place. They are totally out of tune with nature and wild life that has lived on this planet for thousands of years. Time to find people who are in tune with nature and care for the preservation and health of all wild animals and the environment they live, including us!
I totally agree!!!!
The BLM is hated in Nevada where there are many or use to be many wild horses. They are killing wild horses and burros in record numbers. Your congressmen should be written.
Help stop this!
The BLM is counter productive with this whole thing. HOW can they be so blatantly cruel to these beautiful creatures? The last time I looked, animal cruelty is a crime! How do they get away with it? IF spay/neuter is the option, do it the RIGHT way under sterile conditions with proper anasthesia and correct amount of monitoring time. Don’t set the horses up for a cruel, painful death by subjecting them to infection! Maybe this is what they are hoping for…death by sterilization. Then their “problem” goes away. These horses are beautiful! I get that the populations can get out of hand, which isn’t good for the horses because then food supplies are not as abundant and many could die as a result. So maybe spay neuter is good to a point… But DO IT THE RIGHT WAY! And it may be less expensive to do one procedure per horse than re-vaccinating the birth control again and again. Either way, there is no NEED to be cruel! Have a heart BLM! Don’t make EVERYTHING about greed and the bottom line! And don’t be shipping those horses to Canada and Mexico to slaughter for horse meat!
Their is a person that has gathered some of these Wild Mustangs. And has already sent them to People over in England and other places for protection. They go to those that know the value of theses Beautiful Wild Horses. And wish to Preserve them & their Heritage. They go to these People who really want to take care of them. This was In the Burn’s Times Herald New Paper Last Spring. A very big Article about the Eastern OR. Mustangs. I was the one who sent this to LADY FREETHINKER Just so She might get it out to everyone. This Issue about the Wild Horses has been on going for over 50 years one way or another. Always a fight with B.L.M. These Mustangs deserve better then what there getting. Thanks so much less keep up the fight for these Beautiful Mustangs. Adopting might still be in the cards for those that can. Get more People to Sign a Petition or many signatures as possible & send it to President TRUMP. So he can Pardon these Mustangs. He has Pardoned People like the Hammonds of Burn’s OR. Why not these Horses to? Thanks From. PAW.
Animal abuse of any kind deserves a HEFTY fine and long JAIL SENTENCES
Just another ‘back-door’ method for the BLM to exterminate ALL wild horses and burros. Why??? because they want to give the PUBLIC grazing lands to their fat-assed ‘friends’ the ranchers, for their cattle or to their equally fat-assed ‘friends’ the oil and fracking companies who want to pillage the land in order to fill their pockets with the mighty dollar. Once removed from the public lands, these innocent horses and burros are kept in barren land sites and, very quietly, sold via the ‘back-door’ to the kill-buyers who then ship these animals to either Canada or Mexico where they will face the most horrific treatment and slaughter possible. Come on citizens, the BLM will NOT be satisfied until every last horse and burro are gone, extinct, exterminated.
This vile practice must be stopped! The BLM is not a respectable organization.
This must not be allowed to continue and I hope you succeed in court.
This organization is just sick, sick, sick. This should not happen in this advanced day where there are so many alternatives. As taxpayers we need to speak up on issues like this which I am sure is being funded by our dollars. This is just wrong to do to these beautiful animals.
If there are women involved in this they should be given just a local anesthetic in unsterile environments and have their ovaries ripped out with wire and then be given just a short monitoring period.
THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE SPAYED!!!
If we can’t trust the Bureau of Land Management to protect indigenous inhabitants on the U.S. public’s land then lets just GET RID OF THE BLM and not the indigenous!
BLM holds hearings and listens to protests of thousand but then does what it originally planned. Is it tightly tied to commercial interests which rent the public land for their livestock enterprises?
The public cares about the wild inhabitants – NOT THE PROFITS OF RANCHERS. iF ANYTHING NEEDS REMOVAL, IT IS THE COMPETING LIVESTOCK WHICH DOESN’T BELONG.
So unfair what this government condones. BLM, cattlemen, USDA, Fish & Wildlife, all use cruelty and suffering to accomplish whatever they want to do.
None of them care about the rest of us whatsoever.
What matters to them is money and abusing their power.
The PRO beef rancher driven – follow the money gas and oil machines want their way. The American people want their horses alive. Their American, federally protected, American horses are owned by the people. We, 80 percent of American people’s wAnt them alive. Not in cans and not in camps. More Americans want to protect our wildhorses – it’s time to call off beef – gas and oil because tourism trumps beef gas And oil in Utah and other western states -.
Anyone who agrees to this torture needs to be spayed or gelded without any anesthetic or proper sterilizing procedures.
Who the hell comes up with these insane ideas? What the hell is wrong with some people?
Procedure is barbaric and painful and not necessary. There are less painful means. Do the right thing for these icons of the start of this country.
Reminds me of the day I witnessed the method used in some European Countries to castrate goats. I was not impressed.
The noninvasive birth control needs to be used.
I agree, NON INVASIVE BIRTH CONTROL!!
responsible alternatives like the PZP contraceptive vaccine already exist to maintain population levels and ensure herd viability.”
In this time 2018 government authorities using insane tortuous sterilization .
Our family is appalled
I totally agree with you Debra. Betcha the only reason the government is not using PZP is that it costs more than they are willing to pay that is if they even give a dam! Take care
BLM = ButtheadsLosersMorons, which applies in this case..Do they not have even half a brain between the whole lot of them?..maybe we should put them through sterlization procedures..idiots!!!