Wild Horse Education

BLM Signs Decision, Approves Oregon Spaying

By on

2018_dhFC_0604 - 1 (2) copyThe Record of Decision on the spay experiments in Oregon was approved by the Burns District BLM. You can read the letter here: ORSPAY_Cover letter_signed

Today the debate in Congress will cover funding for spaying (currently not approved) in the fiscal 2019 budget. The House voted “yes,” the Senate voted “no.” Funding is now in committee to rectify the bills. . https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6147

You can find your reps here: http://Govtrack.us

~~~~~

A note from WHE volunteer Juley Dyer.

I was talking with my vet during a visit. He offered the following:

Spaying for birth control in dogs is something that is done these days almost on a conveyor belt, so common and should be demanded.
But this procedure is barbaric butchery for a horse. For it to even be considered is insane! We have studies out there for birth control vaccines that should be utilized.
I wanted to tell you a true story about a conversation I had today with my vet. He came to see one of my horses for a lameness issue. We got to talking about wild horses and I mentioned how the BLM wants to  start spaying our wild horses at the roundup sites in a non sterile, dirty, dusty stocks, released with no aftercare. To me there are so many levels of cruelty and butchery, not to mention their vitals will be trough the roof after being chased, terrorized and separated from the safety of their family by a thumping helicopter (when was the last time you stood below a helicopter?).
My vet’s eye’s got real big, and he said “Oh Juley it is unethical to preform that procedure on any horse, wild or domestic. It would mean death! I would NEVER even consider doing that!’

He went on to explain how they do it and the tool they use. I won’t get into that, but he did tell me a story, but adding ‘ this is not something taught in vet school, it is left to the large animal surgical specialists in vet hospitals in treating severe medical conditions, and not for birth control…in hospital settings.. not on the range.’

He told me of a student who was performing an ovariectomies via colpotomy that resulted in death. He said someone would need to do this procedure on at least 300 horses to even have a clue what they were doing. The student was able to remove the right ovarie because its easy to find, but that the left side is harder because there are a lot of other organs on the left side that feel like an ovarie. Doing this on the range is just so insane! So when the student went in the left side, he found what he thought was the ovarie. After pulling it out, they discovered it was a little sack of manure. The poor mare soon died because he had ripped out a piece of her colon.

Please do not consider this procedure for birth control. Please keep the protections enshrined in the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act.

~~~~~~~

Many orgs will be protesting the spaying even if funding is approved. Please remember this “spay in field” has been done before at Sheldon. The ramifications in field are immense; mortality and behaviorally.

This is all about politics.

To learn a bit more about the current politics that have driven their tendrils deep into todays BLM,  read more here: https://www.publichorses.com/anyone-watching

~~~~~~

WHE are out at roundups and in field. WHE is prepping protests against this move to spay and also against a mine that will obliterate habitat for one of our amazing herds.

Help us continue.

imgres

This is “big picture” time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Wild Horse Education