Article Submitted by WHE volunteer Laurie Ford following the Black Mountain roundup where she was an observer. On the first day of the operation a burro with club foot was sent to a rescue, not euthanized. For those of you that follow roundups you know just how rare that kind of event is; most are euthanized onsite. More than just a rescue story, it provides an opportunity to explore potential for positive changes. 

“Clubby” captured on January 10 at Black Mountain

Preface

During almost every roundup that takes place wild horses and burros are euthanized at the trap site due to a malady that is deemed to have “a poor prognosis for improvement or little chance of recovery” including “conditions that are not treatable or for which treatment is impractical for a wild horse or burro in its present setting” ( PIM 2021-007 WHB Euthanasia Policy updated ).

But, a number of these conditions are not life threatening, such as single eye blindness, enlarged joints or deformed limbs, and “old age characterized by physical deterioration, the inability to fend for itself, suffering, or closeness to death” so exactly how are they supposed to be treated in the “present setting” which would be the trap site? Many of these horses and burros have survived and been able to fend for themselves on the range for years yet, the moment they are captured, suddenly “their prognosis for improvement is poor and they are determined to have little chance of recovery.”

Is it their prognosis of adoptability that is actually being diagnosed as poor? Or, is it possible, that many of these animals could find placement?

We are aware there are numerous individuals or sanctuaries who would be more than willing to, and capable of, providing refuge and medical care for these animals if possible. So, why doesn’t the BLM have agreements and grants for a foster system that rehabs non-life-threatening conditions instead of euthanizing horses and burros? By helping to cover costs not only would this reduce the mortality rates after capture, but could possibly help BLM with their serious image problem that exists today.

Something Different

On my first day observing the Black Mountain wild burro roundup in Arizona I could tell something different was taking place here. Things were friendly and the overall tone subdued. Public Affairs was welcoming. The BLM person in charge listened to my concerns and demonstrated concern himself.

That morning, as we strained against the sun glare to observe burros being rounded up, the minimal talk kept returning to one topic – Clubby.

Clubby, a known “local” wild burro, had been captured on the first day of the roundup and transported to temporary holding where he was processed. Clubby had a clubfoot and in many instances might have been immediately euthanized at trap.

The hoof-pastern axis of a donkey is naturally more upright than that of a horse. This is a perfect example as to the importance of the BLM not treating burros like horses and acknowledging their differences. There are also different grades of severity in clubfeet which can be corrected or managed with the appropriate care and diligent farrier work. The burro may not ever be able to jump a 5-foot fence but can certainly live a comfortable happy life if given the opportunity.

Oatman Burros Rehab and Recovery Sanctuary

Fortunately, the BLM Wild Horse and Burro personnel overseeing the roundup were knowledgeable about burros and recognized this was not a death sentence for Clubby who was still capable of having a future with kindness and the right care.  The decision was made to release him to Kathy and the Oatman Burros Rehab and Recovery Sanctuary where he would receive both. Working together, this team and Kathy’s sanctuary provided life and refuge for a wild burro whose fate could have potentially been very different.

This was not the first time Kathy has worked with the local BLM Wild Horse and Burro Specialists to assist with wild burros – mainly those requiring long term medical care or having special needs that a typical adopter would most likely not have been able to provide.

That evening, Clubby was picked up (after being officially adopted) from temporary holding and taken to Desert Pines Equine Medical and Surgical Center in Las Vegas where the wound on his back leg was treated and x-rays were taken. Dental x-rays revealed Clubby, age 11 or 12, needed dental work – something that could also have been grounds for euthanasia at a roundup.  X-rays of his clubfoot were forwarded to the sanctuary’s farrier who began the process of managing the problem when Clubby arrived home.

Clubby

The mission of Oatman Burros Rehab and Recovery Sanctuary is to save and preserve the wild burros of Oatman and the surrounding areas by providing burros who are sick, injured, deemed a nuisance or are unwanted, a safe and loving environment. The burros are rehabilitated while also being taught to trust again and respond to kindness. If the burro is unadoptable it will remain at the sanctuary to live out their life. Under special circumstances the sanctuary rescues burros from kill pens and slaughter.

Petunia

On my final day at the roundup I made a visit to the sanctuary where I got to hug “Petunia”, the lone burro WHE had sought a home for last year and who was adopted by Kathy. Petunia had been adopted in 2017 but was surrendered to Palomino Valley facility in 2022 after spending years living alone in a pen because she supposedly exhibited “dangerous characteristics” – another diagnosis that could have resulted in euthanasia. All Petunia needed was some company and kindness and I found her to be sweet as could be! I also got to meet Clubby and numerous other burros who each had their very own special story.

Traffic Cone

In the sanctuary’s “medical pen”, full of burros recovering from a multitude of injuries resulting from vehicle collisions, there was little “Traffic Cone” whose mother had been hit and killed on the road. As I had witnessed driving along routes 10 and 68, the jennies would “park” their babies on the side of the road while they attempted to stop traffic for food handouts. There were also burros recovering from painful founder, or laminitis, due to being fed sugar rich foods and a variety of junk foods. Wearing boots and sole supports, these burros will need close observation and care potentially for the rest of their lives.

Hospice

There were also residents with terminal maladies that had come to the sanctuary for hospice but with all the love and kindness surrounding them their lives seem to have been magically extended!

Not only are Kathy and her volunteers burro warriors on their own promoting awareness, they also join BLM at local community meetings to assist with upcoming roundups, off road vehicle issues, and the escalating problem of road collisions involving burros.

The constant roadside feeding by the public habituates burros to seek food sources from along roadways leading them to routinely congregate in areas they otherwise would have avoided. Not only are they hit by vehicles but suffer from colic and founder as previously mentioned.

In Arizona, hundreds of burros that wander onto roadways are removed under nuisance and emergency gathers – many which are not included in the initial development of the annual gather schedule – due to this growing problem.

On-range management planning needs a lot more of BLMs attention, west wide.  Long neglected Herd Management Area Planning (HMAP) need to be addressed. In most areas livestock and mining are the uses of public lands encroaching on habit desperately needed for the survival of wild things. However, in Oatman we see clearly how the rapid increase of recreation and tourism can have the same type of direct and indirect impacts.

The experience at Black Mountain roundup (and the partnership with the sanctuary) was one that brought some small hope for a handful of the 1000 wild burros removed and those left on the range facing an uncertain future. It changed the tone to one that began to poise the question “Why?” 

Why can’t there be an alternatives to euthanizing wild horses and burros with non-life-threatening conditions.

More releases should take place during roundups for humane reasons. During gather operations, the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) can authorize the release or euthanasia of any wild horse or burro that they believe will not tolerate the handling stress associated with transportation, adoption/sales preparation (PIM 2021-007 WHB Euthanasia Policy update). Currently, few releases seem to ever take place as that would contradict the BLM’s true mission – to obtain and maintain AML.

Funding and grants could be made available through a foster care system to ensure the well-being of our wild horses and burros. The BLM has spent over 5 million dollars funding the AIP which is still resulting in horses and burros going to kill pens where the public often ends up rescuing them with their own money. BLM should is funding repetitive research projects on fertility control and things like “do mountain lions eat horses?” Any other topic that would benefit management, and the welfare of horses and burros, are of lower priority for funding.

Despite no research being conducted on the topic of agreements and grants for a foster system that would rehab, rather than euthanize,  horses and burros with non-life-threatening conditions, BLM Arizona Wild Horse and Burro Specialist have helped to prove it can create good-will, be of public benefit and help the quality of life for burros. By working with Kathy and her crew at the sanctuary, an agreement for foster and rehab has proven that these animals can, indeed, live a quality life.

Our team is working on our 2025 Appropriations kit. As we engage lawmakers for the next round in the budget debate, funding for agreements and grants to create a foster/rehab program will be on our list. The kit will be available soon.

A few things we are working on: We need funding for a formal rulemaking process for an enforceable welfare standard, funding and prioritization of HMAP creation. There should also be  funding for projects that can provide an immediate benefit to wild horses and burros that could live a quality life through a foster/rehab program.

We need your support to remain on the frontline; on the range and in the courts.

Thank you for keeping us on the frontline in the fight to protect and preserve our wild horses and burros.