2024 was a jammed packed year of both hardship and groundbreaking wins. Creating one video that memorializes the events of 2024 is nearly impossible.
In 2024 we brought momentum built in 2023 into tangible wins and are pushing forward to expand the doorway that leads to reform of BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program.
In 2024, our legal team cracked the lack of any actual on-range management planning and analysis through winning two of our active court cases. We are moving cases through the courts right now to expand on those wins to bring about real changes. WHE also has active litigation against habitat loss from livestock and mining, a case to stop a rancher from forcing a large removal while neglecting basic data, cases against abuse in facilities and lack of access to monitor welfare.
Our investigative team continued to reveal the shocking death rates caused by roundups. In the first 6 months the average death rate is 12% and can rise as high as 20% in female burros. The death rate on the range is negligible according to BLM (and why it is not included in population growth rate estimates). In other words, removal is the #1 cause of death for wild horses and burros in the U.S.
Our outreach team worked with the public, Congress and BLM leadership. The first recommendations crafted entirely by the public were sent to BLM leadership. During meetings, BLM leadership admitted any changes to the program will be litigation driven.
Our tracking team helped place captive wild horses into good homes and helped rescue from the slaughter pipeline.
Our welfare team collectively logged over 200 days reporting from capture operations. Our onsite reports continue to keep the public informed and our in-depth after operation reviews exposed deep flaws in the BLM program and sheer lack of accountability, record keeping and enforcement.
In 2025, we must not only defend the ground gained in 2024, we must continue to push forward. We must be ready to defend against threats, old and new. Once again we will need to push back attempts to sell-off or kill wild horses and burros that have been removed and now sit in holding pens.
WHE is committed to taking on the hard battles, the complicated battles, the battles others deem impossible. We have shown that these battles can be won and each case brought to conclusion this year has done just that: won victories others deemed impossible. We do not make boasting claims of being “leaders,” we simply forge ahead and lead into territory year-after-year where others have shied away breaking ground and creating desperately needed precedent. We must push further.
We are up against well-funded and organized big corporate interests. WHE has no corporate sponsors. No government grants. No deep celebrity pockets.
Help us fight back. No matter how difficult the challenge may be, together we will stand strong. We won’t back down.
The last week of the year sets the most critical fundraising goal of the year. Funds raised now determine just how much we can carry into the coming year.
We must raise 10K to unlock a match that will be doubled dollar-for-dollar. If you make your contribution a monthly donation, another supporter will match your contribution tripling those funds. 
Thank you for helping us break ground in 2024 and we look forward to meeting the challenges head on in 2025. Thank you for keeping WHE in the fight to protect and preserve our wild ones.
Categories: Lead, Spotlight, Wild Horse Education
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