Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary and Wildhorse Ranch Rescue jumped to the aid of burros rounded-up and auctioned by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
Wild burros in desert setting
With swift action by several equine rescues, 70 wild burros offered at auction in Arizona were rescued and are being cared for by members of the Homes for Horses Coalition.
When Karen Pomroy, executive director of Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary, saw the Notice of Public Auction posted by the Arizona Dept. of Agriculture announcing the sale of approximately 70 feral burros to the highest bidder for cash, she knew she had to save them.
Karen had attended a similar auction in 2012, so she knew that a kill buyer could be there to purchase the burros to send to slaughter in Mexico. Kimberly Meagher, executive director of Wildhorse Ranch Rescue, also sprang into action with a donation drive to raise funds to rescue some of the burros. With additional help from Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, all of the burros are now safe.
Equine Voices and Wildhorse Ranch rescues are members of The Homes for Horses Coalition, a program jointly supported by The Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to serve as a recognized national network of experts in equine care and government policy affecting equines.
Cindy Gendron, coordinator of The Homes for Horses Coalition, said: “This is what cooperation within the equine protection community can do. Within a few days, these 70 lives came from the brink of possible destruction to the safety and stewardship of caring people who will ensure a positive future for them.”
Kimberly Meagher of Wildhorse Ranch Rescue said, “We were hoping to save at least two or three. Well, we ended up with 23! What a wonderful surprise from our wonderful supporters. The dilemma now will be raising the funds each month to feed them and help pay for the veterinary costs.”
The veterinary costs for one critically ill new-born, named Spencer, have already reached more than $2,000.
About The Homes for Horses Coalition
The Homes for Horses Coalition is dedicated to ending horse slaughter and other forms of equine abuse, while promoting growth, collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue and protection community. On Facebook