ladybug

These were supposed to be just two mares rescued from a kill pen in Kansas… Two sweet-looking wild mares that stood no chance of being adopted or rescued. A grey mare with her sorrel friend needed us. We set off to make another short film about saving kill pen horses to raise awareness for the SAFE Act and educate people about how to shut down the slaughter pipeline in the USA. Some 20,000 American equines, including many federally-protected mustangs and burros, are shipped to slaughter in Mexico or Canada every year. We are doing all we can into stop this once and for all. So we said yes to Ladybug and Grey Goose and went to pick them up ourselves.

Suddenly, we got a message about a third horse. She had come in with these two, but was left behind. We turned around and went back to get her. So Twiglet got to ride with us and her two friends back to Oregon and a new life of safety and freedom.

All three mares were rounded up from Triple B in 2018.  After that, they were adopted under the disastrous Adoption Incentive Program, which paid their adopter $1000 to hold them for a year before dumping them for slaughter. These three were among the lucky ones to be saved and their rescue helped others by bringing attention to the slaughter pipeline. 

Like so many mares in kill pens, Ladybug was pregnant. Horrifically, it adds weight to drive up their meat price. On June 21st, 2021 she not only gave the world a baby, she delivered a precious little mule, whom we named Firefly. This little guy brought so much laughter with his love of life and antics. He is growing into such a sweet, friendly young man. Ladybug had lots of help raising him right with Auntie Cotton. Another mother, Isabella later joined this band with her baby girl, Wildheart. Neither youngster will ever know the horrors their mothers faced, while growing up with all the benefits of life in a wild herd.

#skydogladybug

Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.