bess & Bee

Seniors

After The New York Times exposed the sale authority scandal, we felt it was important for people to understand that burros are also being funneled by the BLM into the slaughter pipeline. Over the period of time that we were tracking sale authority animals for the documentation we shared with journalist Dave Philipps, there were 2,214 burros sold sale authority, and 39 landed in kill pens - that we know about.

We were looking at a large group of sale authority burros in a kill pen. Donkeys are sensitive and intelligent. Mothers bond deeply with their offspring, often staying with them all their lives. Separating burro families is one of the cruelest things humans can do. The slaughter pipeline is so dangerous for them. They are extremely vulnerable to the horrible diseases that thrive is those places.

We noticed there were two senior burros, ages 18 and 20. We named them Bess and Bumblebee - “Bee”. They had been at the kill pen a very long time, but no one had stepped up to help them. They were frail, thin, and way too old to have been put through all this. It’s heartbreaking to know what they’ve lost and horrifying to think about what they’ve seen and experienced in the roundup, adoption process, and kill pen. They are home safe with us now - skinny, but we’ll have weight on them in no time.

Seniors are a critical area of rescue for us as they are far less likely to find good homes than younger animals. They need more care and have more medical expenses that many people are unwilling to take on. Bess and Bee are beautiful, gentle beings who deserve a soft, safe landing, which we are so happy to give them at Skydog.

#skydogbess #skydogbee

American 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 two Senators to urge them to support these bills. 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

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and 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. 4356) The bill would eliminate the use of helicopters in rounding up wild horses and burros, and require a study into alternative methods for humanely gathering the animals.

Ejiao Act of 2025 (H.R. 5544). 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.

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at canned hunt ranches in Texas & Oklahoma, bringing an end to the BLM using Sale Authority to funnel wild equines into the slaughter pipeline, and stopping production of Premarin & other drugs made from pregnant mare urine.