Fiona
Betrayed and failed in every way by the BLM, a beautiful wild burro was adopted out, only to land with her baby, Forest, in a kill pen. Almost as soon as they arrived, we moved fast to get them out of there and into quarantine.
In addition to the deadly vulnerability of her two-month-old foal to the respiratory diseases they are exposed to in the slaughter pipeline, we wanted to be sure no one adopted Forest, while leaving his mother to ship to slaughter. All too often, the cute babies are purchased as pets, but no one cares about their parents. I wish more people would consider adopting them because donkeys and burros are the most beautiful, gentle souls.
We know from experience that the bond between mother donkeys and their babies is even stronger than that of horses. Mothers tend to stay with their offspring for as long as they live. Separating Fiona from her baby would have been a cruelty that we made sure will never happen. These two will live the rest of their lives together at Skydog.
After a month in quarantine, Fiona and Forest arrived with a clean bill of health. I was so impressed with her regal bearing as she stepped off the trailer and was gently guided to their stall. Grace under pressure, she held her head high while keeping her baby close to her. She is very wild and protective, but she felt safe enough to allow her curious, innocent son to approach humans for love and scratches.
We couldn’t wait to introduce her and Forest to the long-eared herd with other babies and mothers. Knowing someone new and exciting was arriving in the trailer, they all crowded around to see who it was. Fiona was taken aback when Marcie Marshmallow boldly jumped into the trailer rather than wait for them to jump out. I had to climb in to encourage them all to exit. Fiona and Forest hit the ground running with the herd following right behind to run some welcome laps. With Woodstock, Marcie Marshmallow, and Ziggy, Fiona has an outlet for her son’s playful energy, while she finds understanding, comfort, and support with other mothers, Sally Brown and Lucy.
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.