Dear Friends,
An organization like Equine Advocates does not reach its 26th birthday without the loyal and continuous support of compassionate people whose generosity over the years has made a milestone like this possible. As the founder of this organization, I would like to shout out a big thank you to those of you who have believed in our work and mission to rescue equines in need and provide them with permanent sanctuary for the rest of their lives. As most of you know, while that is a big part of our mission, it also extends to other areas including advocacy and humane education.
However, we don't want to stop there! Now that we are well into our second quarter-century, I can tell you that we have additional hopes and dreams to expand and grow this organization both in physical size and with new programs that would allow us to more significantly affect the Big Picture in protecting large numbers of horses, in addition to increasing the individual rescue operations that we conduct every year.
One of my greatest frustrations over these past 26 years - and I know that I am not alone here - is the failure of Congress to pass an effective and enforceable federal ban on horse slaughter. I think we have all learned the hard way that a stand-alone animal bill is not likely to pass, so another route is the way to go. As prohibiting horse slaughter was my main motivation for founding Equine Advocates, achieving that goal is paramount. Speaking of frustration, the disastrous “Path Forward” governmental policy affecting America’s Wild Horses and Burros is adding to the suffering, deaths, and roundups of these animals. It is responsible for destroying the viability of the herds and administering horrendous “fertility control” tactics that are cruel and inhumane. This awful policy is supported by horse slaughter proponents, special interests in the ranching and fossil fuel industries, and mystifyingly by several large animal “welfare” groups. Strange bedfellows indeed!
Given these major issues and others, we are eager to do a lot more work in those areas. Our entire caring and dedicated staff deserve a great deal of credit for the operation of Equine Advocates, including our Vice President/Development Director Karen Wagner, our Equine Care Manager Melissa Murray, and our Maintenance Manager Mannie Ramirez.
With your support, I know we will continue to make a difference in the individual lives of horses and with the vital issues affecting equines here and abroad.
Today we are thrilled to be celebrating our 26 years of working for the protection of horses.
Onward!
Sincerely,
Susan Wagner
