Many Americans are unaware that countless wild mustangs nearly met their end at the hands of the U.S. government this year. With the help of hundreds of thousands of animal lovers just like you, we helped spare almost a hundred thousand horses from slaughter.
But don't celebrate just yet, Congress has maintained prohibitions on destroying or slaughtering healthy wild horses and burros just until September. Horses still could face death if Congress doesn't protect them in next year's budget.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), at the behest of special interest groups like cattle and sheep farmers, want to clear the west of American broncos to make room for more livestock to graze. So if Congress doesn't renew the protections for next year, American mustangs will be in for a world of hurt.
Like other iconic animals, the wild mustang is in jeopardy. But the fact that many of us see mustangs in images almost daily, leads many of us to believe these animals are doing just fine. A recent study showed that the constant barrage of animal imagery on TV, toys or brand labels amounts to a virtual population for the species — fooling us into thinking they are everywhere. Animals like the lion, elephant and even the mustang might be ubiquitous in our daily life, when they are really disappearing or under threat.
One way to help endangered animals is by asking companies that use their likeness to pay a small amount towards the creatures' conservation. After all, ensuring that their chosen mascot continues to survive, is not only a good investment, it's also the right thing to do.
That is why Care2 is asking Ford — makers of the legendary Ford Mustang — to help protect America's wild horses.
Sign the petition and ask Ford to donate to an organization working to protect our mustangs from slaughter.
