Shoot on Site Burro Petition Reaches 60,000 Names as Perry Does Nothing to Save Texas’ Last Herd

Straight from the Horse's Heart

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL RICK PERRY UNDER FIRE FOR WILD BURRO SLAUGHTER

Gov. Rick Perry hunting ~ photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON, DC (WBPL) – More than 60,000 people across the nation have joined an increasingly popular campaign on Change.org calling on Texas governor and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry to stop the extermination of wild burros on state land.
News of the online petition campaign’s rapidly growing support is likely to increase pressure on Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose involvement in the wild burro slaughter could potentially spark comparisons to Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate who faced heavy criticism for allowing aerial hunting of wolves in her home state. In 2009, dozens of wild burros were killed in Texas with sniper rifles, and activists have expressed concern that officials may also be shooting the animals from helicopters.
“This atrocity has gone on for far too long,” said Karen Van Atta Luce, who worked with the Wild Burro Protection League (WBPL), a coalition of animal advocates and scientists, to launch the campaign on Change.org. “It is absolutely shocking that Governor Perry and Texas Parks and Wildlife haven’t recognized what incredible living assets the wild burros are.”

WBPL founder Marjorie Farabee, the nation’s leading voice for wild burro protection and Director of Wild Horse Freedom Federation‘s Wild Burro Program, added, “It is an outrage that an animal that has served man faithfully for over 6,000 years is repaid in such an unkind and brutal manner. Yet because Texas Parks and Wildlife wants to bring in bighorn sheep for hunting, and since the Desert Bighorn Council won’t release the bighorn while burros are present, they chose for all of us and decided to sacrifice the burro.”

WBPL launched the campaign on Change.org after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), with Governor Perry’s approval, began implementing a policy to exterminate the fewer than 300 remaining wild burros on state land. The petition states that “Texas is killing wild burros to make way for hunting opportunities for wealthy hunters.”
“What the Wild Burro Protection League is doing is truly remarkable,” said Stephanie Feldstein, Director of Organizing at Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change. “Although the wild burros are in Texas, these concerned citizens are using Change.org to reach Americans across the country who are worried about the plight of this national heritage species. Change.org empowers anyone, anywhere to start campaigns on issues they care about, and it’s been really incredible to watch this campaign gain momentum throughout the nation.”
Live signature totals from the Wild Burro Protection League’s campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/texas-stop-killing-wild-burros
Additional background on the campaign:
http://thepersianhorse.wordpress.com/2011/09/04/burros-shot-on-sight-in-big-bend-ranch-state-park-presidio-county-texas/
http://donkeyscando.blogspot.com/

Related articles

• Wild Burro Shooting Texas Parks and Wildlife to hold Annual Public Hearing (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Wild Burro Advocate Speaks Out to Trigger Happy Texas Commission (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Arizona Rag Promotes Death to Wild Burros (rtfitch.wordpress.com)