A message from President & Founder Susan Wagner
Dear Friends,
The other day, while checking our page on Bluesky, a post caught my eye about an interview that had been filmed in March of this year with the late great Dr. Jane Goodall. It was shot for Netflix with the understanding that it would not air until after her death – a concept I felt was fascinating. I immediately watched it, as it first aired on October 3rd, just two days after she passed. Please scroll down to view a portion of that interview.
Much of what Dr. Goodall said was universal with respect to reversing the damage being done to the ecosystems on this planet. Her words also apply to the humane work that millions of people do to stop the deliberate extinction of wildlife around different parts of the world, being carried out in the name of power and greed.
As many of you know, on July 1, 2025, we originated and joined other non-profit organizations in “The Call of the Wild” campaign – a national call-in day where everyone called their members of Congress. We voiced our strong opposition to the privatization of America’s Public Lands, a move that would increase ranching, drilling, mining, fracking, and development in our country’s most majestic areas, further threatening thousands of wildlife species.
I was inspired to write to all of you today because of the urgency of the words expressed by Dr. Goodall. The concepts are not new, but the compelling need for immediate action is. In 1970, the late author Hope Ryden wrote a famous book with the sadly prophetic title, “America’s Last Wild Horses.” She wrote those words with the hope that she would ultimately be proven wrong.
Right now, in the midst of all the chaos that has overtaken this country, Dr. Goodall insisted that we continue to have hope, because without it, people will feel powerless and do nothing. She said that we each have the power to make a difference, not only by making small changes in the way we live our daily lives, but also by becoming more proactive and pushing back against the despicable and immoral forces that threaten our planet.
We at Equine Advocates will do everything in our power to help effect change and expose those wanting to privatize our Public Lands for their own financial gains. They have no regard for the land they are destroying and the species they are killing, many of whom are already endangered and could become extinct. The lives of our Wild Horses and Burros are now hanging in the balance. There are currently more than 70,000 wild equines being held captive in government pens who, due to the proposed budget cuts, could end up being sold for slaughter – animals who should never have been rounded up and captured in the first place!
At this time, the lives of 2,300 captive Wild Horses at Cañon City in Colorado have been placed in limbo. That facility is in the process of being shut down. Limited adoptions are still taking place this month, but will be discontinued during the shutdown. What will become of most of the horses who remain? I cannot imagine that it will be anything good.
In the words of Wild Horse activist, author, and photographer Carol Walker, “Today our Wild Horses need all of the champions we can muster because they are facing the possibility of their imminent eradication both on the range and in the holding facilities where they are stockpiled. Congress is our last line of defense in this moment.”
Extinction is forever – And that is exactly what these animals are facing.
We must be inspired, motivated, and ready to push back in the strongest possible ways to protect and preserve our Wild Horses and Burros.
Please start by contacting your members of Congress now against the proposed budget cuts and privatization of our Public Lands that threaten our Wild Horses and Burros with extinction and slaughter. Find your members of Congress here.
We will be in touch again shortly with more actions to take. Stay tuned.
With hope,
Susan Wagner, President
Jane Goodall died on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91. This part of the Netflix program is from the very end, but the interview portion conducted by Brad Falchuk is the longest and a must-see for anyone who cares about our planet and the wildlife who inhabit and share this earth with us. Most importantly, Dr. Goodall emphasized why we must each do everything in our power to protect all wildlife on Planet Earth – from the jungles of Africa to the public rangelands of the United States, of which 3,000 species are in jeopardy of losing their natural habitats and many their lives, including America’s Wild Horses and Burros.