Meet the New Rescued Wild Burros

Dylan (back), Sly, Willie, and Bruce (L to R)

The very existence of America’s Wild Horses and Burros, who live on America’s Public Lands, is being threatened in a way that has not been seen since the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was signed into law in 1971. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency designated by Congress to oversee and protect these animals, has instead been managing them into extinction through cruel and unnecessary tactics, which include roundups that over decades have had a seriously negative impact on the viability of the herds. Despite being based in New York State, we want to do what we can to help protect our Wild Equines out west.

We’re excited to introduce the newest rescues to join our Equine Advocates family – Dylan, Sly, Willie, and Bruce. They’re Wild Burros who were rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management last year. They arrived at the sanctuary on June 13, 2025.

Bruce and Willie enjoy some hay in their new pasture.
Sly looks around at his new home at the sanctuary.
Bruce, Sly, and Willie lost their families and freedom in January 2024 when they were part of the largest roundup of that year. It took place in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) located in the extreme northwestern part of Arizona. During this time, more than 1100 Wild Burros were captured over 17 days. The Cattoor Livestock Roundup Company, contracted by the BLM, used “helicopter drive trapping” to capture the Wild Burros, who were then placed in holding facilities.
 
Dylan was captured by the BLM during a roundup on August 22, 2024, in the Marietta Herd Management Area (HMA) in Mineral County, Nevada. This HMA consists of 66,045 acres of public and private lands. According to the organization Wild Horse Education (WHE), 296 Wild Burros were run down by helicopters and captured during that roundup over three days.
Dylan was captured by the BLM during a roundup on August 22, 2024, in the Marietta Herd Management Area (HMA) in Mineral County, Nevada.
Of the four, Dylan is the lightest in color and the easiest to recognize. His estimated birth year is 2014, making him the oldest. Bruce and Sly were born in 2017, with Bruce being the largest of the group. Willie, born in 2019, is the youngest and smallest. Since we don’t know their exact birth dates, we will celebrate their Re-Birth-Days on the date they arrived, marking the beginning of their new lives at the sanctuary.
 
Wild Equines are living embodiments of the American spirit and symbols of freedom. As our newest ambassadors for this issue, we wanted to make sure the four rescued Wild Burros represented that sentiment. We named the pasture where they live together, “Born in the U.S.A.,” and named them after iconic American musicians who were born in this country and have written and sung about the American experience – Bob Dylan, Sly Stone, Willie Nelson, and Bruce Springsteen. We feel privileged to welcome these four remarkable Burros to the sanctuary, whose stories are vitally important in educating the public about why the cruel BLM roundups should end. Wild Horses and Burros deserve to roam wild and free on America’s Public Lands where they belong.
Sly and Dylan observe their new surroundings, while Willie and Bruce enjoy a roll in the dirt.