Mr. Bojangles

Continuing our 2024 theme of saving wild equines from kill pens, we prevented Mr. Bojangles and his family from being shipped to slaughter from Texas. According to his brand he was adopted out as a yearling from the BLM Burns corral, where he was born to a mare rounded up from the Warm Springs HMA. He is from the same herd as our Chief. For all we know, they could be brothers, so similar are they in coloring and personality.

Bojangles was adopted out with a yearling filly, Lady Grey. Like him, she was born to a Warm Springs mare in the Burns holding corrals. Wherever they went from there, they landed together at the kill pen with a baby, Pipsqueak, hovering nervously around her mother, completely terrified of humans. Bojangles cannot be the biological sire as the BLM gelds mustangs before adopting them out, but in every other way, he is her father. The three are a deeply bonded family and there was no way we could leave them behind.

Whoever had Bojangles the last five years did not care for him. He arrived in a better weight than Lady Grey and Pipsqueak, but his hooves were cracked and in need of immediate attention. All of this will be easy to remedy during their rehabilitation in Malibu. We’ll have Mr. Bojangles dancing again soon.

Mr. Bojangles possesses the same light-hearted goofiness that we love so much in Chief. He offers balance to a more serious Lady Grey and frightened little Pip. They have all come so far in their healing that we let them out to run the slopes of the Malibu ranch - and don’t they just love it! The mini-mule, Boots, goes up to the fence to flirt with the mares. As always, he is confident that all the girls belong to him. Their scent triggers Flehmen’s response, putting a comical toothy grin on Boots’ little face until Mr. Bojangles leads his family away.

We’ve been waiting for Lady Grey and Pip to put on more weight before sending them up to Oregon in the summer of 2024. Much of the country is experiencing an intense heatwave, so we will drive at night to keep them cool and comfortable. We love to bring Oregon mustangs to their native homeland. Even though these three never experienced the beauty of the natural habitat they belong to, the instincts are there. Their stolen birthright is waiting to be reclaimed.

There has been so much disturbing news about failed, bad, and fraud animal rescues recently that I was afraid it might shake confidence in good sanctuaries, as well. Not sure what to expect when we posted the fundraiser for these three, I was overwhelmed by the response. We are so grateful to our donors for helping us bring this family to Skydog. As always, we post videos of their intake care with regular updates on their progress. You can see with your own eyes what #rescuedoneright looks. The animals recover with proper nutrition, essential hoof and dental care, as well as the sense of security that comes from having equine companions. Add to that lots of love, compassion, kindness, and cookies, of which there is no shortage at Skydog.

#skydogmrbojangles

Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.