President Bush to Impose Death Penalty on Monday... on Innocent Horses and Burros

Leo Grillo, founder of D.E.L.T.A. Rescue, launches website for its sister organization, about 11th hour amendment that allows wild horses and burros to be killed for food.

GLENDALE, Calif., Dec. 2, 2004 -- Congress was asleep at the wheel last week when they approved a "14-inch" thick Senate appropriations bill that directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell wild horses and burros to America's slaughter houses. Animal welfare activist and founder of Horse Rescue of America, Leo Grillo, says, "We have a few days left to give President Bush a wake up call on this issue."

Grillo announced today that he has launched a website to show a 45-minute film of a BLM round up so the President can see the faces of the animals Congress is threatening to kill.

"The members of Congress didn't read the 14-inch thick bill on the Friday before their Thanksgiving holiday, but they voted anyway," states Grillo.

Wild horses and burros have been protected since 1971 by the "Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act" which declared that wild horses and burros "are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West" and should be a protected national treasure. Last week however, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) slipped an 11th hour amendment into the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2005, allowing BLM to sell wild free roaming horses and burros at livestock auctions effectively sending these previously protected animals to the slaughterhouse.

"Twenty five percent of the land mass of the lower 48 states (public land) is controlled by the BLM. Additionally the States themselves own their own public land. Much of this land is leased to 'investors' who turn around and sub-lease the land for as much as 1000% mark up to cattle ranchers,"
said Grillo. "Horses, deer and elk compete with privately owned cattle for the grass on this land. In order to keep profits going to investors (not the US Treasury) the government shoots the deer and the elk and rounds up the wild horses so there will be enough grass for the cattle."

Grillo states, "There are 3.2 million cattle (2.5% of total US beef consumption) currently on BLM land and about 32,000 horses (1%). Senator Burns says the BLM can't afford the $6.0 million per year budgeted to feed the horses and burros they already rounded up. But HUNDREDS of millions of dollars is profit to private and corporate investors who lease these lands. Maybe they should pay the $6.0 million and Burns can kill his own amendment."

"President Bush, watch the BLM round up of a large herd (many FAMILIES of horses) on http://www.horserescueofamerica.org. These are some of the horses who will die. It is their lot, because nobody is doing anything about it. Well, I am ... and so will others when they know the truth. Please use your veto power to kill this inhumane act," said Grillo.

Photos: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2004-delta1.jpg
http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2004-delta2.jpg

Contact:

Elizabeth Kollar
310-545-8987
505-401-9203 cell