story By Patrick Beach of the the Austin Statesman.com
Over 100,000 Petitions Delivered to Lt. Governor after Perry Slap-Down
Marjorie Farabee and Abby ~ photo by Terry Fitch
At a Statehouse dominated by elephants, the donkey got some love in a short parade in downtown Austin on Wednesday.
The occasion was a protest of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department‘s shoot-to-kill policy concerning feral burros in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Marjorie Farabee , founder of the Wild Burro Protection League and director at the Wild Horse Freedom Federation, had a helper drop some 103,000 petitions against shooting the burros at Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s office.
“Because Gov. Perry’s office refused authorization of delivery,” Farabee said. “Be sure you write that.”
Farabee and about 15 of her fellow protesters rode or led six donkeys — the recalcitrant Nancy refused to budge from the parking lot where the group’s parade started — for a few blocks from a nearby staging area to the Capitol. The group takes issue with the state’s position that the burros are non-native and that most of the animals were abandoned from ranches in nearby Mexico or are descendants of those animals.
The state further argues that the burros’ presence is a threat to indigenous species in a fragile ecosystem, trampling food and fouling scarce water resources. The state’s policy is to trap or kill the animals. But because of their intelligence, burros are easier to drop with a rifle than to catch.
Farabee’s side says the practice is all about making more room for bighorn sheep — hunting permits for which go for the low six figures at auction — and other prized game animals. Farabee says about 130 burros have been killed at the park since the practice resumed in 2010. The herd is estimated at 200 to 300 head.
With Department of Public Safety motorcycle officers as escorts, the group headed down Lavaca Street at noon, cut over to Congress Avenue via 16th Street and halted at the north side of the Capitol.
“Hey, there’s jackasses in there already — let ’em go,” said supporter Susan Nelson of Gainesville.
(Better that they didn’t try. With all that tack, it’d take forever to get the donkeys through the metal detectors at the main south entrance.)
“I can’t see how anybody could shoot these teddy bears,” said Nelson, whose daughter, Waco veterinarian Jennifer Garretson, rode one of the beasts. “If it wasn’t for the donkey, Texas wouldn’t be here.”
Garretson criticized state officials for failing to recruit properly qualified people in past failed attempts at rounding the burros up.
“There are plenty of people willing and able to corral them,” Garretson said. “I’m not going to tolerate shooting donkeys.”
On their way to the statehouse, Farabee, driving a donkey named Miss Abby and pulling a wagon that contained the box of petitions, turned to one of her trooper escorts and asked, “Could you shoot one of these?”
The trooper shook his head and said no.
On the Web
Read a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s statement on burros at Big Bend Ranch State Park at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/burros.
Read the Wild Burro Protection League’s rebuttal on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/zwRGrT.
Related articles
- Burros to Deliver Petitions to Governor Rick Perry (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Texas Wild Burros Getting Stubborn Allies (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- No Fences on Perry’s Texas Border, but They Shoot Immigrant Burros (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- West Texas Wild Burro Controversy Flares Again for Texas Parks (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Texas Is Shooting Donkeys, Stirring Burro Backlash (abcnews.go.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Refused delivery of a petition by the people? Should have said she was a lobbyist. She would have been escorted right in.
LikeLike
We wrote a beautiful letter and sent it via fax as we were requested to do. They never responded and thus left us unable to deliver to his office.
LikeLike
Perry continues to be a jerk. Fortunately, he dropped his bid, so we won’t have to see so much of him in the media.
LikeLike
I missed that! Gov Perry dropped out of the Presidential race? YYYIIIIPPPPEEEEEEEE! What a nice way to wake up! At least I don’t have to worry about people for this trophy hunting, burro murderer being MY VERY VERY unwanted President!
LikeLike
I kinda hoped he would stay in longer. People would have been more interested in this story, and more pressure would have been put on him to exercise his authority to stop the killing of these marvelous animals who fill a necessary niche in this complicated desert ecosystem. Without the burro, the ecosystem will fail. http://circleranchtx.com/
At present, he continues to defer to the neanderthal brains heading TPWD which appears to be a carte blanc check to the agency to do whatever they please. 103,000 citizens signed that petition which was only up for a very short while. The people have spoken, the locals have spoken, yet they ignore us all and continue the carnage. I was denied access with my wagon, and forced to hand the petition to a volunteer to deliver while I turned my wagon around. It also kept me from being present to speak to media. Once Miss Abby and I returned unhitched we were verbally and aggressively accosted by the head of the State Preservation Board who was so forceful in his demeanor and body language, I stepped back a step, and Abby tried to flee. They did not want us there. Period, but my league pulled it off without me. They made me truly proud, when I returned and learned what they said to the TV media. Hoot, Hoot, to all! Great job and great team work. We are not going away, until they stop shooting burros.
LikeLike
Perry is still going to be around and could very well be offered running mate or cabinet position.
I just find the shooting of burros and the refusal to accept the petition offensive to humanity and democracy.
How I wish for the days of Ann Richards….or Jim Hightower in Ag.
LikeLike
I just sent him an email stating that I was glad he dropped out because he did not represent my American family values when shooting the burros. How sick!
LikeLike
Please stop shooting the burros that is so inhumane there is plenty of room for them and the wild horses and bighorn and the deer. What is your problem with them? I think the public needs an answer!!! Texas is a big state with lots of room!!!
LikeLike
I’d call him an ass but that’s an insult to the burros.
LikeLike
You can call him a cow’s rear end!
LikeLike
Yes, Johnnie, he is not as smart as they are.
LikeLike
heheheh thats the finest remark Johnnnie……………………………………….
LikeLike
Once upon a time in the West. the Donkeys strolled into town, Pooh said to Eeyore. And God bless em came Eeyore’s reply, as the donkeys delivered their message. I wonder if Perry tells ‘True’ bedtime stories, as Pooh always does to his friends.
LikeLike
Lynn, Perry is reportedly deeply religious. Did you know the donkey is mentioned in the Bible 444 times! They are also the only animal that speaks (Balaam’s donkey) and they are who Jesus is with at birth and death. It is obvious that they were very important to God and Jesus, apart from all other considerations about the role they play in nourishing soil composition. Legend also says the cross was created by Christ’s blood as it came from him when he was crucified.
LikeLike
What is the Matter with these people??? If Perry is so religious, doesnt he know this , the Donkey is sacred as is the horse, these people just because they attend Church , doesnt mean they know a thing about how God Loves his animals, and presented them to us because he loved us and entrusted us to be their caretakers………………………………….
LikeLike
I’m glad he’s out too. I was waiting on this to see what happened. He’d have never gotten my vote!
LikeLike
I already knew how dumb Perry is, but he’s also immoral and reprehensible. Can’t we disguise him as a burro and send him to Big Bend Ranch State Park?
I’m so sorry this happened. It’s time to organize a campaign to remove Perry as governor and find a decent human being to take his job.
LikeLike
AGREED! Time to find a sponsor to a bill for 2013 to protect the wildlife and environment in those parks. We need to plan an actual protest. This was a petition delivery so we picked a weekday of significance. I have a dream day had significance. We would plan the protest for a weekend. Protests require longer for the permits than a political events.
LikeLike
We used to have a small flock (7) of Big Horn Sheep in our sanctuary. They don’t eat the same scrub as donkeys or other equine. They delight in what other hooved animals would not touch. Burros would be no threat to the game Big Horns. Burros do NOT foul water! This is all so sad, that they don’t even have any experts on wild sheep OR burros, and yet are making such deadly decisions based on fallacies..
LikeLike
Yes, Laurel, what actually happens between the burro and bighorn is called facilitation. And, you are right, they don’t foul water. Mine don’t anyway. What they really don’t like about burros is that they alert the bighorn to predators, two legged and four. That is the real story.
LikeLike
This is why they will be removed and killed. Right there. They are a warning to all wild and domestic, when something is wrong or danger is near. This is why we tell people when they adopt mustangs to consider a burro. They will keep dogs and coyotes and maybe wolves and cougars out of the pasture.
Keep at them, Marjoree. You have support. All those signatures Mean something and must be
added to. Maybe we should go for 500,000… it can’t hurt.
This is not over because this one man has been a creep and unimaginative.
Can you get permits to remove them a few at a time? I do wish you could. I would push for that as long as the ‘shoot to kill’ order is in effect.
LikeLike
http://circleranchtx.com/ You need to read this excellent article by my friend Christopher Gill. This will explain why the burros need to stay. This is environmental in nature, and we are now planning a protest which will require some months to pull the permits. I am so glad so many good people are starting to look at these lovely animals with more respect. They suffer from not having enough exposure. You have been a big help with helping to get the word out. Seriously, read this article. Chris has 32,000 acres, his brother is a paleontologist, and they found a 10,000 year old equus tooth on his property last year!
LikeLike
Well Gov Perry also said that the Marines who urinated on dead Afghani soldiers shouldn’t be held to criminal charges! Was it disgusting? Yes. But to him it didn’t meet criteria to charge them for desecrating a body.
I so DISAGREE with his reasoning. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much I DISAGREE with him. So it makes me happy to know that at least I won’t have to worry about him taking the Oath of Office next Jan.
LikeLike
Thank God this self-centered SOB has dropped out of the race to be President!!
LikeLike
Perry can’t be an ass they have a brain and Perry does not!he is a mean cold hearted thing…..he will anwser to God…..Shirley Siders
LikeLike
and he wonders why he did not get much support? It is because we were watching him mishandle the burros and not help the farmers and their horses and livestock during the drought! yes we were watching Rick!
LikeLike
He told us to pray for rain. Big help. We got fire in response.
LikeLike
What is an e-mail address for volunteering to help with the cause?
LikeLike
http://www.donkeyscando.com This is Miss Abby’s blog. There is a lot of info on it. Also, the petition which is ongoing, and a chipin to help our cause. In addition, there is a tab at the top that will take you to our page Wild Burro Protection League. We welcome the help, and we will need to know if we have the support for a protest at the State capitol. It would be worse to have a protest, and only have a handful of people show up. So, we are now starting the planning and promotion of an actual protest. This was a petition delivery which is why it was a week day. The protest will be on a weekend.
Marjorie Farabee (aka Miss Abby)
LikeLike
Wow the public is storming in with great support for the donkeys. It is so wonderful to see what great compassion can do to move people to be so selfless and do so much for our God goven animals. Thank you to all who help.
LikeLike
REAL MEN don’t shoot Donkeys:
On their way to the statehouse, Farabee, driving a donkey named Miss Abby and pulling a wagon that contained the box of petitions, turned to one of her trooper escorts and asked, “Could you shoot one of these?”
The trooper shook his head and said no.
LikeLike
We need that on a good tee shirt!! Raise some money….. Someone facilitate this!!! Good one, Louie!
REAL MEN DON’T SHOOT DONKEY’S
LikeLike
The police who escorted us were awesome. The State Preservation Board is way too powerful, and has had a secret shift of our public lands to their control. We will post what we find out about them. It is clearly not information that they want public, and is being handled in secrecy.
LikeLike
BUTT HEAD is pi$$ed he can’t be President so the burros will suffer. :((((
Anyone see Colbert and how simple it is for an organization to create a Super Pac? It’s the way the laws are written. Perhaps, that’s something to consider if enough folks are willing to back all aspects.
LikeLike
It is people of power and greed just as it is with the horses. Carma has a way of comming back around and will bite him on the A@#. No one is above tumbling from their throne
LikeLike
What a bunch of pricks!
LikeLike
Um, shoulda let the burros crap all over the statehouse grounds…..haha
LikeLike
I agree!
LikeLike
maybe they dtd
LikeLike
Donkeys were the workhorse of the regular people in the time of Christ. You could ride them or pack them.They could survive on vegetation a horse wouldn’t eat. Horses were the “ride” of the rich and the military. They needed more care than a donkey. A mounted rider was “above” the foot soldier or the rabble. So here we are in 2012 with burros and the regular folks trying to deliver a message of justice to a deaf politician. Biblical isn’t it…. the Lord would be pleased that his humble donkeys still work for the 99%. And that we work on their behalf.
LikeLike
Without question Ann, the burros are the 99% er’s of the animal kingdom. And I stand in solidarity with them. And, what happened in Austin, with the decision of the State Preservation
Board, to at the last minute, deny previously authorized entry of our wagon to the Statehouse was a violation of our rights as citizens to voice our grievance to government which is my duty as a citizen.
In the Bible, the donkey is mentioned 444 times, and is the only animal who speaks. The donkey is present when Jesus is born, and when he triumphs in his return as the King of Kings on a white donkey foal to Jerusalem and when he dies on the cross. The cross on the donkeys back is said to have been left by the shadow of the cross when Christ was crucified. Others say it was created by the Lord’s blood as he died. The donkey of peace, and renewal, of humility and loyalty, stands again betrayed. What would Jesus do?
LikeLike
No surprise from this well known ego maniac who has shown his true colors with his holier than thou mentality, stepping on the hands of the poor and disabled and elderly and now his low regard for helpless innocent animals…how has he managed to keep his job,well,lots of rich and high brow people love him, while the the common citizens are forgotten…thank goodness he didn’t have a chance to win the nomination for his party…
LikeLike
Proud to have been a part of this ride and Red Horse nation and Lifesavers we were all there! Yay to Windy the Mustang for showing her love with her little burro buddies!
LikeLike
Red Horse Nation and Lifesavers were there, boots on the ground, standing in solidarity with their humble long eared brothers and sisters. It was a long haul from Alpine to make this stance for the humble burro, and all the long ears who are being unjustly shot to death by the out-of-control agency called Texas Parks and Wildlife. Red Horse Nation and Lifesavers has been a force behind our cause to bring awareness to the public about the plight of the gentle burro. We are so grateful that we were joined by such compassion and energy for this delivery of petitions to the cold hearts in Austin. Now, we are planning a protest, which will be on a weekend, once necessary permits are pulled. Will anyone else show their commitment to the burros like Red Horse Nation and Lifesavers when we ride for our protest? I do hope so. The burros need all of you. They have given so much. Will an afternoon on a weekend be too much to ask of everyone to give back to this stoic, intelligent animal who has sacrificed so much for humankind?
LikeLike
They replace them with Long Horn Sheep also to be slaughter by the Murdering Morons…………………. This is so out of hand , they must all be stopped…………………
LikeLike
No offensive meant at our wild and burro advocates in Texas but you guys have a REAL cows rear end for a Gov! I thought our former Gov Stupid in CA was bad–Perry’s even worse!
How much longer is in office for? Can he be impeached for stupidity?
LikeLike
http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2012/01/19/donkeys-march-on-capitol-to-protest-burro-killing/
Donkey-Powered Protesters March on Texas Capitol
THIS WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS :
Good Day
There are over 325,000 horse owners in the Province of Ontario in Canada, that are developing a very negative opinion about the State of Texas. While your State is trying to promote Texas as an ” Outdoor Adventure land “, and trying to get tourists to visit, other people in your State Government are working overtime to Rid Texas of some of it’s most unique attractions, it’s Wild Free Roaming Burros. It seems the most notorious of these State bureaucrats is TPWD Kevin Good. who has pledged to remove Burros as rapidly as he can. Most Canadians view such tactics with disgust . While you can argue that we Canadians have no say in your States policies, we can certainly choose to spend our vacation dollars in more Horse & Burro friendly regions, and were not alone in this position. If Texas government wants to benefit from a recovery in tourism, it may do well to take a more rational approach to managing Texas Wild Free Roaming Icons. In closing I would like to Thank You for your consideration in this matter.
LikeLike
We not only have blood on our ranges re wild horses but now we are having blood bathes in our parks and for what? The BLM greed and ole Rick is just a murderer.
LikeLike
Rick Parry seems to me to be a somewhat lower form of life than pond scum. Your protest sounds like a great idea, Miss Abby. I can’t get there from Rhode Island, but i’m cheering for you from afar.
LikeLike
Texans unite…..recall Gov. Perry NOW.
LikeLike
Read Jill Bough’s “Donkey.” Just finished writing a review of the book. It is a wonderful account of the donkey-human relationship and how indebted humakind is to the donkey.
LikeLike
Well it’s good Rick Perry is out of the presidential race any human who authorizes the shooting of donkeys is not a good person in my book.
LikeLike