R.T. Fitch
R.T. Fitch’s life has been anything but ordinary. Straight out of high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force Band during the Vietnam era, and while stationed in Hawaii, he spent weekends at Sea Life Park training penguins, sea lions, and whales. His path through life has taken many unexpected turns—including more than a few lessons in love—until meeting his wife, Terry, brought a lasting partnership and a shared passion for animals.
Over the course of his adult career, R.T. worked internationally in multiple countries, gaining a broad, global perspective that colors both his worldview and his writing. Now rooted in Texas, he and Terry live on a small farm surrounded by four-legged companions with paws, claws, and hooves. Together, they have devoted years to equine rescue and wild horse protection.
An ordained volunteer chaplain and professional Santa Claus for a local historical society—with Terry by his side as Mrs. Claus—R.T. brings warmth, wisdom, and joy to every season. His work reflects a life of service, wonder, and connection to both people and animals.
He is the author of Straight from the Horse’s Heart, a moving collection of true rescue stories and spiritual reflections, and Fangs of Light, a supernatural tale steeped in symbolic and metaphorical storytelling. The first in a planned trilogy, Fangs of Light blends myth and mystery to explore themes of identity, redemption, and the power of empathy—offering readers not only suspense and intrigue but a deeper look at the light and shadow within us all.
On almost any weekday, the halls of Congress are filled with hundreds of people hurrying to meet with Congressmen and Senators. I make a point of sitting down with a wide array of folks from New Hampshire representing all points on the political spectrum and listen as they share their views on various issues and legislation. This is the way the Founding Fathers designed our system to work, and I’m honored to carry on the tradition of representative government.
April 10, 2012 (Larkspur, Colorado) — Through its own investigation, Front Range Equine Rescue (FRER) has discovered that Valley Meats Co., 3845 Cedarvale Rd., in Roswell, NM, has applied for inspection of horses to be “custom slaughtered” and “processed” for human consumption. According to the facts uncovered, the facility has been involved in extended discussions with the Denver office of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS inspects animals and meat in American slaughterhouses under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
WASHINGTON (April 9, 2012)—Front Range Equine Rescue and The Humane Society of the United States filed a legal petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent former companion, working, competition and wild horses from being used as human food. The petition alleges that the drugs given to these horses throughout their lives are banned for animals used for food under federal law and/or are potentially dangerous to humans. Using these horses for human consumption creates an unacceptable and illegal public health threat under the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The groups sent a similar petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month.
With dreams of wild burros roaming safely in West Texas, residents traveled halfway across the state to protest at the Capitol.
The Wild Burro Protection League organized the “March for Mercy,” in which residents marched on Saturday alongside several burros down San Jacinto Street, around the governor’s mansion and to the Capitol in protest of burros being shot inBig Bend Ranch State Park. According to The Associated Press, 130 burros have been killed by park rangers since 2007. Marjorie Farabee, The Wild Burro Protection League founder, said the march was necessary because a petition delivered to the Capitol on Jan. 18 with 108,000 signatures was ignored.
The day before Easter, Texas Wild Burro Advocates and domesticated donkeys converged upon Austin, Texas to march in protest against Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) policy of killing Texas’ last remaining wild equine herd, in Big Bend State Park, to make room for the re-introduction of Desert Bighorn Sheep for hunting permit dollars. Under police escort the band of humans and donkeys paraded in front of the state capitol and circled the Governor’s Mansion while chanting, “Rick Perry Stop Killing our Wild Burros.”
On Tuesday, when I woke up in the morning, I was really anxious to go testify during the press conference at noon. I couldn’t wait to go and practiced my speech a few times in our hotel room. My mom also told me that I had an email from Senator Mary Landrieu’s (GA) office, asking to meet me. I couldn’t believe that a Senator asked to meet me! I went swimming in the hotel pool for a little while and it was all I could think about.
Issues and initiatives covered at the 2012 American Equine Summit this past weekend at a horse welfare education center in Chatham, NY, ranged from developing a tactical agenda to persuading Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to Paula Bacon’s recounting of her successful effort to shut down the Dallas Crown horse slaughterhouse when she was mayor of Kaufman, Texas. Over 100 horse advocates convened, coming from as far as California and Texas, to as close as the next hamlet over.
A bill that would require plaintiffs trying to halt horse slaughter facilities to post large bonds up front probably violates the state constitution, the attorney general says.
BILLINGS, Mont. (April 5, 2012)—Yesterday, BLM issued their Decision Record to permanently remove up to 40 young Pryor mustangs from their home in the mountains of southern Montana. The bait-trapping operation would begin no earlier than June 4th and could continue until September 30th.
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
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