A sizable contribution was made to the WHOAS Reward Fund in Memory of Stan & Shirley Burrell, by their daughters, Lana Burrell and Karen Fahrlander. 

 The reward fund was standing at $25,000 and now is at $28,750, thanks to these two. 

 Stan Burrell was an avid outdoorsman who spent a lot of time in the Ya Ha Tinda area and helped build the roads in the area more than 40 years ago.  His wife Shirley while not as keen on horse back riding as Stan, nonetheless, shared his love of horses. According to Lana and Karen, their parents would have been horrified by the tragic end that some of the wild horses have met in the foothills, West of Sundre, AB. 

 “It is my hope that a sizeable reward fund will provide incentive to anyone who may know who is involved in these despicable acts, to come forward and provide leads and possibly evidence, in order to aid in the prosecution of those responsible.”  Said Lana.

 WHOAS would like to thank Lana and Karen for their generous donations and assistance in putting up reward posters in the area.  As well, we would like to thank all the other unsung heroes’ far too numerous to mention, that have contributed financially, as well as with their time, efforts and prayers to the society.   

 Sincerely,

 Doreen Henderson.

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This posted comment was tucked away in one of our old blogs called Whoas Takes To The Skies. However, I thought it should be brought forward and be featured on a blog of its own. It is written by Mike Nietzel and goes as follows;

In the fall of 2001 my son Andy and I first heard of the shootings. We went to Sundre, Alberta, to follow the story of wild horses, being ruthlessly killed by persons unknown, and left to rot in the fields and forests of the Alberta foothills. The result was “Running Scared”, nominated for best cinematography and broadcast across Canada.
What we found then, and now, surprised and shocked us. A few bands of wild horses were roaming the foothills west of Sundre, an area of over 10000 skm. In total their numbers were estimated at about 200 head. These horses were incredibly beautiful, healthy and strong, survivors in the wild, preyed upon by cougars, wolves, and grizzlies, where only the smartest and best survive by a system of natural selection.
Un-protected and un-recognized by the government, shot for bear bait, chased, corralled, and sent for slaughter without any fear of criminal prosecution, these last of Alberta’s wild horses were on the run for their lives.
And after 8 years, nothing has changed.
In April of 2009, news broadcasters across Canada shocked their audiences by reporting the brutal and senseless slaughter of another three of the wild horses, left to die a horrifying death, along Coal Camp road southwest of Sundre. There have been 29 such confirmed killings in the last five years.
We went back with our camera this summer to investigate the continued slaughter of the wild horses, and to try and make sense of what was happening. Preliminary DNA testing, and studies of wild horses in several parts of the U.S. are beginning to shine a different light on the part wild horses play in our eco-system. It is time to stop the killing, it is time to find a solution. Our new film of the wild horses, which would not have been possible without the great help of Bob & Doreen Henderson, should be broadcast in Canada later this fall.
Please sign the petition!

Michael C. Neitzel
Director/Producer
Pacific Television & Film
Left by Michael C. Neitzel on August 24th, 2009e

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Media from CTV, CBC National News, Mountain View Publishing, Global Calgary and Pacific Television and Film, met with Crime Stoppers out at Mountainaire Lodge today, August 18th, 2009. 

Crime Stoppers was to film the reinactment of the April 28th shooting spree which left a pregnant mare, a yearling colt and a stallion dead. The horrifying and sadistic nature of the crime has made the RCMP determined not let this case die, they want to find and prosecute the culprits responsible.

Bob and I were in attendance on behalf of WHOAS to provide information and support to the police and media, regarding the rash of horse killings. Wherein 21 of the 29 shot horses were found within a few kilometres of each other over the years, on Parkers Ridge. However, the latest four (including the unborn foal), were on a hillside on Coal Camp Road next to the forest rangers station. The other equine shooting victims were found near Lost Lake, 5 miles from Parkers Ridge and one mare was beside Williams Creek Road. Essentially, all the shootings occured within a half hour drive of each other, which would lead one to believe that the same persons are responsible for all the deaths. 

Acting out Shooting Scene

A couple of Calgary actors did a very realitic job of portraying the killers. The good old boys went speeding by in a blur, then skidded to a stop in their pick up truck, on Coal Camp Road, spraying gravel everywhere.   Then both doors flew open and out they jumped, with  the passenger wielding a rifle.  He was dressed in army fatigue pants and a t shirt. This dangerous looking character,with a sneer on his face, then leaned over the hood of the truck and pretended to shoot at something in the trees. All the while they both laughed, cheered and goaded each other on.  The shooter passed the gun to the driver who then partook and pointed the rifle into the trees, complete with authentic looking kick back action that a rifle would make when discharged.   Within seconds, they urged each other to hurry up and get back in the truck and they sped off, tires spinning and again peppering everything with gravel.  You could hear the YA HOO’s yelled out the windows.    

A $25,000 reward is still there for the taking, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Low Lifes’ responsible for these cold blooded  and cowardly crimes.  Like the smiling actor shooters  below, we too will smile when we see someone caught and convicted. 

Calgary actors in the Crime Stoppers shooting scene

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 The picture above is of a young wild stud we came across on horse back,  in June 2009, that had survived a predator attack. He has a nasty hole in his face from a bite mark and numerous claw and puncture marks all over his body. It looks as though he will make it though, and on his own terms.   He, like his counterparts, is remarkably strong and resilient and has an amazing will to survive.  Hopefully we will see him again and be able to report back on his progress.

Over the past few years we have had a few successful rescues of young wild horses. One was Wyley, a yearling colt that had been hit by a truck, left for dead and abandoned by his herd in 2006. Bob went out there with my mare and single handedly rescued him. He brought Wyley home and we nursed him back to health, which took several months. He is now four and doing fine. Then there was River the newborn foal who was crossing the Red Deer River with his herd and was swept down stream. He washed up on a gravel shoal alone. Bob and several other men including Doug Deschewnyk risked life and limb to rescue the foal. River is doing great, adopted by Doug his new Mom, and is currently being trained as a trail horse. That rescue took place in 2007. Then there was Coal the old domestic mare that was dumped out in the forestry like a bag of trash. We lured her in with a bucket of oats, brought her home and nursed her back to health as well. After jumping through a some government red tape and re-rescuiing her, by purchasing her from the auction, after the LIS seized her, we found her a new home as well, that was in 2008. Coal is described by Colleen, her new owner, as a real lady, kind and gentle, but with plenty of get up and go. Coal likes to be the lead horse on the trail. 

Then there was all the other numerous wildies, (21 or so), some starved and neglected, others thought untrainable or just no longer wanted and ready to be sent to slaughter, because they fell into the the hands of the wrong people, or people with good intentions, but didn’t have a clue what to do with them, and ended up with too much horse.  These equines have been given a second chance at life as well.

It is a wonderful feeling to save a few horses from certain death, and when the story has a happy ending, but sadly there are also the unhappy endings as well. There was a foal reported to us a couple of months ago that was very ill. We searched in vain for hours for the foal. The woman who reported it to us went out and found the remains. The little one perished of starvation, as apparently the mares milk had dried up. We have also had reports of injured adult horses, with one badly swollen leg. Usually when we see this, it is due to a stallion fight and one horse is mortally wounded. This happens, when in the heat of the fight, one stud does not back down and the other delivers a lethal blow with his feet or teeth. He sometimes uses his canine teeth, to cut the tendon on the fetlock (ankle) of the opponent. (Most male horses have four of these teeth,while only 28% of the females have them, and only two).  The severed tendon causes the leg to break and the horse is now lame. He cannot run properly or graze to get his nourishment. Hence he usually suffers a long agonizing death, he becomes emaciated from the lack of food and various predators then come along and attack him repeatedly and eventually bring him down and end his misery. This is the life cycle however, one animal dies to give the others life. There are other injuries as well, which are not obtained by fighting.  In any event, it is hard to see an animal suffer, but nature is harsh and only the fittest and sharpest survive. That is why we are so impressed with the wild horses. The wildies have a hard life that most domestic horses could not possibly endure, they would die off in their first winter on their own, in the Alberta wilderness.  The wild ones however, are tough, adaptable,  proud and free.   We hope that most of them can remain that way.  Living and dying in freedom, on mother natures terms not on human terms.

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