Office of the Premier
Attn; Premier Stelmach
Room 307, Legislature Bldg
10800 - 9th Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2B6

Office of the Prime Minister
Attn; Prime Minister Harper
80 Wellington St.
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Dear Premier Stelmach and Prime Minister Harper;

On April 28, 2009 three wild horses were found shot to death in the Foothills of Central Alberta. These were a a pregnant mare, her yearling colt and a young stud. The colt was shot in the chest and ran up a hill for about 100 feet before collapsing. The stud had been shot in the stomach, and suffered a long agonizing death. His head was caught between two trees when he fell. The mare looked ready to foal within a day or two, and appeared to have gone into labour after she was shot, as her birthing sack was visible wen she was found.

The RCMP and wildlife authorities are investigating the killings. It is believed that these horses were shot from a nearby road with a high-powered rifle. The death of these four, which includes the unborn foal, raises the total of 29 wild horses found shot since 2002. How many others have been killed and not discovered or reported is anyone's guess.

Senseless violence prepetrated against wild horses is a common occurrence in some parts of the USA, as exemplifed in the 1998 "Reno Massecre" in Nevada, where thirty-four mustangs were gunned down. Canadians have come to think of our country as a kinder and gentler place the USA, maybe some what naively, but well in sync with the worlds perception of Canada. Considering that after all these deaths no one has ever been identified and charged with the crime, it is not difficult to preceive a conspiracy of silence and a disconcerting lack of determination and political will on the part of those investigating these events.

Back in the 1960's Sable Island off the cost of Nova Scotia became a federally protected reserve for the wild horses whereas, in Alberta, they are deemed feral and covered under the Stray Animals Act. Why the difference in treatment? In regards to the horses being labeled feral by the provincial and federal governments what studies have been done to prove that they are indeed feral (domestic escapee's) and not wild?

Furthermore, there have been horse bones found in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan which are deemed to be 800 years old or older. The most recent find in the Yukon shows a horse that is radiocarbon dated 26,280 ± 210 years BP. Hence this makes the horses indisputably indigenous, to not only Alberta, but North America as well. In spite of all these scientific findings the federal and provincial governments still classify these horses as non-native. This biased attitude is totally unscientific, illogical, and unacceptable, please explain.

As a concerned citizen I am submitting this letter to express my grave concern and that of thousands of others over these senseless acts of violence, which lead to the unconscionable deaths of these unique creatures. I am imploring the federal and provincial governments to do the right thing and reclassify the Alberta wild horses as a distinct species, with their own special status, with protection comparable to that of other wildlife species, free of capture, harassment, abuse and death at the hands of man. I look forward to your response.

Lynn Scott,
Please help save the wild horses

Amie Genest,

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gail dair,

eleni Michaels,

Joycey Berry,

Jamie Lee,

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Gillian Miller,

Cristina Seiça,

Gemma Hollingsworth,

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Please put a stop to this brutal type of acts. This unique a special wonderful creature in your Country needs to be protected against this. Please

Roswitha von Heissen,
Ich bitte Sie sehr - Danke!

Laura Tatti,

Alessandro Barracciu,

Gudrun Dennis,

Barbara Tatti,

Diana Spasiuk,

Darlene Davis,

wallace wilson,
lets get legislation in place befor it is too late & our wild horses are gone.

Evan Lemay,

Angela Hook,

CARNELUTTO,
Save the Mustangs wilds horses

Pierluigi Bonatesta,

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Kim Winters,

dannielle,

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Please help protect the few remaining wild horses in Canada.

Caleigh Martin,
please help these pretty creatures. They dopn't deserve this. Humans have been a problem for them for a long time and now we have the power to stop it.

Tracy Clarke,

Rachel Young,
I have an original registered suffield mustang, he is the finest most loyalhorse I have ever been blessed to care for, We are park wardens at elk and beaver lake on horseback. these horses are worthy of a safe and fair right to life. I am further considering training with him for search and rescue ,as these horses make exellent trackers.

Aimee,
Help Save The Wildies

Maxine Brooks,
Save Alberta's Wild Horses!!

Lia Fitzpatrick,
These regal mammals are extremely intelligent and collective-oriented, each one having its own character and personality and express their own brand of wisdom. Horses have played a special part in the history of this country and this continent. Governments here and everywhere need to preserve and protect all wild horses - whether they are feral, mustangs, brumbies, what have you - for the benefit of maintaining the presence of these breeds but also for our present and future generations to know and appreciate. Santuary needs to be provided in all provinces where wild horses roam, and more vigilant care and action needs to be taken with regard to the violent, senseless slaughter of these animals by any hand.
Perhaps the American and Canadian governments should pool knowledge and resources and reach a common accord for the preservation and protection of all wildies.
In the wake of growing evidence of the health problems arising from beef consumption, growing incidents of mad cow disease and the like, I would suggest that a significant portion of the many thousands of acres of cattle leases on federal lands in this country (and on this continent) should be designated as wild horse reserves. There are so few remaining in Canada and they must be protected.

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This is a senseless act and totally unnecessary.These horses hurt no one and it is cruel and disgusting that someone would do this.

Bonnie Skerritt,

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These horses deserve the same protection as the horses of Sable Island, if not more so.

Calvin Taylor,
for our grandchildren and their grandchildren, we can't stop the lack of ice killing the polarbears, but the wild horses can be saved

Alexandra Lewis,
Please let the wild horses live free!

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I have had the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of these wonderful creatures and would like my grandchildren to enjoy them as well

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I remember seeing the horses years ago when I used to live in Alberta and frequently travelled to British Columbia. No animal should be treated in this way.

Amanda Poluck,
Please save these beautiful creatures that are an integral part of the Alberta Heritage. Thse are defenseless creatures being murder by some kind of monster and it has to be stopped.

Barbara Wright,
We are so blessed to still have horses in the wild. We need to do everything we can to save them!

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Claire Bourbonniere,
Please protect these beautiful defenceless creatures from harm. The perpetrators of these crimes merit a very long stiff jail sentence!

Lise Varrette,
Let's protect what is wild and beautiful

Astrid Bradbury,
Please help saving the Mustangs! Merci!

Doug O\'Neill,
These animals are part of our heritage, part of our environment, part of our iconic landscape as well. The very presence of these animals roaming freely on Canadian soil is something uniquely Canadian. Please do something about it.

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Angie Neill,
This happens much too often. What is wrong with people these days??? Lets stop them before they kill all the wild life in our Province!

Dani Woodman,
There are so few of these magnificent and free animals, let's do the right thing!

Mu Chiao,

Kathy Bartley,
Life is not trivial.

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I am outragged at these disgusting acts of violence. I hope that these people are caught and punished severly. Animals should have as much rights as humans. The selfish people who do this should get life in jail, as you would if you shot a person.

Crystal Labelle,

Jackie Miller,
Protect those who cannot protect themselves..

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cbc news aired the reinactment Aug 13/09 of the senseless killing of an the wild horses....I do hope the person(s) responsible will be charged and convicted not just with a fine but also imprisonment. They do not seem to has any regard for any living creatures. The wild horses in Alberta need to be protected! I just hope the government wiil do the right thing.

Devon Richards,

Beth,

Nikita Dalke,
I seen a documentry on National Geographic the other day of the free horses of BC and AB and I took a great interest in the issue. It really saddens me that our goverment could be so cold and indifferent when they really have no plausible reason for turning down some type of protection for these beautiful animals. Definitly a MAJOR dissapointment in Canadas government.

Corrine Duffenais,
I am so saddened to hear about some sick person or persons shooting the poor horses. They do not hurt anyone and should be looked after.I hope they are locked up for a very long time.

Lori Baker,

Yvonne Sailer,

Jackie Ewald,

Athena Peryk,
Please put legislation in place to protect these treasures of Alberta past and future. Our wildlife is as much of a commodity as our other natural resources. I beg for protection of these great animals and help in finding those responsible for shooting them for fun, leaving the bodies to rot. Society sent their outrage to those who shot and slaughtered ducks for fun, why not offer the same help and protection with the senseless slaughter of these horses! (As monitored and documented by The Wild Horses of Alberta Society)

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Please stop the senseless killing of our wild horses.

Deanna Scrafton,
Very sad when such a majestic animal is treated in such a manor. How can a person(s) treat such beauty with unmistakable disregard?

Michael & Christel Neitzel,
The Alberta Government's position on the wild horses is pathetic and disgusting. These incredible animsls deserve our protection. Finally call them wild horses, you have no problem labelling them as such on a large blue roadsign outside of Mountain Aire Lodge, and protect them like other wildlife! It is time for this slaughter to stop!r

Shannon King,

Tara Anderson,

Debbi Roketta,
their numbers will only get smaller, if something isn't done...save these beautiful animals.

Kate Beardsley,
If these horses were any other species, at these numbers in population, they would be considered endangered species. So why are we treating them like vermin?

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I belive the government and greedy ranchers and oil /forestry industry's need to stop screwing with the eco system for the sake of all mankind! anything we as people do to the environment ruins the delicate balance of things.When will they learn! Removing wild horses and wiping them out only adds to that and ensures that another species goes extinct .wild horses were here along with the native peoples of canada long before anyone started interfering with their lives and they should be left alone and protected as a part of our heritage and also for future generations.What right do es man have to say one species has more right to exist than another .

Robyn Maerz,
Horses evolved in North America and only died out here at the end of the last glaciation. They have a right to be here that humans (who evolved in Africa) cannot claim. Let the wild horses remain wild and UNMOLESTED. It is a CRIME to harm these native Albertans!!!

Cheryl Heddema,

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It makes me sick to hear what this aweful people can do to such a beautiful animal. It makes me so mad that i wish that our beautiful animal would get them some karma. This is a very aweful slefish disrespectful thing and i hope they get caught soon!

Lauren Nagy,
Let them live like they should be! Save the Wild Horses of Alberta!

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why can't they leave them live in peace. I hope these sickos are caught and prosocuted.