OCAC – Orange County Animal Care

People love pets. They’re cute, cuddly and fun! But having a pet involves much more than just love. There’s a huge commitment involved; pets need food and water, medical care and lots of attention. Unfortunately, with all of these responsibilities, many people find that they are in over their heads. The result is a large number of unwanted pets. That’s where OC Animal Care comes in. We take in more than 20,000 dogs, cats, bunnies and other pets in Orange County each year! In addition to the daily feed, shelter and medical care provided to each pet at our shelter, OC Animal Care strives to be proactive in placing pets by offering monthly adoption events, working with hundreds of nonprofit rescue groups and encouraging our community members to become volunteers and foster caretakers.

OC Animal Care promotes: responsible pet ownership; health and safety of people and animals and spay/neuter programs. OC Animal Care provides temporary shelter and medical care for “lost” owned or stray animals and opportunities for adoption of these animals. OC Animal Care houses and provides medical care for impounded dogs, cats and exotic animals.

The Care Center provides pet licensing and patrol services to 14 contract cities and all the unincorporated areas of the County.

*All Adopted!*

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Susan Brown Matsumoto

My passion for animals – rescues, domestic pets and wildlife, is blended with my passion for photography, which captures the beauty and uniqueness each animal brings into our world, and a view into their souls.

Susan Brown Matsumoto 
Photographer/Artist

Susan Brown Matsumoto Photography
Website: www.susanbrownmatsumotophotography.com

Email: susanbrownmatsumotophotography@gmail.com

Facebook: Susan Brown Matsumoto Fine Art Photography

Instagram: s.brown.matsumoto.photography

Run wild. Run free. Return to Freedom

Return to Freedom provides a safe haven to almost 400 wild horses, including 29 burros. With ongoing federal roundups, the sanctuary fills a vital niche to meet the immediate needs of rescue and sanctuary for wild horses and burros. We also provide a venue to educate the public about America’s wild horses and burros along with solutions to protect them in viable free ranging herds for future generations.

We are dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity, and habitat of America’s wild horses through advocacy, sanctuary, education, and conservation, while enriching the human spirit through direct experience with the natural world.

Return to Freedom pioneers innovative alternatives to standard wild horse management that can be applied on the range and advocates for viable solutions to prevent the removal of wild horses from their natural rangelands.

On 1500 acres on the Central Coast of California, we do our best to provide an environment for the herds to maintain the natural behaviors and social structures they knew in the wild.

Return to Freedom’s Wild Horse Sanctuary was built on the basic foundation that wild horses are herd animals. Within the herd structure, bonds are formed and education is taking place all the time. In the wild, the herd ensures survival. Therefore, our first priority is to keep wild horses in their original family bands or naturally selected social groups, to provide for their emotional well being as well as their physical care.

http://www.returntofreedom.org

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RETURN TO FREEDOM WILD HORSE SANCTUARY

Salt River Wild Horse Management Group

Our Mission: Ensure Their Long Term Protection and Humane Management

The Salt River wild horses are the historic and majestic creatures roaming the lower Salt River in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. They are the pride of the community, a favorite subject of photographers and the icon of the wild, free spirit of Arizona and the American West.

These wild horses were brought into the limelight during  our epic battle  for their protection; the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group together with the public gave them a voice. We worked with congress and we worked toward positive solutions with Federal and State governments. It worked; while almost gone forever, today the Salt River wild horses are protected pursuant to Arizona Revised Statute 3-1491 (aka the Salt River Horse Act).  We are now under contract with the AZ Department of Agriculture (AZDA) to manage this herd humanely. This partnership between the federal government, the State Government and a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) is a one of its kind and our groundbreaking program is finding the balance between it all.

So close to being gone forever, the Salt River wild horses now roam peacefully along the banks of the lower Salt River, enjoyed by the thousands of visitors to the Tonto National Forest. Together, we changed the course of history, together we have the responsibility to manage them humanely as part of our national heritage.

http://www.saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org

ASPCA Fighting To Protect Our Wild Horses

The ASPCA recognizes that America’s wild horses and burros occupy a special place in our history and deserve to be protected. So why is it that the government agency in charge of their care—the Bureau of Land Management—doesn’t seem to feel the same way? Over the years, the BLM has rounded up tens of thousands of our wild equines, often using cruel methods, and shipped them to tax-funded holding facilities where they are confined for the rest of their lives.

With more wild horses now in holding facilities (50,000) than on the range (30,000-40,000), the situation has never been more urgent. The ASPCA is fighting to make the BLM scrap its current management strategy and implement more humane, sustainable methods of wild horse management, but we cannot do it alone.

With your support, we can continue our critical work to change the way the federal government treats these majestic animals. If you’re ready to stand up for our wild herds, and countless other threatened animals who count on us, please make a donation today.

The Story of a Girl, A Cowboy and a Wild Horse.

Movie presentation of American Mustang
In an artful blend of documentary & character-driven narrative, the majestic wild horses of the American West are revealed in stereoscopic 3D. The intricate dance between a man & a wild horse presents lessons for us all including the battle-hardened special interest groups fighting over the American Mustang.

Wednesday, September 10 6:30PM – 8:10PM
at Edwards Big Newport 6
300 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA, US, 92808 (map)
$12.00 General

Be a part of this journey and support our American wild horses. If we all get involved we can make a difference!

Give our American wild horses hope. They deserve our respect.

Landrieu: Horse Slaughter To Be Banned Again In the U.S.A.

This story was posted the other day. Thank you to everyone who continues to work tirelessly in order to save our American wild horses. A big thank you to U.S. Senators Mary L. Landrieu and Lindsey Graham for coauthoring this bill.

Landrieu: Horse Slaughter to be Banned Again in U.S.
Receives final vote this week

January 15, 2014

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today announced that the bill funding the government for FY2014 includes a ban on domestic horse slaughter. The ban prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horsemeat intended for human consumption, effectively banning domestic horse slaughter and protecting the public from toxic horse meat. The provision, coauthored with Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is expected to pass both the House and Senate this week before going to the President for his signature. Sen. Landrieu added the language to the FY2014 Appropriations bill in June that funds the Department of Agriculture, which was part of today’s funding bill.

“I am relieved that horse slaughter is now banned in the United States, protecting the American public from the very serious health and safety risks posed by horse meat. Slaughtering horses is inhumane, disgusting and unnecessary, and there is no place for it in the United States. I appreciate Sen. Graham’s partnership to ban this cruel practice, keep our food supply safe and save taxpayer dollars,” Sen. Landrieu said. “I will continue to push for the passage of the SAFE Act, which aims to permanently ban the slaughter of horses in the United States and prohibits the transport of America’s horses to other countries for slaughter.”

The ban included in the FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill would last for the duration of the bill. To permanently ban horse slaughter, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act would permanently prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S., and end the current export and slaughter of more than 150,000 American horses abroad each year. The SAFE Act has the bipartisan support of 28 Senators. A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. and has the bipartisan support of 163 congressmen.

It has been awhile since I have posted on my blog. I have been working on a book about Return To Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary up in Central California. This was truly a labor of love and I am hoping it will be another way of sharing what Return To Freedom is doing to save our American Wild Horses. This link should work below if you copy and paste it into your browser!  Enjoy! Susan

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=0ea7ad9fbbe748255b2f2841c4d4a52e&sid=wVZt2bZkzasai

Photo Book for you!

From: Susan Brown MatsumotoYou’re invited to view my photo book at Shutterfly. Enjoy! Photo Book from Susan Brown Matsumoto

If selecting “View photo book” doesn’t work, copy-and-paste this address into your browser: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=wVZt2bZkzasai

The Healing Equine Ranch

All the years I have headed up to Lompoc I never paid much attention to the cities as I passed them by. That was until yesterday when I exited off Liberty Canyon Blvd. in Agoura Hills, CA. to visit The Healing Equine Ranch nestled in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. I had recently become aware of this organization via Facebook and wanted to know more about their mission. Needless to say, I was impressed with all that they do and felt right at home. Hearing the stories of the horses that they have saved and being able to watch the interaction of the herd was inspiring. There is something spiritual and calming just being around the horses and also being around others who care. I would recommend everyone go out and see what this is all about. Below is a blurb off of  The Healing Equine Ranch’s website. This will give you more of an insight on their mission. Kiki and Terry gave demonstrations of working with horses and how true respect, love and kindness will from a bond with one of God’s magnificent creatures.

The Healing Equine Ranch (aka t.h.e. ranch) is nestled in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains in California. We are a 501c3 organization and our goal is to create a positive and natural environment where horses and humans can interact and learn.We are inspired by the knowledge we gain from interacting naturally with horses. Utilizing the techniques of those who have gone before us and those who continue to spread the word, we offer experiential learning for anyone with a love of nature and horses. We know that by improving our own skills with horses, we receive benefits in all areas of our lives. Enhanced partnerships, stronger leadership, improved communication, self esteem, boundaries and more honest relationships. Most importantly, In this high tech fast paced world, we have slowed down and really listened to the inner voice that guides us. Possibly for the first time in years.Using our own model, Natural Equine Interactive Learning (NEIGL), we present basic natural horsemanship skills with an emphasis on human self development.  The exercises presented in our program provide the opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and awareness, and help identify how to stay present in the moment. Becoming aware of the delicate balance between our mental, physical and emotional states is the foundation for productive relationships. Along with learning real skills to be around horses, our participants notice many positive changes in their lives, including a happier, healthier state of mind and a more confident approach to life and problem solving. Our popular Horse Mornings for Women series is the ranch’s flagship program. Utilizing the NEIGL approach, this program allows you the opportunity to explore what you bring to the relationship with horses, while giving you tools, tasks and situations that will to help you partner with these beautiful animals. By learning just a few key points, you could be on your way to a life-changing and enriching experience with horses that will invariably carry over into your other relationships. This program can be customized for all demographics, including families, couples, school programs and groups in the workplace.

A Place They Call Home

Return To Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary. A place that they call home where love and hope abound. ~Susan

His nostrils flare,
With noble delight,
His wide white eyes,

Full of fight.

He is a King,
With blood-red coat,
Charcoal hooves,
Upon wind he floats.

The breeze of heaven,
Flows through his mane,
He gallops through my heart,
And back again.

~ Tiffany Moss