PhotoAdvocacy

07/15/2026

Mighty Mouse

Heroic foster mom to Fergus.

Skydog
July 2026

07/14/2026

The Wild Side of History (pt. ii)

When Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in 1971, Colorado's wild horses were recognized across eight Herd Areas spanning 804,563 acres of public land.

Those Herd Areas stretched along the Utah border on the west, to Colorado's northwest corner near Wyoming, reflecting the historic range of the state's wild horses.

Largest was the Piceance Basin complex—North Piceance, Piceance East Douglas and West Douglas—which covered 407,450 acres. That single complex was larger than all of the public land managed for Colorado's wild horses today.

Since then, four Herd Areas have disappeared from the Colorado range map: Douglas Mountain (117,684 acres), North Piceance (89,267 acres), West Douglas (127,895 acres), and Naturita Ridge (63,294 acres).

Together, that's 398,140 acres of wild horse habitat removed from management.

This summer, another 1,256 wild horses will be removed from Colorado, 1,011 from the Piceance complex and 245 from Sand Wash Basin.

As more horses disappear into an overwhelmed holding system, perhaps it's time to ask a different question: Instead of removing more wild horses, why aren't we restoring more of the public lands they once called home?

07/13/2026

My name is Lightning.

This beautiful wild horse was born in Utah's Conger Mountains before being rounded up as a foal. He was later confined by an abusive adopter in a filthy 10x10-foot pipe stall that was never cleaned. The waste built up so high that Lightning's head touched the roof of his tiny enclosure.

One day, the man decided to ride him. Lightning threw him off. After returning home from the hospital, he picked up a gun and shot Lightning in the head.

Lightning pulled back at the last split second. He survived.

When sunlight catches his parted forelock, you can still see the deep scar where the bullet struck—a permanent reminder of the cruelty he endured, and of the remarkable resilience that carried him through.

Skydog
July 2026

07/13/2026

07/12/2026

I'm honored to have been invited by Colorado First Gentleman Marlon Reis to speak at the Governor's Mansion on July 21 about Photography as Animal Advocacy.

I'll be sharing how photoadvocacy has become the foundation of my work—from supporting world class rescue at Skydog, to documenting America's wild horses and contributing to We Animals, and helping develop the University of Denver's new Animals Forward Executive Certificate, designed to equip the next generation of animal advocates.

Along the way, I'll explore how compelling visual storytelling can build awareness, influence public opinion, and inspire meaningful action for animals.

If you're in the Denver area, I'd love to see you there.

There is a link to RSVP in the First Gentleman's original post in comments below.

07/11/2026

Samson is a beloved wild mustang from the Pine Nut Mountains in Nevada, rescued by Skydog after he and his family were captured during a BLM bait & trap operation, in 2019.

A prominent son of the Pine Nut’s iconic stallion Blue, Samson and his band were reunited at the sanctuary to keep their family unit together, including Samson’s brother Jet, one of his mares, Dumplin and her son, Sam, whose latest pictures I will share in the coming days.

The Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates continue to support the family’s care at Skydog.

July 2026

07/10/2026

The Comeback.

Fergus's fightback to good health has been nothing short of extraordinary - testament to the strength of a mustang and the talent and dedication of his human care team.

He has certainly captured all of our hearts, mine included, and it was a privilege to see the wee lad in such good sprits as he made his return to his home at Skydog.

Here he is quite literally leaving a dark barn behind him and re-emering into the Oregon light.

More to follow.... So much more.

In the meantime, there is a fabulous video of Fergus chilling in his pen over on the Skydog page.

07/06/2026

The Wild Side of History
1976-2026

Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court settled the legal question that America's wild horses are wild animals under federal law, regardless of domestic ancestry.

The 1976 Supreme Court ruling on Kleppe vs New Mexico unanimously rejected New Mexico's claim that wild horses were feral livestock.

The ruling confirmed a unique class of federally protected wildlife - living symbols of the American West and integral components of the Public Lands

Horses born free on the range are protected as wild free-roaming horses under federal law

Kleppe vs New Mexico is the strongest legal milestone in the history of wild horse protection after the passage of the Act itself

The message was unmistakeable: these animals belong to the American people, not to livestock interests.

Born wild is wild.