What is NOWAH? by Janet Mallow
What can one person do with a little bit of help? NOWAH – The National Organization for Wild American Horses – was founded in 1979 by Dr. Ron Zaidlicz and a small group of people in the Bailey, Colorado area. Their purpose was to improve the quality of life for thousands of wild horses and burros.
in 1980, soon after he learned that thousands of burros and several hundred wild horses were facing extermination unless they were removed from public lands, “Dr Z” met with Cleveland Amory of the Fund for Animals. The Navy had already shot 600 burros and there were 12,000 left to remove. NOWAH committed to rescuing 6,000 and The Fund for Animals the rest. It was an enormous task for such a small group which had no corporate financing or big names to draw attention to the cause. Funding came from adoption fees, memberships, donations and fund raisers. An education program was begun for adoptors, which included a booklet which served for the basis of the Bureau of Land Mangement’s “Adopt-a-Horse-Program”! NOWAH then became directly involved in bringing captured horses and burros to Colorado to Dr Z’s vet hospital where they were provided feed, shelter, health care and gentling to make their transition to the human world more smooth. From there they were sent to almost every state including Alaska. They ranged in ages from babies to senior citizens. The burros came from China Lake Naval Station so they carry an anchor brand which represents the Department of Defense-Navy.
In 1982 the Park Service decided that 3,500 burros must be removed from Death Vally National Monument by live removal and direct reduction shooting. Once again Dr Z stepped up and negotiated a compromise whereby no burros would be shot until animal welfare groups had the chance to live capture. These efforts began in 1983 and lasted until 1986.
Dr Z also began the Wild Horse Prison Program in Canon City, Colorado. NOWAH supplied the equipment and the people to teach selected inmates at the prison facility. They learned farrier and vet skills as well as routine care and training techniques. This wonderful program continues today but not under NOWAH’s direction.
Dr Z is now in New Hampshire where he works for the USDA. His job is to regulate the biomedical research facilities to make sure they comply with laws governing humane treatment and care of the animals they use. He travels widely and continues to make a huge impact helping all kinds of animals. He is a gentle giant who is short on words and long on compassion. His work with NOWAH has had a long lasting effect for those lucky enough to have known him and adopted horses and burros because of his hard work.
