About Speaking of Animals Outreach

There I was, standing in a field in Southeastern Colorado, surrounded by wild horses. I could barely breathe, and I was more in the moment than I have ever been. A childhood dream was coming true, and I was transfixed. These horses were refugees from the Bureau of Land Management Horse Management Areas, saved by the intervention of Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary. They will live the rest of their lives as nature intended, foraging, wandering, and leaping with joy at their freedom.

After 45 years helping animals, I thought I knew all about wild horses in America, but this was far from the truth. What I learned at GEMS was enlightening and somewhat disturbing.

My name is Kate Myers and I have worked for animal welfare all my adult life in jobs ranging from Animal Control Officer to Executive Director of the Washington State Humane Association and pretty much everything in between. I began my journey when I found three tiny puppies left in a box at a trail in Eugene, Oregon. I was so naïve I started asking people if these were their puppies, left while they went for a run. I soon realized they were abandoned. It was a shock.

My hope was always that the national organizations—the ASPCA, American Humane Association, and The Humane Society of the U.S.—would begin funding national information and advertising campaigns about basic things like spay/neuter, overpopulation, and pet identification. This never happened. Companion animal issues never became kitchen table talk. Back then, 18 million dogs and cats were being euthanized in shelters and no one knew about it. About 6 million is the figure now. I bet you didn’t know that. I continued to do what I could, mostly for pets and never really considered fellow animals like horses.

I have an advanced degree in Psychology which I got in order to examine what motivates people and informs their interactions with animals. Animals are easy; People are hard. Throughout my career, the animals always came first. Before me, my husband, my friends. Needless to say, I lived an isolated life containing 2 divorces, PTSD, and lots of job changes. I worked almost exclusively with companion animals at animal shelters.

That’s where the Mustangs come in. They opened a whole new world for me. I expanded my circle of compassion. I started seeing life everywhere. There is an amazing abundance of life on our planet. I became vegan and turned my attention to the practice of Ahimsa – nonviolence toward all creatures. I really mean I’m practicing. I avoid stepping on the tiny ones. I spend time seeing them. Once I accidentally hit and killed a bird that flew into my car’s windshield. It was weeks before I could drive that road again. Awareness makes you more vulnerable.

During this change, I decided to write a book about animal sanctuaries. The idea came to me while taking out the recycling. Not an auspicious beginning. My visit to GEMS triggered the realization that there was so much else to learn.

The journey had begun and quickly expanded when I began working with filmographers to make my vision come alive. It became clear that visual storytelling would reach a larger audience and complement the book. All I needed now was a tech wizard. Jasmine Barta was recommended by a friend and after we talked I knew she was the perfect person to join my team. Her talent and skill have translated our mission into an online presence – she designed this website. She is a joy to work with and very patient with my fledgling knowledge of tech.

 So, let’s get started traveling together.

Photo by Petra Kadrnozkova