When the Hogs for Hope motorcycle rally rolls into Green River, Wyoming, on Saturday in honor of a wolf that was tortured and killed in Daniel, it will be warmly welcomed at the local Harley-Davidson dealership.
There’s really no telling how large the gathering will be, Johnny “Goose” Shafe, assistant general manager of Flaming Gorge Harley-Davidson, told Cowboy State Daily.
But he’s expecting quite the crowd.
“Generally, how a lot of these rides or rallies are, they start out small, and then they gain steam as they move along,” he said. “They do anticipate this being their largest stop before they head up to Daniel.”
The Hogs For Hope rally is scheduled to gather at the dealership at 2 p.m.
The Rally
The Hogs for Hope rally is led by famous dog trainer and social media influencer Jonas Black of Austin, Texas.
He previously told Cowboy State Daily that when news broke about a wolf being captured, tortured and then finally killed Feb. 29 behind the Green River Bar in Daniel, he felt compelled to do something.
He decided to organize a motorcycle rally from Austin to Daniel. It’s also a fundraiser to benefit Wyoming wildlife conservation groups that want Wyoming’s wolf management policies changed.
According to Black’s social media postings Wednesday, donations had passed the $100,000 mark, and he was planning on rolling out from Austin that day.
Black has announced that anybody who wants to join the rally along the way is welcome.
The plan is to arrive in front of the Green River Bar at 10 a.m. Sunday, and present the donated money to representatives of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates and Wolves of the Rockies.
They rally will then roll on to Jackson for some celebratory partying, according to Black’s posted itinerary.
Law Enforcement On Standby
Black has also stated that not everybody is a fan of his rally, claiming that he’s received some death threats, but remains undeterred.
Daniel, a town of 108 people in Sublette County, has been the focal point of outrage as news of the wolf incident went viral all over the world.
And that’s left many locals feeling bitter and angry over so much unwanted negative attention.
Black previously told Cowboy State Daily that he wants the rally to be peaceful, and it’s not his intent to confront or harass anybody in Daniel.
Given the sharp polarization of opinions over wolves in general — and the heated emotions sparked by the Daniel wolf incident in particular — the potential for trouble is there when wolf-loving bikers roll into town.
Some Wyoming lawmen said they expect the event to remain peaceful, but will be prepared nevertheless.
“We are aware of it, and we are following it,” Wyoming Highway Patrol commander Col. Tim Cameron told Cowboy State Daily.
“According to everything I’m seeing from the organizers, the intention is for it to be a very peaceful event,” he added.
The Highway Patrol was already set to have additional troopers in the general area for traffic safety over Memorial Day weekend.
“Sublette County did reach out to us to inquire about the availability of troopers, as needed,” Cameron said. And the Highway Patrol will be “detailing a small number of troopers” to the Daniel area.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office is also keeping an eye on things, public information officer Sgt. Travis Bingham stated in an email to Cowboy State Daily.
“We are aware of the rally this weekend and will be monitoring it, and hopeful it remains peaceful as advertised,” he stated.
It’s About Animal Cruelty
Shafe said he reached out to Black after he learned the rally would be coming through Wyoming and offered the dealership as the last stop before the rally heads to Daniel.
“We don’t have anything super-formal planned. It’s just going to be a meet-and-greet and a great time,” he said.
He said “we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the community” regarding the anticipated gathering.
Flaming Gorge Harley-Davidson wants everyone to feel welcome, Shafe said.
“It doesn’t matter what side you’re on when it comes to the issue of wolf repopulation in Wyoming,” he said. “The reason we hopped on board with this is because it really doesn’t matter whether you are pro- or anti-wolf repopulation. The point is that animal cruelty is wrong.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
