Did poor horse management result in killing wild horses after rounding them up or was the BLM just too lazy to give them the care they needed?
For immediate release:
LAS VEGAS, NV. (September 8, 2015)–Protect Mustangs demands the Office of the Inspector General conduct a full investigation into the management, roundup, feeding, veterinary care and killing of the 28 Cold Creek wild horses who had become skinny. The preservation organization also demands immediate full public disclosure of the death of more than 75 wild horses who were moved to a holding facility in Kansas in 2014. Allegations of wild horses becoming skinny and dying who were not able to access the feed troughs have been circulating the Internet for a year.
“The BLM roundup was supposed to save wild horses not kill them,” states Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs, a preservation organization based in California.
“I was told by BLM staff that wild horses would be euthanized only if they could not step up into the trailer to be hauled away,” states Alynn Dalton, photographer and Las Vegas area resident who attended the roundup. “They killed the very horses they said they were there to help. Why aren’t they giving them a real chance at life?”
“Last year in Kansas the BLM’s deplorable horse management resulted in the deaths of more than 75 wild horses and that now requires full public disclosure,” explains Novak. “Today we demand an investigation into the Cold Creek killings. These federally protected wild horses were living on the range not dropping dead. The BLM should know that feeding severely skinny wild horses takes special care to nurse them back to health. . . I wonder if they thought this was an easy way to dispose of them. The truth needs to come out.”
Out of 202 Cold Creek wild horses rounded up near Las Vegas, BLM killed 28 wild horses on September 3rd and 4th, before Labor Day weekend, according to their website update. They list a “poor prognosis for recovery” as the reason for killing them but BLM’s track record speaks for itself regarding the 2014 Kansas fiasco.
“How many mares and foals have been killed or did the BLM just kill off the mares instead of helping them?” asks Novak. “If so, now what will happen to the orphans? Did the BLM kill the old mustangs too? People would have adopted these mustangs once they were well. Volunteers and rescues would have helped them recover. Killing them without giving them a fighting chance at recovery is a heinous misuse of tax dollars.”
The Cold Creek herd is the last wild herd in southern Nevada and dearly loved by the community in the Las Vegas area.
Protect Mustangs is a nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.
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Thursday,
September 3
Summary: Gather operations have been suspended
Animals gathered: 0
Animals shipped: 49
Acute related animal deaths: 0
Cause: none
Chronic/pre-existing related animal deaths: 11
Cause: Eleven (11) horses, 3 studs and 8 mares, body condition score 1.5 or less were euthanized due to “poor prognosis for recovery or improvement” as identified within BLM’s Animal Health, Maintenance, Evaluation and Response Instruction Memorandum 2015-070.
Friday,
September 4
Summary: Gather operations have been suspended
Animals gathered: 0
Animals shipped: 37
Acute related animal deaths: 0
Cause: none
Chronic/pre-existing related animal deaths: 16
Cause: Sixteen (16) horses, 3 studs and 13 mares, body condition score 1.5 or less were euthanized due to “poor prognosis for recovery or improvement” as identified within BLM’s Animal Health, Maintenance, Evaluation and Response Instruction Memorandum 2015-070.
Media Contacts:
Anne Novak, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org, 415-531-8454
Kerry Becklund, Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org, 510-502-1913
Links of interest™:
28 Cold Creek horses euthanized by BLM: http://bit.ly/1Ow5Pgl
BLM roundup and death report: http://on.doi.gov/1JRx6Xm
BLM roundup press release: http://on.doi.gov/1PJ6onj
Wild horses relocated by the Bureau of Land Management occupy a corral and die in Kansas: http://bit.ly/1UEPNT1
Protect Mustangs on the web: www.ProtectMustangs.org
Protect Mustangs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs
Anne Novak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak
MONSTERS!!! MONSTERS ALL OF THEM!!! THEY ARE THE BEASTS, THEY WHO CLAIM TO BE HUMAN!!!!! DEATH AND DARKNESS THAT’S WHAT THEY REALLY ARE.
Why were they killed versus fed and watered? Why if concerned that they were starving did it take so long to intervene? Why is pZP given to every mare saying it will preclude round-ups yet round-ups still happen? Why was the community not contacted to see if there would be a way to save them? How can you make them suffer and then give the excuse to murder them relief from suffering? There is no scenario in which I can see this action justified. How long will you have the power of life and death over a species that is so far your superior it? You conduct degrades all of humanity. I am ashamed to be of the same species as you.
I don’t know what to say about this, these poor horses killed for no good reason except the BLM can and do get away with it. My fondest hope is they will be held responsible for what they have done here. There is no acceptable excuse for this atrocity and I would like to know how they find people to do this to our wild horses and go home and sleep at night. RIP and know we are never going to stop fighting for you!
well didn’t you feed & waterd these poor horses ? But they were ok out in the wild they had food & water and their babies . then you came along and took them you know you just act like people that we fought for other peoples freedom the horses you don’t own them all americans own our wild horses. An who gave you the righto kill them?
The 28 euthanized wild horses more than likely could have been brought back to health if they were still standing and gently brought to a facility where they could be given water and food. Euthanizing them was an easy way out and a disgrace.
I call it murder! They are suppose to take care of these horses. If they don’t want to do it there are people who would save them but instead they murder them. We all know what is going on let’s share and tweet so the world will know. Do it for the horses get it out every where.
This wild horse round up is terrible . Do not let this ever happen again and hold people accountable
This wild horse round up is shameful. Hold someone accountable
Gathering and killing wild horses, how is this in anyway helping! The blm uses this excuse of starving horses yet instead of feeding the blm destroys them!!! And only a few were thin many other horses are very healthy yet they have been rounded up as well and taken from their home, from my home!!!!! I am from Las Vegas born and raised just like these wild horses!!! They’ve been here for many generations!!! I’ve seen them my entire life, beautiful and majestic and free!!!! I’m heartbroken that the blm is destroying all of our wild horses!!!!! My children, my grandchildren and their children will never have the opportunity to see their beauty as God intended on Earth living wild and free!!!! This is a catastrophe!!! May the Blm be held accountable for killing and destroying our Wild Horses!!!!!!
I for one DEMAND a open public investigation in these deaths of protected wild horses I for one also DEMAND that the BLM are removed as they have shown many times that they can NOT do the job, they have no respect for the life of the land, As human beings we must be humans doing and that means respecting and protecting the innocent life on this planet, not destroying it for money, power and greed like the little cowards they are. Together We Stand – Peace always James…
This is horrible abuse of power at the expense of innocent animals. From the pictures, those horses could have easily been rehabilitated. I have had horses for over 40 years and have been involved in rescues and have seen far worse cases come back with even a modicum of effort. Sure seems like this government agency decided quickly, without due dilligence and without regard to do what they seemed hell bent on doing from the start-get rid of our mustangs. Shame on the people and the vet who did this. This is an instance when I pray karma really does exist.
What a total mismanagement of the horses and taxpayers’ hard earned dollars!!! It seems that our government bureaus are staffed with either incompetent boobs or people who are blatantly working for for-profit ranchers, drillers, miners, etc There has been no righteous consideration for the animals, the land or the vast majority of taxpayers when it comes to the lands or wild creatures that belong to all of us, not just the for-profits. There must be a full investigation into the BLM killing 28 Cold Creek wild horses near Las Vegas!!
Fire all tbe blm people now!!!! they are killing our horses!!!!
I stand for justice and honesty. These horses deserve both.
This is so sad. What the BLM does to these beautiful animals, they round them up in a brutal way, then cage them & don’t feed them or give them water! I hope someone pays for this gross act! Sick & unforgivable!