Tag Archives: wild horses

Mustang Monday™: Call your senators and representatives – request they Stop the Roundup$

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Mustang Monday™: Contact Congress 10/1/12

Take Back the Power (© Protect Mustangs Photo © Cynthia Smalley)

Email, fax or call your senators and representatives to let them know that you want the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to stop selling our wild horses to alleged kill-buyers. Ask Congress to stop the fall roundups and freeze all others until the slaughter driven corruption is flushed out of the BLM.

Be sure to let YOUR elected officials know how you feel. You may choose to share these articles (below) with them.:

1.) www.daily-times.com/ci_21666897/feds-rounding-up-3-500-horses-burros?source=most_viewed

“They aren’t placing enough wild horses through adoption so they need to put a freeze on roundups,” said Anne Novak, executive director of Berkeley, Calif.-based group Protect Mustangs. “Killing them is not a solution. Selling them to slaughter is not a solution. They need to be responsible for their actions and stop the gluttony of roundups at taxpayer expense.”

 

and

2.) http://www.propublica.org/article/missing-what-happened-to-wild-horses-tom-davis-bought-from-the-govt

“They are selling me mere hundreds now,” he said. “If they sold me 50,000, I guarantee I could do something with them. I would go to Canada. I would go to Mexico.”

 

Wild horses sold to middle men for slaughter

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Wild mustang weanling in holding. (Photos © Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)

“We request a freeze on all roundups until Congress can investigate and stop the BLM from selling wild horses by the hundreds to alleged kill-buyers,” states Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “Internal corruption needs to be flushed out fast.”

 

Today the press revealed a man who has purchased at least 1,700 wild horses from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program for $10 a piece. Dave Phillips reports in ProPublica, All the missing horses: What happened to the wild horses Tom Davis bought from the government?  It appears that the BLM is selling healthy indigenous wild horses to a known pro-slaughter kill-buyer to dispose of our living legends.

This needs to stop now.

Here are some articles providing some background about the BLM’s heinous wild horse traffic to slaughter . . . America’s living legends, betrayed by those entrusted to protect them under the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act.

National Geographic (May 5, 2005) Wild Horses Sold by U.S. Agency Sent to Slaughter http://bit.ly/IaLgoA

The agency’s mission changed in December, when Congress passed a bill that made it legal for the BLM to sell wild horses outright . . .

Since December the BLM has sold about a thousand wild horses under the new rules. The slaughtered horses were originally sold to the Rosebud Sioux Indians in South Dakota and to an unnamed Oklahoma man who said he wanted the horses for a church youth program.

The Sioux group bought 105 wild horses at a dollar apiece, then traded 87 of them to a horse broker, who sold some of the horses for slaughter. The Oklahoma man bought six at $50 apiece, according to the BLM. Slaughterhouses are known to pay hundreds of dollars for a horse.

 

Christian Science Monitor and cross-posted by The Seattle Times (March 2, 2005) Law allows slaughter of wild horses for meat  by Brad Knickerbocker http://bit.ly/K8DWIF

Now, a law signed by President Bush will allow the slaughter and export of horse meat form thousands of wild horses. Horse lovers are urgins reversal of the measure, which slipped into a recent federal appropriations bill by Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.

 

Chicago Tribune (Dec, 12, 2001) Adopted wild horses are still being slaughtered by Robert Gehrke http://bit.ly/IcWL2g story went viral

WASHINTON–Wild horses put up for adoption by the Bureau of Land Management continue to be slaughtered, in some cases within weeks of he owner gaining title to the animal, according to the latest BLM records.

The quick turnaround has critics questioning how aggressively BLM is enforcing a rule requiring adopters to swear that they don’t plan to sell the horse to slaughter.

‘Not only is the BLM not actually prosecuting people, but they’re not even doing the investigation to try to figure it out and it seems like they don’t want to know,’ said Howard Crystal, an attorney for the Fund for Animals, whose lawsuit led to the no-slaughter clause.

The Desert News (Dec. 12, 2001) Rules are not preventing slaughter of wild horses by Robert Gehrke http://bit.ly/IMYibB

The Deseret News (August 18, 1999)  Wild horses are going to slaughter, BLM says http://bit.ly/IMiyKq

Adopted wild horses are being slaughtered for meat or pet food at a rate that could top five per week, according to an employee of the Bureau of Land Management.BLM wild horse expert Lilly Thomas said once-wild horses adopted from agency land are being slaughtered at four major packinghouses. Speaking this week at a meeting of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board in Salt Lake City, Thomas said she based her estimate on reports from a slaughterhouse near Fort Worth, Texas,…

 

Buffalo News (January 5, 1997) US effort to save wild horses leads thousands to slaughter as workers profit by Martha Mendoza http://bit.ly/IMb3Dn

A multimillion-dollar federal program created to save the lives of wild horses instead is channeling them by the thousands to slaughterhouses where they are chopped into cuts of meat.

Among those profiting from the slaughter are employees of the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that administers the program.

AP viral story (January 4, 1997)  Program to protect wild horses often funnels them to slaughter by Martha Mendoza http://bit.ly/IhtEds

NY Times (Jan 29, 1997) Report Acknowledges Wild Horses Are Being Slaughtered http://nyti.ms/IwGF1x

The Spokesman Review (December 12, 1986) Wild horses being sent to slaughter http://bit.ly/IatqoK

HELENA — The Bureau of Land Management has been shipping hundreds of horses to Montana ranchers under the government’s “adopt-a-horse” program, and some are going to slaughter, one of the ranchers says.

Since 1985, more than 1,800 horses rounded up on government land in Nevada and other states have been shipped to ranchers in eastern Montana’s Yellowstone Valley, according to figures supplied by BLM Associate State Director Marvin Lenoue,

Hundreds of other wild horses have been shipped to South Dakota, mostly to Indian reservations . . .

Some owners sold them to rodeos, he said and “some of those people sent them to slaughter.”

Lakeland Ledger (March 11, 1973) U.S. Probe Wild Horse Slaughter ~ story went viral http://bit.ly/Io6nC5

LA Times (March 5, 1973) Apparent Roundup of Wild Horses for Slaughter Probed http://bit.ly/JUlvvG

Federal authorities are investigating a blood-soaked cliffside in the high, remote mountains of southeastern Idaho where officials say a herd of about 60 wild horses was apparently rounded up and sold for slaughter.

At the auction to save wild horses from kill-buyers

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Virginia Range wild horses

Hidden Valley Rescue is at the auction right now blessed with funds from wonderful groups and individuals hoping to save the 30 wild horses from a horrible fate.

Check back for updates.

6:26 p.m. The advocates are still waiting to bid on the wild horses.

6:45 p.m. We just got word from Shannon that they saved them all–7 foals and 23 horses! Kill-buyers were there and the bidding was high. Evidently there is a lot of law enforcement at the auction and signs posted everywhere “No Cameras”.

9:00 p.m. The wild horses are spending the night at Camelot before moving to their temporary pasture Thursday. They will be loaded up and moved to the pasture in the morning.

Urgent donations, foster homes and adopters needed for historic mustangs or kill buyers will get them

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Captured wild horses Nevada Jan 2012 (Photo © Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)

Wild Horse Annie’s horses are being pushed through the livestock auction again next Wednesday September 26th in Fallon, Nevada.

Update 10:30 p.m.

“Miracles are happening. Hidden Valley has found a large pasture for the 25 wild horses for tomorrow as a very, very temporary holding area. Thank heavens.” ~Anne Novak

 

Update 6:00 p.m.

News 4 Reno aired Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund’s call for help here.

Update at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday September 25, 2012:

“I just got off the phone with Shannon Windle, President of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. She’s still at her 9-5 job and told me that only $13,000 has been raised so far to buy the horses but that’s not enough to house them.

She will look into other donations coming in when she gets home from her day job. I have heard other groups are raising money for this and we are so grateful that everyone is helping save these wild horses.

We have been looking for solutions because the foster care pens are maxed out and it’s hard to find people with 6 foot fencing to hold in the wild ones. She decided that getting panels to build more corrals is a good solution. So Hidden Valley is raising money for the corral panels and looking for horse people with extra space who are willing to foster Wild Horse Annie’s beloved Virginia Range horses. Hidden Valley will provide the corrals, feed and is responsible for vet care, etc.

Tomorrow is the auction. Hidden Valley cannot save the wild horses from the kill-buyers if they don’t have the money to purchase them and if they don’t have a place to put them. Pray for miracles and take action to save these historic wild horses.”

In gratitude,

Anne Novak

Executive Director for Protect Mustangs

 

Check back for upates

 

 

Wild War Horse (Photo © Cynthia Smalley, all rights reserved.)

Update from Sunday September 23, 2012

“It’s 10:30 p.m. Sunday night and I just finished talking with Shannon Windle, president of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. She told me they only have $3,300. in donations to buy the 25 wild horses next Wednesday September 26th. Last week they paid $11,000. for 23 wild horses. If the money isn’t raised they can’t buy the horses. Please help save these horses from the kill-buyers. Please donate and save a life.” ~Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund was prepared financially to save the first South Reno 23 but their funding and foster care is maxed out so here is what we need to do:

  1. Raise money for Hidden Valley to get the South Reno 25 horses at auction, pay for feed, care and transportation
  2. Find adopters in and out of state.
  3. Send the Sept 19th wild horses to adopters ASAP
  4. Recruit new foster care for the new load coming in Wednesday
  5. Line up adopters for the Sept 26th wild horses
  6. Get hay donations to feed all these horses
  7. Get 150 MUSTANG panels to house the Sept 26th load of horses

Because the livestock auction staff likes to bid against the wild horse advocates to jack up the price and their commission, the small wild horses are going for up to 3 times the market value of a heavier horse. A mare and foal pair sold for $1000 last week.

The foster-cares are full after last week’s rescue of 23 Virginia Range horses. So we need to create solutions and build more corrals with panels to hold 25 more horses until we can adopt them out.

Mustang panels are 6 ft high and must be made of sturdy steel. We found a bulk price of $126. a piece. Hidden Valley needs 150 panels.

Let’s all chip in whatever we can and hope the auction house will be compassionate this week and not bid against us.

Laura Bell filming the Reno 23 saved by Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund on September 19, 2012 (Photo © Cat Kindsfather)

Please send your donations to save Wild Horse Annie’s horses directly to Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php?c=donate

You can also send a check/money order to:

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund
P.O. Box 20052
Reno, NV 89515-0052

For information about donating, fostering or adopting please call:

Shannon Windle: 775-297-2955

Anne Novak: 415-531-8454

Thank you for doing what you can to help save America’s wild horses from going to slaughter.

Protect Mustangs flag designed by Robin Warren

 

Have wild horse advocates been falsely accused?

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Advocacy groups have released wild horses with Nevada Department of Agriculture in the past

Photo courtesy of Let “Em Run Foundation

In the recent KRNV story about the south Reno horses going to the livestock auction, Nevada Department of Agriculture’s staff appeared on camera claiming that the cooperators weren’t being used because they released horses onto the range. Where is the proof?

A Virginia Range pinto gelding named Dickie disappeared from the Tahoe Reno Industrial Complex (TRIC) property around March 2012 and magically appeared overweight later on in another county at Clearwater in Reno. How does this happen?

Photo of Dickie on July 14, 2012 used ot compare with his file photo for ID

The Department of Agriculture’s statement implied that the wild horse groups were involved in something improper. Yet in the past groups did release horses – belonging to the department – at the direction of the department – under the direct supervision of the department.

The largest release involved 55 horses freed at TRIC. It was covered by the media and a short film was made of the release. The short still can be found on the Internet. Here’s a link to one copy.

Call Governor Sandoval and ask him to stop Nevada from selling historic wild horses at auctions frequented by kill-buyers 775-684-5670 or 702-486-2500

Sources:

Let ‘Em Run Foundation: http://www.letemrun.com/index.html

Least Resistance Training Concepts group: http://www.whmentors.org/

Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates Sept 7th update: on Dickie and livestock sale: http://www.aowha.org/war/ndoa_horse_sale_1203b.html#dickie

KRNV Story: http://www.ktvn.com/story/19548710/wild-horse-controvesey-heating-up

The controversy over wild horses in Nevada is heating up again. A group of about two dozen organized a demonstration in front of the Capital in Carson City on Friday. And earlier this week an emotionally charged confrontation between a private landowner and a wild horse advocate took place in south Reno. (It was later posted on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6uZPdD_PWM )

An unidentified woman charged at the camera protesting that horses were being trapped and moved rather than simply fenced out. The landowner caught it on his cell phone and launched it on YouTube.

“This is a fence out state!,” insists Tonia Tavcar. “If landowners don’t want horses on their land they don’t have to trap them and send them to slaughter, they can just fence them out!”

“It seems logical, I admit,” says Ed Foster, Public Information Officer with the State Department of Agriculture. “But we are charged with responding to complaints when stray animals, including horses, are a nuisance and doing something about it. But we don’t have the authority to make a landowner put up a fence!”

Foster adds the drought is fueling problems as more horses search for food and water. And he says for a while they did sell horses back to the advocates at a very low price. That he say, seemed to work until those same horses resurfaced on the range and were picked up again.

It’s all resulted in a lawsuit filed Friday, by the State of Nevada against the advocates for releasing the animals.

Foster says since his department no longer gets funding to house or administer birth control to the animals and has no option but to remove any problem animals and sell them as livestock.

Horse advocates say they’ll continue to fight for the future of animals so many other states would love to have roam their land.

The lawsuit names advocate Willis Lamm. It charges the ‘Let ‘em Run Foundation’ with failure to brand or mark their animals, abandoning an animal and allowing an animal to be injured or deprived of food and water – all misdemeanor charges.

We also contacted the office of the landowner, Mike Diloretto about this story, but he is out town.

KRNV story Written by Erin Breen

Wild horse advocates endure bidding war to rescue horses

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Virginia range 23 rescued from auction house fate

From a Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund press release:

Captured Virgina Range Horses

The Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund (HVWHPF), in an effort to save the first 23 of an estimated 74 Virginia Range wild horses trapped by the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA), attended an auction today, September 19th, at the Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC, located 1025 Allen Road, Fallon, NV where the horse were sold to the highest bidder.

NDA Brand Inspector Blaine Northrop diligently and methodically organized the delivery of the horses to the auction floor in a manner specifically designed to minimalize stress and trauma to these animals and ensure the bands or families would remain intact.  Once the bidding started at approximately 7:15 pm, HVWHPF successfully out bid several kill buyers and one individual who obviously ran the bid up far higher than what any of these horses should have sold for.  A normal bid price for such horses should not have exceeded $175 – $200 per head, however by the sale of the 12th horse the individual had raised the price to over $1,000 for a mare and baby pair.

At that time, one of the auction attendees recognized the individual to be that of Jack Payne, the owner of the auction house, Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC.  After Mr. Payne was recognized, he continued to bid on the remainder of Virginia Range 23 and continued to intentionally raise the bid.  The Department of Agriculture agents on locations at that time were questioned by HVWHF volunteers about the legality of Mr. Payne bidding without first disclosing that he was the owner of the auction house and also the act of intentionally raising the bid to an amount obviously much higher than the expected bid range price.  The agents were unable to confirm whether this action was appropriate, commenting that it was a public auction and open to anyone.  Representatives from the NDA were able to confirm the identity of the individual as that of Mr. Jack Payne, the owner of the Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC.

The HVWHPF is questioning the legitimacy of the transactions that took place this evening at the auction of the Virginia Range 23, formerly the property of the NDA until all were safely acquired by the HVWHFP.  Is it appropriate for an auction house owner to partake in and intentionally raise the bid on any product to be sold in that auction house?  Did these actions cause the auction house to gain financially by increasing its commission on the sale?  Did this auction house cause the people of the State of Nevada to overpay the commission charged by the auction house to the Department of Agriculture to handle the sale of these 23 horses?

The HVWHPF will be requesting a full and immediate refund from Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC of all the funds spent at its facility in the acquisition of the Virginia Range 23 wild horses.  All the money allocated to the rescue of the wild horses comes from donations received from local, national, and international sources.  The HVWHPF is an all-volunteer registered 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the Virginia Range wild horses.

Additionally, another 31 Virginia Range wild horses are scheduled to be sold at auction at this very same facility on Wednesday, September 26th.  The HVWHPF will be requesting that the NDA stop all plans for this auction pending a full investigation of the activities of the management of the Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC related to the auction of the Virginia Range 23.  The HVWHPF will also ask NDA to reconsider a plan that would allow for all NDA horses removed from the range to be placed with qualified, accredited rescue organizations, allowing the organizations’ donated funds to be better spent on efforts to find permanent placement for these creatures rather than lining the pockets of those who would deceive and do wrong.

HVWHPF asks that, in the spirit of Velma “Wild Horse Annie” Johnson, children of all ages write to Governor Sandoval asking him to reinstate a Wild Horse Commission that will work with all interested parties to ensure that our Nevada Heritage Horses become a vital and valuable part of our state culture and will show that we can live harmoniously with these precious relics of our past.

Please donate to the fund to save Wild Horse Annie’s horses here: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php?c=donate

Breaking News: Horse lovers from around the world unite to save Nevada’s wild horses from kill-buyers

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Advocates were bidding against auction house staff who kept raising the bids

Virginia Range Wild Horses @ Peace (Photo ©Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)

For immediate release:

RENO, Nevada (September 20, 2012) –Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund spearheaded and saved 23 historic Virginia Range wild horses from going to the kill-buyers last night. The herculean effort lead by Shannon Windle, president of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. Country singer Lacy Dalton’s non-profit, Let ‘Em Run Foundation, also raised funds for the rescue.

“We are very grateful everyone joined together to save the horses from Wild Horse Annie’s herd,” says Shannon Windle, president of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund.

Last night many wild horse advocates and groups from the greater Reno area joined forces to help with transportation and foster care to make this rescue effort a success. The list includes the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund, Let ‘Em Run Foundation, Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC) Horse Power and The Starlight Sanctuary with support from many other groups in the West. The efforts were coordinated through the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates.

California-based Protect Mustangs joined in to help with outreach, raise awareness about the issue and contact Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval to stop the sale.

Donors contributed from across the USA and abroad to save Nevada’s indigenous wild horses from being sold to kill-buyers who sell the horses to slaughter plants for human consumption in foreign countries.

A staff member of the auction house was bidding as well as a kill-buyer against the wild horse advocates. Is it legal for the house to drive up the bids?

“How much did the auction house make with the owner driving the price up? ” asks Windle “Is this illegal?”

During the auction, a thin Virginia Range wild horse mare sold for over $500. while a stocky domestic buckskin sold for $200. A wild mare and foal sold for $1000 which is grossly abnormal at a livestock auction frequented by kill-buyers.

Advocates paid more than $11K to save the 23 wild horses–more than three times above market value.

31 additional wild horses will arrive at the auction house next week. More than 60 wild horses have been rounded up and face a horrific end if more foster homes, adopters and donors are not found quickly.

Essential donations are also needed to feed the wild horses rescued last night who will live in foster care until they are adopted or accepted into a sanctuary.

Send donations to the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund here: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php?c=donate

Governor Brian Sandoval ignored public outcry and took no action to save America’s iconic wild horses from going to an auction frequented by kill-buyers tonight.

“We hope Governor Sandoval realizes that outside of Nevada 80% of Americans are against horse slaughter,” explains Anne Novak, executive director of California-based Protect Mustangs. “This could be a pivotal point in his political career–the point where he tarnishes himself to the extent that he will never win the hearts of the 80%. He still has time to take action and become a hero and we hope he does.”

# # #

Follow Protect Mustangs on Facebook for updates

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Kerry Becklund, 510-502-1913, Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org

Links of interest:

News 4 reported on the story last night: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/default.aspx

News 4 reporting continues: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Wild-Horse-Advocacy-groups-go-through-bidding-war/k57ef-ffOkq2QbDJKkhPEg.cspx

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php

Let ‘Em Run Foundation: http://www.letemrun.com/index.html

Lacy Dalton bio, president of Let ‘Em Run Foundation: http://www.letemrun.com/Lacy-Bio.htm

Least Resistance Training Concepts: http://www.whmentors.org/

Starlight Sanctuary http://thestarlightsanctuary.webs.com/

Governor Brian Sandoval: http://gov.nv.gov/

Plea to Governor Sandoval to stop Nevada from selling wild horses to killer-buyers at auctions: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=2459

Information on the Virginia Range wild horses: http://www.aowha.org/war/virginia_range0901.html

Protect Mustangs: http://www.ProtectMustangs.org

Governor Sandoval: Stop the sale of Nevada’s wild horses to kill-buyers

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Reply

Governor Brian Sandoval ~ Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Call Governor Brian Sandoval and politely let him know you want the trapping and selling of Nevada’s indigenous wild horses at auctions frequented by “kill-buyers” to STOP now.

80% of Americans are against horse slaughter.

Does he want Nevada to stay on the top of the bad list as perceived by Nevadans and everyone else?

The first auction is this Wednesday in Fallon, N.V.–a town where he once lived.

More than 22 Virginia Range wild horses from ‘The Meadow’, on the outskirts of Reno, are going to be sold by the pound. Kill-buyers will be bidding on America’s icons to sell them to slaughter for human consumption in foreign countries.

Politely ask Governor Sandoval to step in–to stop the removals and the sales. Ask him to RELOCATE all the wild horses who have been trapped already by the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA) and bring them food and water if needed on the range.

Rotten development planning and urban sprawl is removing habitat from wildlife–including wild horses. Not only is the sprawl causing global warming but now it’s causing strife in communities over wild horses.

It’s the developers’ responsibility to fence out wildlife to prevent entry on their property if that is what they wish. Nevada is a “fence out” state by law.

Back in August several wild horses were taken by people connected with a development. The horses ended up at the prison where they process wild horses to go to the auction frequented by kill-buyers. Who were these people and are charges being prosecuted against them? Are they connected to the current trappings at a development now conducted by the NDOA?

Taxpayers should not pay for the NDOA to remove wild horses when the developer is not taking responsibility for putting up fencing. Nevada wants fiscal responsibility.

Land development does not need to ruin indigenous wild horse habitat, break their families apart and sell them at auctions where kill-buyers purchase horses to sell to slaughter.

We are asking for a win-win NOT for Nevada’s wild horses go to their brutal death–to slaughter.

More wild horses are needed to stop Nevada’s mega-million dollar wildfires. According to a report by CoreLogic, U.S property exposed to wildfire is valued at $136 billion.

If some wild horses do need to be brought in then the mustangs should NEVER be sold at an auction frequented by kill-buyers but should be cared for by the State of Nevada or given to sanctuaries and rescue groups. Their lives are the responsibility of the Silver State if they are not on Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. We know Nevada can do the right thing.

80% of America’s population are against horse slaughter. If Governor Sandoval wants to run for President someday, then he needs to be aware that he is smearing himself by delaying taking action to stop the sale of Nevada’s beloved wild horses to kill-buyers. His character is being measured during this time of crisis.

He has an opportunity now to make history and win the endearment of 80% of Americans nationwide.

Contact the Governor here:

Governor Sandoval
Tel: 775-684-5670
fax: 775-6845683

Emails can be sent via this link.
http://gov.nv.gov/contact/governor/

Send us a copy of emails you send him. Our email is Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

Also contact Governor Sandoval on Twitter  @GovSandoval

Here is an example of wild horses not causing damage from Barbara Warner’s comment against the Sheldon Refuge wild horse wipe out:

“The 1990-91 GAO ( Government Accounting Office) study proved that horses do not over-graze or destroy riparian areas. Sheldon is still recovering from the damage that cattle have been proven to cause. Horses have flat hooves which don’t cut into the ground and constantly move as they graze. The increased population of pronghorns proves that wild horses benefit them and no doubt many other species as well.”

Here is an excellent scientific example of wild horses as native wildlife: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562

Indigenous wild horse families living in peace on the Virginia Range in Nevada, January 2012. (Photo © Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)

This photo shows several Virginia Range wild horse families at ‘The Meadow’ on the outskirts of Reno.

These wild horses are loved around the world. Tourists enjoy observing them at ‘The Meadow’ and elsewhere. Eco-tourism businesses could boom taking customers on wild horse safaris. This would create jobs for Nevada.

Now the Virginia Range wild horses are being trapped, castrated and ripped apart from their families only to be sold at a series of auctions, frequented by kill-buyers in Fallon, N.V. starting September 19th, 2012 and ending around October.

As of this date, the Nevada State Department of Agriculture has trapped more than 60 indigenous wild horses–of all ages–and is planning to dispose of them by selling them at the auction frequented by kill-buyers.

Please contact Governor Sandoval and ask him to take this opportunity to make history.

 

Links of interest:

Governor Brian Sandoval’s website: http://gov.nv.gov/

Governor Brian Sandoval on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GovSandoval

News 4 reports: Sixteen Virgina Range wild horses captured http://www.mynews4.com/mostpopular/story/Sixteen-Virginia-Range-horses-captured/EB28hJXRfkG2koVMTe7lgQ.cspx

Nevada policy change ~ sells its wild horses by the pound: http://www.examiner.com/article/nevada-policy-change-sells-it-s-wild-horses-by-the-pound

U.S. property exposed to wildfire valued at $136 billion:  http://www.artemis.bm/blog/2012/09/17/u-s-property-exposed-to-wildfire-valued-at-136-billion-says-report/

2012 Nevada wildland fires: http://forestry.nv.gov/fire-program/2012-nevada-wildfires/

Nevada is a fence out state: Rural Fencing Rules in Nevada | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7148677_rural-fencing-rules-nevada.html#ixzz26mvCdAOj

Video of wild horses in ‘The Meadow’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02I_W761f4M&feature=youtu.be