Call, Write & Tweet @GOVSandoval #Nevada Governor Sandoval is allowing #wildhorses to be sold at auction ~ Kill buyers attend

PM HV Rambo's band

Rambo’s band in freedom in Reno (Photo © Ellen Holcomb)

Beloved wild horses at auction against the public’s wishes

Right now 41 wild horses from the Reno area including Rambo’s band are at the Fallon Auction where kill buyers come to buy horses for slaughter.

Governor Sandoval refused to step in and stop the auction despite protests. Read his response here: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jan/08/despite-activist-pleas-sandoval-permit-wild-horse-/

Advocates and concerned citizens are hoping to save these iconic mustangs from being sold into the slaughter pipeline.

We have been in touch with Shannon Windle, President of the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund who has arrived at the scene and is working on saving horses. She said there are a lot of horses.

Contact Governor Sandoval to tell him you don’t want native wild horses sold at auctions where kill buyers shop. Ask him to give the horses to local advocacy groups rather than sell them into the slaughter pipeline.

Call, email and/or fax Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval,
http://gov.nv.gov/contact/governor/

Office Phone: (775) 684-5670

Office Fax: (775) 684-5683

Tweet ©GOVSandoval  Use #NEVADA to let the Governor.

Let the Nevada Bureau of Tourism know you don’t like this! @TravelNevada on Twitter and

Mailing Address

Nevada Commission on Tourism
401 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701


Call Us

  • Direct: (775) 687-4322
  • Toll-free: 1-800-NEVADA-8
  • Fax: (775) 687-6779
Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

 

Help save Nevada’s Virginia Range wild horses from cruelty and probable slaughter

The public around the world is outraged at the photos showing cruelty toward young native wild horses.

We want Governor Sandoval to stop allowing the Nevada Department of Agriculture to let citizens cruelly trap wild horses.

We strongly encourage you to call, email and/or fax Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval,
http://gov.nv.gov/contact/governor/

Office Phone: (775) 684-5670

Office Fax: (775) 684-5683

The baby horse was manhandled–the men put twine around her neck and inhumanely pulled her into the trap. Next the Nevada Department of Agriculture processes the wild horses and sells them at an auction where kill buyers shop for horses to sell to slaughter. This is heinous!

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund has been buying all the Virginia Range wild horses at the auction. They are saving them (125+) but they are a small volunteer nonprofit and can’t afford to do this anymore unless you help them to help the wild horses in this crisis.

What’s the long term answer? Cooperative agreements with Nevada and local advocate groups such as Hidden Valley to help those wild horses labelled a nuisance by developers because urban sprawl has encroached on the mustangs’ wild lands.

Nevada is a fence out state. Developers, such as the one who hired the men in the photo to catch wild horses, should fence out their property if they don’t want wildlife on their land.

Native wild horses should never be treated this way. Nevada needs to stop this condoned cruelty now.

Here is a comment from the photographer:

Bo Rodriguez says:

“The foal was three weeks old, an the developers DiLoreto and Damonte are responsible for this also. They have allowed an continue to allow Nevada Department of Agriculture to trap horses on their properties. I have photos of them there at the trap an heard Mr Damonte say he didn’t care for the horses, an wanted them all gone. Tom DiLorreto said he followed states guide lines to the tee. But as you can see, the state must have changed its policy of handling animals humanly to do what you have to, to get rid of it an get the money from the kill buyers as fast as you can.

I did not enjoy taking these photos of the three week old foal being drug around by a piece of bailing twin, it was a long and traumatic for both protesters and horses. There has to be a better solution.”

Please send your donations directly to Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund so they can keep saving the Virginia Range wild horses from going to slaughter. The link is here: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php?c=donate

Thank you for taking action to save Nevada’s wild horses from cruelty and probable slaughter.

All my best wishes,
Anne

Anne Novak
Executive Director of Protect Mustangs

 

Breaking News: Historic Virginia City wild horses going to auction October 24

Protect Mustangs (Photo by Cat Kindsfather)

Iconic wild horses will need adopters

Famous for the classic TV series, Bonzanza, Virginia City’s wild horses have been trapped and are being processed to be sold at an auction frequented by kill-buyers.

On Oct 24th, twenty-nine Virginia Range wild horses are going to be sold by the State of Nevada at the Fallon Livestock Auction.

Historic Virginia Range wild horses are loosing their freedom due to urban sprawl. Wild horses create biodiversity on the range and reduce fuel for wildfires.

“Nevada has a four legged goldmine but they don’t realize it,” states Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “These native grazers reduce the fuel for multimillion dollar wildfires. Tourists from around the world love taking photographs of historic wild horses living in freedom–living symbols of the wild West. We hope Nevada will get hip to their assets on the range and stop selling them off to the highest bidder.”

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund will spearhead the rescue lead by Shannon Windle. Protect Mustangs will lend their support to help save the historic wild horses from going to slaughter for human consumption.

Last month 53 Virginia Range wild horses were trapped and sent to the auction. All the horses were rescued thanks to a huge team effort Lead by Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund with Protect Mustangs, Let ‘Em Run, American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, Least Resistance Training Concepts, HorsePower, Starlight Sanctuary, other groups and individuals around the world.

Read about it in New Zealand’s Horsetalk and Australia’s HorseYard.

Adoption information is here. Contact Anne@ProtectMustangs.org if you want to adopt a wild horse or two.

Contact Governor Sandoval if you don’t like Nevada removing indigenous wild horses and selling them at an auction with kill-buyers. Let them know if you are from out of state or out of the country because Nevada seems to care about tourism.

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.

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/

Donations may be sent directly to Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund.

Links of interest:

Horsetalk reports: Charities pay three times the going rate for wild horses

HorseYard reports: Horse lovers unite to save Nevada’s wild horses from kill buyers

Notice of sale from the Nevada Department of Agriculture:

29 VIRGINIA RANGE HORSES from Virginia City, Nevada

NOTICE OF ESTRAY ANIMALS

AS PER N.R.S. 569.070 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following described animal(s) have been taken up as an Estray Animal(s) VRE Horses #1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, and 1926. The

Estray Horses were captured in Virgina City, in Storey County. The described animals are being held at The Nevada Prison Ranch, 5500 Synder Ave., Carson City, Nv. The Estray Stallions 1 year and older will be gelded prior to placement.Estray #1898 VRE Bay Stud
5 years

Estray # 1899 VRE Bay Stud
4 years

Estray #1900 VRE Bay Stud
Offset star
4 year

Estray #1901 VRE Bay Stud
2 years

Estray #1902 VRE Black Mare
5 year

Estray #1903 VRE Bay Stud
Star, LH & RH socks, LF pastern
6 months

Estray #1904 VRE Bay Mare
Star LH coronet
5 years

Estray #1905 VRE Bay Stud
Star, RH pastern, LF coronet
2 years

Estray #1906 VRE Bay Mare
RH coronet
8 years

Estray #1907 VRE Bay Stud
Large star and snip, RH &LH pastern
10 months

Estray #1908 VRE Black Mare
Small star and snip, RH & LH socks
10 years

Estray # 1909 VRE Bay Mare
Small star
7 years

Estray #1910 VRE Bay Stud
Small star, LH & RH pastern
5 years

Estray #1911 VRE Bay Mare
Star, RH stocking
8 years

Estray #1912 VRE Bay Stud
3 years

Estray #1913 VRE Bay Stud
2 years

Estray #1914 VRE Bay Mare
Star,short strip, large snip LH &RH stockings, LF coronet
4 years

Estray #1915 VRE Bay Mare
Star, RH pastern, LH coronet
5 years

Estray #1916 VRE Bay Mare
7 years

Estray #1917 VRE Sorrel Mare
Star, strip, and snip
10 years

Estray # 1918 Bay Stud
RH coronet
1 year

Estray #1919 Bay Filly
Strip
4 months

Estray #1920 VRE Bay Stud
Star, snip, RH sock
2 years

Estray #1921 VRE Bay Stud
Large star, offset snip
1 year

Estray #1922 VRE Appaloosa Mare
5 years

Estray #1923 VRE Bay Mare
2 years

Estray #1924 VRE Bay Stud
Snip
4 years

Estray #1925 VRE Bay Filly
4 months

Estray #1926 VRE Bay Stud
Star, RH pastern
1 year

AS PER N.R.S. 569.080, if an estray animal is not claimed within 5 working days after the last publication of the advertisement, as required before sale or placement, said animal (s) will be available for sale or placement by the Division of Livestock Identification on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at the Nevada Livestock Market, Fallon, NV.

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
4780 East Idaho Street
Elko, Nevada 89801
1-775-738-8076

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

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?

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

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

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

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

 

 

Twin Peaks HMA wildfire ~ 300K acres burned already

Twin Peaks HMA Rush Fire (Photo © Phil Perkins)

Rush Fire Update

Tuesday, August 21, 2012   8 pm

   Northern Rockies Incident Management Team – Doug Turman, IC

Fire Information Office:

530-710-8568

Staffed: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Started:  August 12, 2012 at 6:42 pm

Cause:  Lightning

Fuels:  Fire is burning in sagebrush, juniper, and grass

Estimated Size: 313,911 acres

Containment: 50%

Expected Containment: 8/28/2012

Committed Resources: Approximately 832 people

Structures Threatened: 9 (6 residences; 1 commercial; 2 outbuildings)

Structures Damaged or Destroyed: 1 (barn)

Injuries: 2 (both in fire camp)

Updated Rush Fire Map in Twin Peaks HMA

Location: The fire is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Northern California District (BLM-CA-NOD,) Eagle Lake Field Office, approximately 15 miles southeast of Ravendale, California.  The fire is burning near a major natural gas line and transfer station, and power transmission lines that supply the Reno area and adjacent to Highway 395.

Summary:   Today firefighters made excellent progress in continuing line building and mop-up around the perimeter of the Rush Fire.  Fortunately the predicted critical fire weather conditions occurred for only a short time and fire spread was minimal.  Most of the growth occurred in the northeast part of the fire where firefighters made progress, but have not completely encircled the fire in the SOB/Burnt Lake areas. Crews will continue line building in that area tonight and tomorrow.  Tomorrow, aircraft (small air tankers and helicopters) will be used to help firefighters in this effort.  The remainder of the fireline will be patrolled and any heat found next to the fireline will be put out.  Suppression repair (mainly smoothing and water barring dozer lines) will begin on some cool portions of the fireline.

Area and Road Closures in Effect: On August 17, the BLM issued a closure order for public lands in the fire area to protect public health and safety.  The closed area is bounded by Highway 395 on the west, the Sand Pass Road on the east, and the Wendel Road on the south.  The new northern boundary for the public land closure is the Juniper Ridge, Tuledad, Stage Road, Marr Road, and Buckhorn Road extending to Nevada Highway 447 in Washoe County. Routes closed within this closure area include the Ramhorn Springs, Rye Patch Road, Buckhorn, Shinn Ranch, Stoney, Deep Cut, Smoke Creek, Skedaddle Ranch, Dry Valley, and Brubeck roads. The Ramhorn Springs Campground and the Dodge Reservoir Campground also is closed.  Today, August 21st Washoe County closed the Buffalo Meadows Road to public use.  This will allow firefighters better access and help protect firefighter and public safety.

Travelers along the Highway 395 corridor, please use caution where fire crews and equipment are working in the fire area.

Remarks:   NOTE:  Use of chainsaws on public lands managed by BLM in NE California and far northwest Nevada is suspended effective Monday, Aug. 20, due to extreme fire danger.  Fire officials remind residents and visitors that fire restrictions are in effect for public lands and national forests in northeast California and far northwest Nevada.  Campfires are permitted only in posted recreation sites.

For additional fire information, please go to InciWeb @ http://inciweb.org/incident/3151/

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