Founders of American Wild Horse Conservation

Neda DeMayo, Co-founder

Neda DeMayo, CEO of Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary, spearheaded the creation of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) in 2004 to establish a unified voice and coalition to act on behalf of America’s wild horses and burros.

DeMayo, a former fashion stylist and costume designer for the film industry, founded Return to Freedom (RTF) in 1997. RTF operates a 365-acre refuge located in the rolling, coastal hills of Lompoc, California, that is home to nearly 400 wild horses and burros rescued from federal roundups. RTF pioneered minimally-intrusive, natural management of wild horses utilizing PZP fertility control, a method that has allowed the sanctuary to maintain horses in their natural social bands.

Virginie Parant, Co-founder

Virginie Parant, a Los Angeles-based attorney, founded the AWHC with Neda DeMayo in 2004. From 2004 to 2010, Parant served as Campaign Director and built the coalition of organizations backing the Campaign's grassroots efforts.

Today, Parant operates ARTechLaw, a firm that focuses on entertainment and technology law. She also serves as AWHC's legal counsel.