Nevada Department of Agriculture Traps Virginia Range Horses Amid Developer Dispute

Wild horses rounded up during the heat of the day, likely destined for slaughter

(RENO, Nev. August 7, 2024) - Today, the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) began rounding up more than a dozen Virginia Range free-roaming horses at the request of Sunny Hills Ranchos, a Long Beach, Calif.-based property development company that is planning a large residential project in South Reno.

American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) works closely with Wild Horse Connection (WHC), the organization that holds a cooperative range management agreement with NDA. AWHC has a separate cooperative agreement with the NDA for a fertility control program, which has reduced the foaling rate in the Virginia Range horse population by 66%. These cooperative agreements have been in place for over five years and are entirely funded by private dollars.

Under its agreement with the NDA, Wild Horse Connection has successfully relocated dozens of horses from high-conflict areas to other parts of the range. Today, the group was prevented from completing a plan approved by the NDA, Sunny Hills, and the City of Reno to trap and relocate horses to a more remote part of the range.

Instead, Sunny Hills closed the gates to its property, trapping over a dozen horses and cutting off another 40 from their water source on a day nearing 100 degrees.

“The developer reneged on its word and the agreement to allow Wild Horse Connection to safely relocate these animals,” said Tracy Wilson, Nevada State Director at AWHC. “More than a dozen horses so far have been trapped and removed from their habitat – it’s beyond cruel and completely unnecessary.”

The horses have been taken to the Northern Nevada Correctional Institution in Carson City and WHC, AWHC and an alliance of other wild horse advocacy organizations are calling for the release of the horses from the prison and their return to a safe area of the range. Since the horses are not federally protected, if not released, they can be sold at a slaughter auction in Fallon.

"We've had a productive, years-long partnership with the State of Nevada for the humane management of the Virginia Range horses," Wilson continued. "We hope that the NDA will reconsider its decision to remove the horses so that community trust and collaboration can be restored."

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