Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge's Controversial Wild Horse Removal

February 19, 2021

AWHC Contributor

The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is situated in northwestern Nevada near the Oregon border. In 2012, the Refuge adopted a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) aiming to eliminate wild horses and burros from its lands within five years. By 2013, the Refuge announced plans to remove the estimated 800 wild horses and 90 burros within two years. In September 2013, 415 horses were rounded up and removed, with another roundup planned for fall 2014.

Key Problems

The FWS has spent nearly $1 million in taxpayer funds to funnel horses through a middleman in Mississippi, who ultimately sent them to undesirable fates, possibly including slaughter.
The FWS is not fulfilling its Statement of Work to ensure horses are placed in “good homes” and to prevent their sale at auction or for slaughter.
The FWS adoption program does not adequately protect Sheldon horses from abuse or sale for slaughter, nor does it confirm the whereabouts of horses sold to adoption contractors.
The FWS accelerated its wild horse removal plan, removing all horses within two years instead of the five years outlined by the CCP.

Background – Facts

Between 2010 and 2013, FWS paid adoption contractor Stan Palmer of J&S Associates in Mississippi $868,136.55 to find homes for 507 wild horses from the Sheldon Refuge. J&S’s method involved giving them away by the trailer load.
In a March 2013 inspection, FWS could not verify the whereabouts of at least 202 of 262 Sheldon horses placed by Palmer between 2010-2012. Palmer failed to provide information on adopters for 65 horses and did not provide adequate care for foals. One adopter who took 82 horses admitted to selling “a bunch” at a livestock auction.
In September 2013, FWS again contracted with J&S, sending them 245 horses.
On October 25, 2013, Cody Woods, a J&S employee, publicized via Facebook the availability of mustangs that were “not branded or tattooed,” noting: “we are not allowed to sell them…you show up with your trailer and load ‘em up. . . . Need gone ASAP!!!”
Within 25 days of the Facebook post, J&S divested itself of 187 horses. Adoption applications contained scant and conflicting information, inadequate to verify that adopters would provide “good homes” and not sell the horses “at auction or for slaughter.” One adopter claimed to want the horses for breeding, even though every horse taken was a gelding.
All adopters claimed “bucking” stock as the intended use for the horses. However, accredited rodeos do not use wild horses as bucking stock, as they must be trained for transport and loading into chutes.
The FWS failed to confirm the whereabouts of a single horse placed by J&S. Not one adopter agreed to allow FWS to inspect horses obtained through J&S.

For more information on the Sheldon horses, please click here.