The Devil's Garden Wild Horses: A Battle for Survival
The Devil's Garden wild horses are at the center of a heated battle for their survival. In October 2018, the U.S. Forest Service initiated a large-scale helicopter roundup of 1,000 federally-protected wild horses from the Devils Garden Wild Horse Territory, a vast 300,000-acre public lands area within the Modoc National Forest near Alturas, California. This controversial action aims to reduce the horse population, allowing ranchers with grazing permits to resume cattle grazing on these public lands.
Hundreds of these horses face the grim prospect of being sold for slaughter due to the Forest Service's plan to sell them without limitation after a certain period. This alarming situation unfolds in California, a state that has banned horse slaughter for two decades. In response, American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) and the Animal Legal Defense Fund have filed a lawsuit to halt this plan.
Daily Reports From the Roundup
Blogs
- USFS Hands Management of CA Wild Horses Over to Local Cattle Interests
- Devil's Garden Horses Available for Adoption
- Incompetent and Dangerous Management of Corrals on Full Display at Adoption Event
News Releases
- 64 House Members Take Stand Against Fed Plan to Sell California Wild Horses for Slaughter
- House Natural Resources Chair Raul Grijalva Adds Powerful Voice to Fight to Save Wild Horses from Slaughter
- Nevada Rep. Titus Leads Effort to Save Forest Service Wild Horses from Slaughter
- Wild Horse Group Sounds Alarm Over Feds’ Plan to Sell CA Wild Horses for $1
- Advocates File for Injunction to Block Forest Service from Selling Wild Horses for Slaughter
- Advocacy Groups File Lawsuit to Block Slaughter of California Wild Horses
- Forest Service Bends to Public Pressure; Extends Time Before Selling Modoc Wild Horses for Slaughter
- Feds Gear Up to Sell California Wild Horses for Slaughter
California's Elected Officials Speak Out
- Asm. Todd Gloria Takes Major Step to Boost Protection for Calif. Wild and Domestic Horses
- Reps. Ted Lieu and Dina Titus joined by 62 House Colleagues Decry Forest Service Wild Horse Slaughter Plan
- Todd Gloria Introduces Bill to Protect California's Wild Horses from Slaughter
- Attorney General Becerra Warns the U.S. Forest Service that Selling California’s Wild Horses for Slaughter Violates the Law
- Senator Feinstein to Forest Service: Don’t Sell Horses for Slaughter
- 22 California Legislators Join Asm. Todd Gloria in Demanding Federal Government Stop Inhumane Roundup of Wild Horses in Modoc National Forest
News Articles
- Lawsuit seeks to block California wild horse slaughter
- Wild horse advocates protest sale of horses by Forest Service in Vallejo
- New US lawsuit aims to block sales of wild horses for slaughter
- Roundup of wild horses in California could lead to illegal slaughter
- Advocates outraged at Forest Service handling of wild horses
The Facts
What You Can Do
- Donate to support our legal fund, so we can keep fighting this horrific situation in court.
- Call the U.S. Forest Service and send a letter to your representatives in Congress asking them to protect the horses.
- Contact local volunteers if you have ideas for placement of Devil’s Garden horses.
- If you’re from California, click here to thank the officials who have spoken up for the Devil’s Garden horses.