Nevada Horses get a reprieve from BLM abuse, unlike the Pryor Mt. Herd

CHICAGO, (EWA) – The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) applauds the decision by the US Department of Justice to postpone the December 1 scheduled round-up of wild horses in the Calico Complex of Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has received in excess of 10,000 public comments on this round-up alone. The announcement of the postponement was reported this morning in a press release from In Defense of Animals (IDA) and EWA adviser Craig Downer;

“The U.S. Department of Justice announced tonight that the massive roundup and removal of thousands of horses from public land in northwestern Nevada will be delayed until December 28 as a direct result of the filing of a lawsuit by In Defense of Animals and renowned ecologist Craig Downer on November 23.”

The release continued, “Tomorrow, IDA and Mr. Downer plan to file a motion for a permanent injunction, with supporting affidavits from horse experts and eyewitnesses to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups. The motion will ask Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop the roundup altogether.”

EWA president, John Holland said today, “We view this action as a positive step toward a full moratorium on wild horse and burro round-ups that would provide an opportunity for a much needed assessment of the situation. We are profoundly grateful to IDA and the law firm of Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney for taking on this essential action on a pro bono basis.”

The news of the postponement comes in the wake of growing support for a moratorium on all round-ups. The Western Watersheds Project (WWP) and actors, Mariana Tosca, Viggo Mortensen and Kevin Nealon were among the recent voices adding their support. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) added their concerns on the current management of wild horses and burros in a statement issued November 24.

Additional information on the unified call for a moratorium is available on the Equine Welfare Alliance and The Cloud Foundation websites.