December 5, 1:02 PM
LA Equine Policy ExaminerCarrol Abel
Wild horses possibly headed for slaughter photo by Mona Armenta
Did the Nevada Department of Agriculture sell eight wild horses for slaughter while they thought the world wasn't watching? That was the question being asked on Thursday by Laura Leigh, well know artist and Childrens' author.
Laura received word early Thursday that eight wild horses had been removed from a holding facility at Northern Nevada Correctional Center in nearby Carson City. They were loaded into a truck headed east toward Elko, she was told.
wild horses possibly headed for slaughter photo by Mona Armenta
The Nevada Department of Agriculture is responsible for managing these historic Virginia Range wild horses whose rangeland is largely on privately owned property near Reno, Nevada. NDOA answers to a different set of laws than those that regulate BLM activities. It has been alleged on several occasions that Tony Lesperance, Director of NDOA since early 2008, has a clandestine relationship with Ole Olsen; a man whose name appears on several lists of "Known Kill Buyers". Mr Olsens' Meadow Valley Ranch is in Elko.
Laura was informed these horses, removed near the Damonte Ranch and Hidden Valley subdivisions near Reno, were supposed to be gelded and enter the prison training program which gentles wild horses prior to public auction. She writes, " There is no confirmation that gelding ever occurred."
wild horses possibly headed to slaughter phot by Mona Armenta
A search for the "Notice of Sale of Feral Livestock" required by Nevada Law ( NRS 569.075) came up empty. Laura then called Director Lesperance who claimed no knowledge of the horses and referred her to Chris Collis, NDOA head brand inspector, who then referred her to Blaine Northrop, Regional Supervisor for the Elko office. Both representatives denied any knowledge of the horses in question.
A conversation with NDOA brand inspector, Daryl Peterson, confirmed the previous reports. Peterson was driving the truck. "He did not know the destination of the horses but was to deliver them to Blaine in Elko." Laura wrote. Three hours later, Laura confirmed her worst fears; the eight were not offloaded at the Elko NDOA facility but were delivered straight to Ole Olsen.
Laura made a call to the Nevada Attorney Generals office investigator Dale Liebherr. The conversation did not go quite as she expected. Laura writes, " I informed him that I knew he had been investigating illegal activities within the Dept. of Ag. concerning horses. His response, 'I investigate crime. Horses don't commit crimes.' ... He said without my providing the documents ( written proof) he could not act."
A Saturday morning telephone interview with Mr. Kevin D. (Ole) Olsen produced the following:
Reporter: I am told that you recently received eight Virginia Range horses from the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Would you like to comment?
Olsen: I don't know what you're talking about.
Reporter: You did not receive horses from the Nevada Department of Agriculture?
Olsen: I bought a few horses from 'em a couple of days ago. I bought and paid in green. It's not your business. It's my business.
Reporter: Can I ask the final destination of these horses?
Olsen: It's none of your business. You want to know anything call the Ag department.
Equine Welfare Alliance ( EWA) has made a Formal Request for Public Records to gain additional information about these horses.
"If the sale of these horses to Ole was legal," Leigh states, "then why all the secrecy?"
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