By R.T. Fitch ~ volunteer president/co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Nevada to be Branded “Animal Cruelty State” in Court of US Public Opinion
3 week old foal being dragged with baling twine by developers hired security at Ag. Dept. bait trap – photo by Bo Rodriguez
“Yesterday we ran a brief story with photos of a 3 week old foal being abused at a Nevada Department of Agriculture bait trap on private property. As the day progressed Reno area advocates began to write and comment on what they had witnessed and we corrected a few errors in the story but the point and the problem never shifted or dimmed. The concern and anger generated by the photos fueled the biggest number of hits this blog has ever seen in a single day; thousands and thousands of concerned Americans logged in. Frustration is so thick you can cut it with a knife.
This, folks, is beyond serious. We at Wild Horse Freedom Federation are currently working a behind the scenes legal project to shut down the BLM‘s rapid desimation of wild horse & burros on federal public lands. We are not chasing individual roundups with TROs as they just don’t work and we have abounded access and humane care issues as, at this rate, they are only a distraction and moot as there won’t even be any wild horses if we do not stop the roundups and do so quickly. But our hearts are torn to pieces over what is happening to theseVirginia range “state” horses as these captives go directly to auction and can end up in the hands of kill buyers within just a few days or weeks. This is the fear and this also the reality. These true wild horses are facing a death sentence, right now.
Please spend a few moments and read several of the comments that folks have made and then make a call or fax as outlined below. Maybe with enough heat, even from outside of the state, Nevada officials will listen and enter into productive talks, with the knowledgeable advocates who are speaking below, and seek a humane solution versus slaughtering these horses for human consumption abroad.
Thanks to all those who care and lend their voices to those who cannot speak for themselves.” ~ R.T.
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Bo Rodriguez says:
“The foal was three weeks old, an the developers DiLoreto and Damonte are responsible for this also. They have allowed an continue to allow Nevada Department of Agriculture to trap horses on their properties. I have photos of them there at the trap an heard Mr Damonte say he didn’t care for the horses, an wanted them all gone. Tom DiLorreto said he followed states guide lines to the tee. But as you can see, the state must have changed its policy of handling animals humanly to do what you have to, to get rid of it an get the money from the kill buyers as fast as you can.
I did not enjoy taking these photos of the three week old foal being drug around by a piece of bailing twin, it was a long and traumatic for both protesters and horses.
There has to be a better solution.”
Sue says:
“They not only Lure them into a death trap…there were photos of a truck chasing them just days before. Not to mention DeLoretto buzzing them in his private helicopter. I don’t know how these people sleep at night.
Quote by Damonte ….”If I had it my way , all of these horses would be DEAD .”
Pretty strong , evil statement. The trap was set on Louie Damonte’s property with his permission.
Pretty strong , evil statement. The trap was set on Louie Damonte’s property with his permission.
Seems some people have a hate for these horses.
This was the horses home before it was theirs.
The news was there most of the day, yet the only channel that gave any information about it was channel 4.
Something must be done…these horses cannot speak for themselves, so we have to be their voice.”
NV Kate says:
“The really pissy thing about it, is that the Dept of AG does NOT have to follow any kind of protocol regarding wild horses. BLM while they don’t adhere to anything does have protocol.
According to the state these horses because they live on now privately owned land are considered ‘estrays’… and because they are estrays they can be sent to slaughter legally if you can stomach that!
God Bless you Bo Rodriguez for taking these photos!!! had I been there I would be in jail right now! Bo I want to encourage you to send copies of your photos to the HSUS…. Arnold Baer abaer@humanesociety.org, Beverly McGrath BevDDAL@msn.com , and the Nevada HSUS state rep Holly Haley hhaley@humanesociety.org. The next legislative session we had better have something more concrete than we did the last time, and it’s possible their legal dept may want to press charges for animal abuse.
I’ve been lobbying the state for the last 6 years trying to get some protection for the so called estrays . Beverly McGrath found a sponsor for a bill last year that would have done that, but it was pulled at the last minute due to something an advocate recommended to the sponsor, I still curse the individual for that but damn it horses that live in checkerboard areas (mixed private and public land) are considered estrays even thought they are wild and we MUST find a way to protect them as well! As it stands now, they have NO PROTECTION what so ever!”
Kelly says:
“The mother was trapped in the pen with the rest of the herd at this time, the stallion and three other mares had broken out of the pen after being confined most of the day, the baby got out as well. They ended up putting the baby and the mother in a separate pen for the night, kept the rest in the first pen, and the stallion and the other three mares spent the night trying to get to the rest of the family. this morning they were ALL taken away by the Nevada AG department, mother and foal had a “personal trailer””
Ellen Holcomb says:
“The herd of 13 is all together, in the Carson City prison facility. the foal is with her mom, the stallion was re-captured along with the rest of the escapees…..they would not leave their other herd members behind….they sacrificed their freedom to be with their family. They will be joining another 15 wild horses to be auctioned off at the livestock slaughter auction in Fallon NV….this will happen in a week or two–after all stallions & colts are castrated. Please consider donating to the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund…to help rescue these herds and/or to help maintain the 100 already rescued since late August.”
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval
Office Phone: (775) 684-5670
Office Fax: (775) 684-5683Nevada Dept of Agriculture Director Jim BarbeeOffice Phone: 775-353-3600
Office Fax: 775-668-1178
Steve Stapp says:
“Jim Barbee has promoted himself to GOD. He doesn’t have a ‘public’ email and will not accept calls. He doesn’t want to deal with the horses, the advocates, the residents or anyone. Call the Gov. office and ask to speak with Ms. Jordan Grow…she’s the liaison between the Gov and the Ag Dept and has access to Jim B. She’ll listen and give you lip service but on two occasions she has gone to Barbee on my behalf and offered our proposal. He can’t tell her to go away because she works for Sandoval. He just tells her his answer…”NO” !”
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