AUGUST 27 UPDATE
The Nevada Department of Agriculture will be adopting 24 Virginia Range feral horses that were removed from an active construction site earlier this month to a local organization.
In a statement on Facebook, the NDA said the horses had to be removed from the construction site, which was located in the Damonte Ranch area, due to dangers including trenching, sharp objects, and heavy machinery.
Wild Horse Connection tried unsuccessfully to relocate the horses from the property before the NDA removed them and will now be adopting the horses.
The organization was offered first rights to adoption after the horses were advertised to ensure there were no other legal owners. Following that advertising period, the organization decided to adopt all 24 horses, covering the adoption fees.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Wild horse advocates and a Damonte Ranch developer are still at odds over the health and safety of a wild horse herd located in south Reno.
The herd, which frequents South Meadows and Rio Wrangler Parkways, became a concern of many advocates and citizens on Tuesday when people noticed several of the horses gathering at their known water source.
Early in the day, 2 News Nevada received several calls from people concerned that the horses had been once again locked out and were unable to access water at the agreed-upon location.
A short time later, calls came in saying the gates had been reopened and that the large herd of horses were now being locked into the developer's property and gathered up by The Department of Agriculture and would be slaughtered.
After reaching out to The Nevada Department of Agriculture, they confirmed they had crews on the scene removing the wild horses for their safety, as they were in an active construction work zone of a future housing development.
The Department of Ag says they are removing the horses to a "State of Nevada facility" somewhere in Nevada to protect them from being injured.
They could not say who made the call to have the horses removed and said that although the future of what happens to the horses is unknown at this time, they would not be slaughtered.
The Nevada Department of Agriculture released a statement on Wednesday, you can read the statement below:
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) began the removal of feral horses on a development property in southeastern Reno.
"The horses had to be removed from this site to protect them from the dangers of an active construction zone and in the interest of protecting public safety.
"The horses were transferred to an off-range holding facility where they will be advertised per Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 569 and available at a later date for adoption.
"Only horses on the development property are being removed. Any horses fenced outside the property will remain on the Virginia Range.
"Feed and water are available for these horses in the surrounding areas.
Correcting some misinformation:
- Horses will NOT be sent to slaughter. The slaughter of horses is illegal in the U.S.
- The NDA, cooperative partners and the development company have been collaborating on this issue for the last 2-3 weeks. Cooperative partners were given access to the site to relocate the horses off the property but were unsuccessful. The NDA is now removing the horses from the site to protect them from the dangers of an active construction zone including heavy machinery, sharp objects and trenching.
- Cutting fencing around the property will only further harm the horses. This construction zone is a hazard to their safety. Horses outside of the property have access to feed and water in the surrounding areas."
We also reached out to the Damonte Ranch Developer Sunny Hills Ranchos.
A spokesperson from their development provided a picture of the horses running in front of some of the construction equipment and released the following statement, "The Sunny Hills property is currently under construction to build a bridge over Steamboat Creek, extend South Meadows Parkway and extend and construct a waterline under Rio Wrangler.
"The Department of Agriculture manages the feral horses and contacted Sunny Hills this week.
"We understand the State is very concerned about the health and safety of any feral horses located in an active construction zone and intend to relocate them to a new safe location with plenty of food and water.
"Sunny Hills has always prioritized the health and safety of the feral horses and are grateful they will be removed from the dangers of the current construction activity."
We will provide updates on the horses and their well-being as information becomes available.
We've heard from a lot of you expressing concerns with the wild horse round up in south Reno on Wednesday. We talked to people on both sides of the issue to give you a better understanding of why this is taking place.
