Babies in extreme heat run for miles and miles at Triple B

Motion to include bait trapping and First Amendment ON FILE for Triple B!

(Reno, NV) The wild horse and burro advocacy group, Wild Horse Education (WHE) has filed another motion against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to add more fuel to the case against inhumane conduct at Triple B Complex and the Jackson Mountain Herd Management Areas. The newly described and identified wild horse roundup operations for these areas will be based on bait trapping and would likely result in inhumane conduct. Moreover, the intended roundups, announced on May14, 2013 and to commence as early as June 13, during the BLM’s own established foaling season, are to be conducted completely outside of public observation. This is a violation of the First Amendment constitutional right of the public to observe and report on these roundups.

Horse hit with chopper Triple B

In August 2011 at Triple B Complex roundup, Wild Horse Education’s President and principle researcher, Laura Leigh, plaintiff in the case and President of Wild Horse Education, observed the contractor make contact with an exhausted horse with the skid of a flying helicopter. In addition she documented the pilot repeatedly chasing wild horses at high speed with the helicopter dangerously close, wild horses hot shot, kicked in the head, chasing horses over miles of terrain unnecessarily, depriving captured horses of sufficient amounts of water, driving young, unweaned foals miles beyond what is healthy for the newborn horses among other conduct. The court granted a TRO and later a Preliminary Injunction to pilot conduct, the first in the history of Federal Management of wild horses. Much of this conduct was admitted to by BLM in their Triple B Review report.

This case was actively engaged in Discovery arguments, as BLM again refused to disclose documents requested by Leigh’s attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno. Both parties were given opportunities to file new Motions. BLM filing another motion to dismiss (with the former motion to dismiss Jackson denied in April of this year). Leigh and her attorney have made a motion to address the changing situation at Triple B and the new threat that the complete lack of transparency will spread to include Jackson Mountain.

Looking in at horses already captured at BLM bait trap operation at Deer Run

Furthermore issues have arisen in BLMs new plan that limit any ability to monitor numbers of animals, handling of animals and condition not just for the public but even for BLMs own personnel as BLM supervision will only be permitted 25% of the time and controlled by the contractor. The contractors remain unknown and they are forbidden to speak to press and public.

“There are serious flaws in this new plan that give absolutely no assurance to the public on actual numbers of animals removed or any pretense of handling,” state Leigh “Looking closely at the new ‘plan’ one would almost begin to suspect it was crafted with a primary purpose of removing the current scrutiny of the public and the court, instead of creating any objective that has wild horse welfare in mind.”

Wild Horse Education is committed to seeing all three of their active federal lawsuits through and addressing new concerns as they arise.

~~~

WildHorseEducation.org is a Nevada non-profit devoted to protecting wild horses from abuse, slaughter and extinction.

Please Join US!