Controversial Wild Horse and Burro Auction Called Off

Worried about negative publicity that comes with allegations that some of its federally protected animals have wound up in slaughterhouses, the Bureau of Land Management’s “Adopt-a-Horse or Burro Program” has indefinitely postponed an appearance at Pierce College.

The adoption program, designed to find homes for roughly 42,000 wild horses and burros roaming in the western United States, canceled its plans to be at the college Oct. 16-18 after a Times article referred to a lawsuit filed by animal rights groups alleging that the agency has historically failed to protect the animals against meat-packing companies.

About 100 horses and burros were slated to be offered for adoption at the college by silent competitive bidding starting at $125, agency spokesman Doran Sanchez said.

“We don’t know when we’ll be back in California,” Sanchez said. “We felt it was best to change our plans to some other time,” due to the bad publicity, he said.

The suits, filed by the Animal Protection Institute of America and the Fund for Animals, led to settlements requiring the agency to implement safeguards against the possibility of slaughterhouse sales after the animals are adopted.

Among the new requirements, prospective owners must sign an affidavit promising not to use the animals for meat and must be screened for prior animal abuse convictions. They must also have proper corral facilities.

Successful bidders are placed on probation for one year before receiving ownership titles, to ensure the animals are treated humanely.

The agency also has arranged for slaughterhouses around the country to return the wild horses and burros if the animals end up inside company corrals, Sanchez said.

“We’re really doing our best to make sure these animals get good homes,” he said.

Ron Rexler, who runs the horse program at Pierce College, said he can verify that the animals are well placed.

Most people who adopted the 125 horses and burros featured at Pierce in 1993 “were already horse owners with great experience,” he said.

Five wild horses adopted by the college that year have since been trained and are now part of the school’s riding program, Rexler said.

“They make excellent riding horses,” he said.