Nevada Debates Keeping Wild Horses From Drinking Water

Nevada lawmakers have introduced a bill that would remove protections for wild horses and make it legal to withhold water from them. What's even more shocking is that it's already passed in the House and now sits in the Senate for the final vote.

The bill spawns from a battle over public lands water. A Nevada wildlife division — the Feral Horse Committee — says the wild horses and burros are illegally drinking from water rights given to officials to support wildlife. Now, the committee wants the right to deny wild horses and burros water in order to force them off of public lands. AB 329 would do just that by excluding wild horses and burros from the definition of "wildlife."

Friends of Animals and the Animal Law Coalition are fighting the bill by urging their supporters to contact Nevada lawmakers to oppose the bill. Friends of Animals argues that wild horses and burros are no different from other wildlife and are entitled to drink from water sources allocated for Nevada's wildlife.

Both groups say that the bill is largely supported by cattle ranchers who have no expertise in wild horses and burros and are only interested in maximizing profits of the livestock industry. The Animal Law Coalition points out that Nevada's Feral Horse Committee only has one member who has experience with wild horses; the others are comprised of former hunting committee members and public lands cattle ranchers.

Nevada's wild horses and burros are currently protected under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which guarantees the animals' rights to use certain water sources.

Friends of Animals states that "wild horses have been fenced out of water sources, rounded up via helicopter, killed, and sterilized," and they're tired of the constant harassment and abuse of these animals who are supposed to be federally protected. The group will do whatever it takes to fight AB 329.

The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign — a group focused on protecting the last of America's wild horses — says if passed, the new legislation could allow for even more horses to be removed from public lands. They're also calling on activists to write lawmakers and think twice about visiting Nevada until AB 329 goes down in flames.

Tell the Nevada Senate Natural Resources Committee not to discriminate against wild horses and burros. Tell them they are just like any other wild animal and shouldn't be denied water. Sign the petition today to oppose AB 329.

Photo credit: Elaine Vigneault