The US Department of Justice has postponed the scheduled round-up of wild horses in the Calico Complex of Nevada.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received more than 10,000 public comments on the round-up, proposed for December 1. The roundup has been delayed until December 28 as a direct result of the filing of a lawsuit by In Defense of Animals and renowned ecologist and Equine Welfare Alliance adviser Craig Downer on November 23.
IDA and Downer plan to file a motion for a permanent injunction today, with supporting affidavits from horse experts and eyewitnesses to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups. IDA said the motion would ask Judge Paul L. Friedman of the US District Court for the District of Columbia to stop the roundup altogether.
The move has been applauded by the EWA. "We view this action as a positive step toward a full moratorium on wild horse and burro round-ups that would provide an opportunity for a much needed assessment of the situation," said EWA president John Holland. "We are profoundly grateful to IDA and the law firm of Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney for taking on this essential action on a pro bono basis."
The news of the postponement comes in the wake of growing support for a moratorium on all round-ups. The Western Watersheds Project (WWP) and actors, Mariana Tosca, Viggo Mortensen and Kevin Nealon were among the recent voices adding their support. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) added their concerns on the current management of wild horses and burros in a statement issued November 24.
Additional information on the unified call for a moratorium is available on the Equine Welfare Alliance and The Cloud Foundation websites.
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