BLM Plans to Withdraw Controversial Wild Mare Spaying in Oregon

November 8, 2018

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced its intention to retract plans to spay wild mares in Oregon. This decision comes after significant criticism from animal rights groups who have labeled the procedure as inhumane.

In a motion filed in federal court Wednesday, theBLMstated it lacks the authority to “unilaterally reverse” an official record of those plans. However, it intends to file a motion to redact the language with the Interior Board of Land Appeals in the coming days.

Animal rights groups celebrated this move by theBLM, which had planned to proceed with a controversial plan to surgically remove the ovaries of wild mares to manage unhealthy populations of wild horses on public land in Oregon. These groupshave criticized the procedure, calling it inhumane.

“TheBLMmade the right decision to abandon these barbaric experiments and instead listen to the strong interest the public has in seeing our wild horses protected and treated humanely,” said Brieanah Schwartz, government relations andpolicycounsel with the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), a plaintiffin a lawsuit against the BLM.

“We now hope that the agency will reconsider all plans to conduct this inhumane research and focus instead on humane, scientifically recommended forms of population management, includingPZPfertility control.”

At least one animal rights group remains cautious about theBLM’s latest move in court, saying it doesn’t go far enough in stopping theBLMfrom moving forward with sterilizations in the future.

At issuein the lawsuit, filed by animal rights groups including the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) and the Animal Welfare Institute, is the groups’ right to observe and document theBLM’s treatment of wild horses during the procedures.

“TheBLM’s sharp limitation on public observation of this government activity thwarts the important newsgathering objectives that Plaintiffs aim to achieve by observing and documenting theBLM’s treatment of federally protected wild horses,” the lawsuit states. “And thus violates Plaintiffs’ rights under the First Amendment of the U.S.”

While theBLM’s latest move may signal a shift, Theresa Barbour, research and legal consultant with the nonprofit Citizens Against Equine Slaughter, said the real issue is over the legality of the sterilizations.

“Even if they won, it would not stop these experiments from happening,” Barbour said. “It would only forceBLMto provide better viewing opportunities for the public.”

Barbour expressed concern that any legal win in this case would not set a legal precedent barring theBLMfrom attempting to move forward with similar plans later.

“It never feels like a complete victory because they’re not saying ‘we’re never going to try this again,’” she said. “It’s a victory this time for the horses. Not necessarily for the future.”

Originally posted by OPB