RENO — The Nevada Board of Agriculture voted on Tuesday to transfer ownership of free range horses in Northern Nevada from the state to a yet-to-be named nonprofit organization.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reports horse advocates pushed back against the proposal ahead of the board’s Tuesday meeting.
The advocates fear that a nonprofit would mistreat or slaughter the estimated 3,000 horses in the Virginia Range.
Tahoe Reno Industrial Center Principal and Director Lance Gilman has also spoken against the proposal.
Nevada Department of Agriculture Director Jim Barbee says if the board approves the idea, the department will ask for proposals from interested animal groups.
It is not clear whether a nonprofit group will care for the horses on the range or will be allowed to move them someplace else.
