NORMAN, Okla.-The Bureau of Land Management will hold a wild horse and burro event in Center, Texas, on July 12-13, at the Shelby County Expo Center. The two-day event, featuring 75 wild horses and burros, will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 12. Adoptions will be held from noon-6 p.m. on Friday, July 12, and from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 13. Animals are eligible for direct purchase to a good home or for adoption. Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information.
As part of our efforts to find every horse and burro a good home, the BLM now offers up to $1,000 to adopt an untrained animal. This adoption incentive will be offered for every animal in Center.
The animals offered at the event are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands in the West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption and sale program is essential for achieving these important management goals. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country.
BLM staff will approve applications onsite. To qualify to adopt or buy, one must be at least 18 years old, with no record of animal abuse. Qualified homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water, and shelter. A six-foot corral fence is required for adult horses; five feet for yearlings; and four-and-a-half feet for burros. All animals must be loaded in covered, stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the short application process.
The Shelby County Expo Center is located at 980 State Highway 7, Center, Texas. For more information, call toll-free 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
