Horses, Burros Available for Adoption in Livermore

Residents of the Livermore area will have the opportunity to add a horse or burro to their families, when the Bureau of Land Management brings its Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program to the Livermore Rodeo Grounds, Robertson Park, 3500 Robertson Park Road, Livermore, on Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2.

“We’re holding the adoption in conjunction with the California State Horseman’s Spring Stampede,” said Doug Satica, manager at BLM’s Litchfield wild horse and burro facility near Susanville. “We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy both events.”

The BLM will offer 30 horses, mostly yearlings, and 10 burros for public adoption.   Anyone interested can preview the animals when they arrive at about 3 p.m. on Friday, April 30.

The event gates will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.  Adoptions begin with silent bidding from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.  Animals not taken during bidding will be available for a $125 adoption fee.

Wild horses and burros are protected by a federal law, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.  The law recognizes the animals as "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west," and requires the BLM to manage the wild herds.

The BLM periodically gathers horses and burros to control herd populations on ranges shared with wildlife and domestic livestock.  Herd sizes are controlled to ensure there is sufficient feed and water for all range users and to ensure that natural resources are not over-used.

There are about 29,500 wild horses and burros roaming on public rangelands in the western states.  More than 220,000 animals have been placed in private care since the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program began in the early 1970s.
For additional information on the adoption event or wild horse management, contact the BLM toll free at 1-866-4MUSTANGS or the Litchfield Corrals at (530) 254-6575.   Information is also available online at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov.

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