Phoenix, AZ (January 9, 2007). The Tucson-based
Animal Defense Council (ADC) announced today that it has joined with the
Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), In Defense of Animals (IDA), the
International Society for the Protection of Mustangs & Wild Burros
(ISPMB), Tucson horse advocates, Julianne French and Carol Grubb, and
residents across Arizona to offer a reward of $8,500 dollars for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person(s)
responsible for the recent shooting deaths of at least seven wild horses
in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, near Pinedale, Arizona.
Based on an abundance of evidence, the dead unbranded and
free-roaming horses were protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and
Burro Act (WFHBA). Descendants of the horses occupied the area since at
least 1653. In 1971, following passage of the WFHBA, a 14-thousand acre
territory was set aside for protection of these wild horses.
Bodies of six of the horses were discovered last week; all
had been shot. A seventh horse was observed limping with a wound in his
side and may have been a victim of the same shootings. In August, a young
wild chestnut stallion also was found dead in the Pinedale area, having
been shot in the head. In total, in the past five months, at least seven
horses have been found dead in the area. All evidence indicates that they
were killed deliberately.
Killing these horses may be a
violation of the WFHBA, in which case each violation is punishable by a
fine of up to $100,000 and one year in prison. Shooting a horse and
causing that horse to suffer also is a criminal act under the Arizona
Cruelty to Animals law. Persons convicted of animal cruelty can be
sentenced to jail time.
To qualify for the reward, anyone
with information about the person(s) responsible for this crime should
call or email attorney Anthony Merrill of Bryan Cave LLP at (602) 364-7174
or anthony.merrill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Concerned citizens who would like to
contribute to the reward fund should send checks to the Animal Welfare
Institute/Heber Wild Horse Reward Fund, P.O. Box 3650, Washington, DC
20027.
IDA, AWI, ISPMB and Dr. Pat Haight are plaintiffs
in an ongoing civil lawsuit against the US Forest Service to protect the
Heber wild horses. Mr. Anthony Merrill is lead attorney in the case.
AWI is a national animal protection organization
headquartered in Washington, DC. IDA is a national animal protection
organization headquartered in San Rafael, CA. ISPMB is a wild horse and
Burro advocacy organization headquartered in Lantry, SD.
