Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Event in Poteau, Oklahoma
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption event in Poteau, Oklahoma, July 28-29, 2017. The two-day event at the LeFlore County Fairgrounds will feature dozens of outstanding animals, including several pinto horses. The event will take place from noon - 6:00pm on Friday, July 28, and 8:00am – noon on Saturday, July 29. The BLM will offer animals for the adoption fee of $125 (set by law).
This adoption event is unique because of the amount of colorful horses available for adoption. “This is a great opportunity for the public to adopt a flashy pinto, as we usually don’t have very many at one time and certainly not all at one adoption,” said Pat Williams BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Manager.
The horses offered for adoption 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 program is essential for achieving these important management goals. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.
BLM staff will approve qualifying applications on-site. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18, with no record of animal abuse. Adopters must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with free 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 adopters through the short application process.
The BLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of horses that are at least four years old. The BLM pays the allowance after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s). All standard adoption conditions and fees apply. A limited number of eligible horses will be available. Younger horses, burros, and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive. The BLM designed this incentive to find homes for older horses that might otherwise be destined for long-term pastures, where they would live out the remainder of their natural lives at taxpayer expense.
The LeFlore County Fairgrounds is located at 5015 South Broadway. For more information, call toll-free 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.