ASPCA Applauds U.S. House Natural Resources Committee's Support for Wild Horse Herd on North Carolina's Outer Banks

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauds the U.S. House of Representatives' Natural Resources Committee for approving legislation to protect wild horses living on the Outer Banks in Currituck County, North Carolina. H.R. 306, the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., will protect the magnificent Colonial Spanish Mustangs in Currituck County now and for generations to come.

"This legislation honors the role these majestic horses have played for centuries by ensuring the herd's survival into the future," said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. "The management agreement will create a safety net so that the Corolla horses can endure disease outbreak, natural disaster, or other threats and continue to thrive in their natural habitat."

H. R. 306 directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a new agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, and the state of North Carolina to provide for the management of free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Under the current agreement, the maximum number of horses allowed in the herd is 60, a level deemed too low to maintain the herd's genetic viability. This legislation would allow for a herd of no less than 110 horses, with a target population between 120 and 130 horses.

"These beautiful horses are an essential part of Eastern North Carolina's heritage," said Rep. Walter B. Jones. "We must protect them for future generations to enjoy."

The ASPCA thanks Rep. Jones and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., for their leadership on this important legislation to protect wild horses.

The ASPCA has an extensive history of equine protection around the country and continues to assist domestic and wild horses through legislation, advocacy, targeted grants and enforcement of the carriage horse and cruelty laws in New York City. For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.