The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption in Mercedes, Jan. 28-30. The threeday event at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds will feature over 80 spectacular animals. These 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.

Adoption Schedule

Preview all of the animals Thursday, Jan. 28, from 4 - 6 p.m. Gates reopen Friday, Jan. 29, at 8 a.m., with adoptions starting at 10 a.m., and ending at 6 p.m. Adoptions continue Saturday, Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. - noon.

Adoption Qualifications

Application approval is required and can be done on site. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 with no record of animal abuse. Adopters must have suitable facilities and can adopt up to four animals. All animals must be loaded in covered stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. Adopted animals must remain in the United States until ownership papers are issued (minimum of one year). BLM staff will be on hand to assist adopters through the short application process and to answer any questions.

Adoption Fees

The minimum adoption fee for most animals is $125, as set by law. An auction will be held Friday at 10 a.m. to determine adoption fees for any animals sought by more than one person. Animals not selected during the auction Friday morning will be offered for adoption on a firstcome first-served basis for the flat fee of $125 for the rest of the weekend (no further bidding). Those interested in bidding are encouraged to come Thursday afternoon or early Friday to identify their desired animals and to complete their adoption applications in time.

$500 Adoption Incentive

Mercedes will be a test site for a new adoption incentive program in which BLM pays a $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of selected older horses (4 years old +). The allowance is paid in full 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 at Mercedes. Younger horses (under 4 years old), burros and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive. If successful, this incentive program could save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-term pasturing costs. Wild horses and burros - iconic symbols of America’s western heritage - are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild that make them ideal for work or recreation. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 220,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.

For more information, call toll-free 866-4-MUSTANGS or visit www.blm.gov/nm.