BLM Contracts with Nevada Animal Rendering Facility and Vet Raise Wild Horse and Burro Welfare Questions

BLM Awarded Nevada Byproducts $160k for 2020-2021 for “Rendering Services for the Wild Horse and Burro Program" and “Dead Horse Disposal."

It Awarded a Fallon, NV Vet Up to $3.2M for 2020-2022 for “Wild Horse and Burro Veterinary Service in Palomino Valley and Fallon, NV.”

The Nevada Byproducts (dba Reno Rendering) and the Fallon vet contracts are for the Palomino Valley and Broken Arrow (Fallon) short-term holding facilities.

Causes for Concern:

No other vets have relationships as significant as this, especially for two geographically close holding facilities. There are no other BLM contracts with a rendering or animal disposal service nationally listed; Nevada Byproducts only serves northwest Nevada and is one hour from Fallon.

As of August 2021, Broken Arrow has 1,375 horses (with capacity up to 2,800) and Palomino Valley has 827 horses (with capacity up to 1,825). The Nevada Byproduct contract number alone would suggest 800 to 2,000 dead horses per year (using $80-$200 to render a horse, including pickup). And as for the vet contract, what type of medical care is needed for these horses that would equal up to $3.2M in two years?

As documented by Animals Angels, Broken Arrow has had a history of abuse and neglect concerns, yet it was awarded $10.5M for 2020-2021, with a total of $48.7M since 2009. Why?

This is all cause for concern.