Adoptions

To adopt a wild horse or burro, you must be 18 years old. Parents or guardians may adopt and allow a younger family member to care for the animal. You must also have the facilities necessary to care for the animal and no prior conviction for inhumane treatment of animals.

Palomino Valley National Adoption Center

The Palomino Valley National Adoption Center is located about 20 miles north of Sparks, Nevada on the Pyramid Highway. The facility is open by appointment Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to Noon. To schedule an appointment, call (775) 475-2222.

Adoption Information

Adoption Schedule/Calendar

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q – Where can I obtain an adoption application?
A – Adoption applications can be obtained at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/adoption_of_wild_horses/adoption_application.html or call your local BLM office.

Q – When are adoptions held?
A – Adoptions are held throughout the United States. For a schedule of upcoming adoption events, go to www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/events.html

Q – What are BLM’s adoption requirements?
A – To adopt a wild horse or burro, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old. However, parents or guardians may adopt a wild horse or burro and allow younger family members to care for the animal
• Have no prior conviction for inhumane treatment of animals or for violation of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
• Have adequate feed, water, and facilities to provide humane care for the number of animals requested
• Provide a home for the adopted animal in the United States until you receive a Certificate of Title from the BLM

Q – What are BLM’s facility requirements?
A – Following are BLM’s minimum facility requirements:

• Space: 20 feet x 20 feet (400 sq feet)
• Corrals:
               6 feet high for horses over 18 months 
               5 feet high for horses under 18 months 
               4 ½ feet high for burros 
               of heavy duty construction
• Shelter: a minimum of two sides with a roof

 Example of acceptable corrals.

 Example of acceptable shelter.

Q – Does BLM sell wild horses or burros for slaughter?
A – The Bureau of Land Management does not sell any wild horses or burros to slaughterhouses or to "killer agents." In enforcing the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM continues to work with law-enforcement authorities in investigating and prosecuting all who violate this landmark law.

As an agency that administers the public lands for multiple uses, the BLM -- under the authority of the 1971 law -- manages and protects wild horses and burros as living symbols of the Western spirit. The Bureau also ensures that population levels are in balance with rangeland resources and other uses of the public lands.

To achieve this balance, the BLM must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control the size of herds, which have virtually no predators and can double in population every four years.

After wild horses and burros are removed from the range, the Bureau works to place as many animals as possible into private care through adoption or sales. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 220,000 horses and burros into private ownership through adoption, a process in which a citizen may receive the title of ownership to an animal after one year. Under a December 2004 amendment to the 1971 wild horse law, animals over 10 years old -- as well as those passed over for adoption at least three times -- are eligible for sale, in which the title of ownership passes immediately from the Federal government to the buyer. Since the amendment took effect, the BLM has sold about 2,700 horses and burros. The BLM encourages those who are interested in providing good homes to wild horses or burros to visit the agency's Website (www.blm.gov) for information about adoptions and sales.