ASPCA
USA: Protect the Wild Horses of the Outer Banks!
Burr-Tillis Amendment (# 3175) to S. 2012—Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act
Sponsors: Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC)
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Please call and email your U.S. senators to ask for their support of the Burr-Tillis Amendment.
Update—April 14, 2016: We’ve just learned that the full Senate will vote on this bill Tuesday or Wednesday of next week (4/19 or 4/20). There’s no time to lose: Even if you’ve done so before, please contact your senators right now and urge them to support the Burr-Tillis Amendment to protect wild horses!
At any moment, the U.S. Senate will vote on the Burr-Tillis Amendment, which would protect the free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Increasing the number of horses allowed in the Outer Banks herd will preserve their genetic viability. The language of the amendment was originally introduced by North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis as the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act.
This treasured herd of horses can be traced to the arrival of Spanish explorers on the Outer Banks in the sixteenth century. These horses roam across 7,500 acres of public and private land in coastal Currituck County, yet current law caps the maximum number of horses at 60—a population deemed too low to maintain the herd’s genetic viability. The Burr-Tillis Amendment will allow the population to increase to not fewer than 110 horses, with a target population of 120-130 horses. This modification recognizes that the Corolla wild horses need an adequate herd size to survive in the event of a disease outbreak, natural disaster or similar threat.
Please contact your U.S. senators and urge them to support the Burr-Tillis Amendment (#3175) and preserve these wonderful horses on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for generations to come.
What You Can Do
We need you to take two actions for horses.
First, use the form below to email your U.S. senators. Don’t forget to add your own message in the box provided!
Second, follow up with brief, polite phone calls to your two senators in Washington, D.C. Tell them that as a constituent, you care about the preservation of the magnificent Corolla wild horses. You can refer to the text on this page for talking points if you wish, but keep it short and simple. Don’t be intimidated by making the calls—calling is easy, fast, and by far the most effective thing you can do! You can find your U.S. senators’ names and numbers here.
Thank you for your help, animal advocates!