The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting a wild horse and burro adoption event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds to find homes for excess horses from Colorado and Arizona. The BLM manages wild horse populations at four herd areas in Colorado, with three currently at appropriate management levels due to the use of contraception. The adoptions have been controversial, with a judge halting the BLM’s adoption incentive program in March.

BLM spokesperson Steven Hall stated that the goal of the adoption event is to find horse lovers who will provide a better home for these animals. The minimum bid for adoption is $125, and the event aims to find homes for 35 wild horses from Colorado and 10 wild burros from Arizona. Two other adoption events are planned for this year. The BLM has faced criticism for roundups to control wild horse populations, with a high number of horse deaths at a holding facility near Cañon City in 2022.