Critics of NV agency's horse removal plan to rally

(AP) - Horse advocates will rally Tuesday in Carson City against a state agency's plans to remove 50 to 100 abandoned horses from the range in northern Nevada after a rash of vehicle accidents.

Nevada Department of Agriculture officials say they began removing horses on Friday after more than 30 recent collisions involving horses and vehicles on three rural highways in Lyon and Storey counties located roughly around Silver Springs and Virginia City.

They blame the problem on stray horses coming down from the Virginia Range in search of forage and water.

But critics are calling for the department to reinstate cooperative agreements with nonprofit horse groups to control the animals' movements and to prevent horses from going to the slaughterhouse.

The rally begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday outside the Legislative Building.