In Nevada, wild horse advocates planned a small but vocal protest to bring attention to the removal of the animals from the Virginia Range.

The group, the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates, planned to assemble on the steps of the Legislative Assembly Building in Carson City, according to the Nevada Appeal newspaper.

Nearly half of the nation’s wild horses live in Nevada; The Bureau of Land Management estimates the number to be about 13,000 wild horses and 998 burros. In January, the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates and Wild Horses 4 Ever lost a court effort to stop the removal of 266 horses and more than 700 burros from the Spring Mountain Herd Management area. The groups argued that the Environmental Assessment Report completed by the BLM about the effects of the horse removal was "flawed, inaccurate and [lacking] a solid grounding in legitimate rangeland science," reported the Nevada New Standard. The judge upheld a ruling that the government could round the animals up and remove them, saying the group had lacked scientific evidence backing up its claims.

The group has enlisted the help of several celebrities to get the word out about the herd. Country singer Willie Nelson aired a message on his XM Radio show urging people to call Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons’ office to protest the culling of the Virginia Range horses. Rap star Snoop Dog added his voice to the protest, recording a message for use on the Let ‘Em Run Foundation website.

The governor’s office released a statement saying it was working on a plan that could take up to six months, that would be beneficial to both the horses and the environment.