Horse Slaughter Rallies Artist to Mustangs’ Aid
RENO, Nev. — One of Nevada’s premier wildlife painters is hoping good comes out of the slaughter of 34 wild horses in Nevada.
Fred Boyce, 77, of Reno is donating 1,500 numbered prints of his oil painting “Mustangs” to help ensure that other free-roaming horses in the state lead better lives.
“The public outrage after the killings has shown there’s a tremendous interest in these animals,” Boyce said Saturday.
“They’re an icon of the West and people love them. I’m doing this because of my close relationship with the horses and love of nature. I hope it makes life a little safer for the other horses.”
Three young men who attended the same high school in Reno--two of them Marines stationed in California--have been arrested in the Dec. 27 shootings of the 34 horses in the Virginia Range east of Reno.
All proceeds from the sale of Boyce’s prints will go to the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Assn., which is working to protect the range’s 300 to 500 other wild horses.
Association President Lydia Hammack said she hopes to raise $150,000 through the sale of the color prints. The money will be used to help horses with safety fences, feeding stations, watering holes and emergency medical care.
Country singer Lacy J. Dalton plans to donate proceeds from the sale of an upcoming compact disc to the association.
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