Kentucky lawmakers have passed a bill that will reduce the number of days counties must keep estray animals in their custody before they are made available for adoption.
Biologist David Ledford, PhD, president of the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation in Corbin, Kentucky, previously told The Horse that since 2009, thousands of horses have been turned out on private lands in several areas of eastern. Some of those horses belong to owners who, without land owners' permission, turn the animals out to graze on property belonging to either individuals or to coal mining companies, he said, while other horses are permanently turned out by unknown owners without property owners' permission. As a result, the animals wander through populated areas, damage homes and crops, and pose traffic hazards, Ledford said.
In February, members of the Kentucky House of Representatives introduced legislation to reduce the time required for counties to keep estray animals from 90 days to 10; an amendment later increased number of days that counties must retain estrays from 10 to 15.