PRESS RELEASE
WILD MUSTANG SAFELY CAPTURED AFTER 66 DAYS ROAMING NEAR LIBERTY RESERVOIR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lorin Grey
Director of Growth & Development
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue
980-333-3999
development@gentlegiants.org
WILD MUSTANG SAFELY CAPTURED AFTER 66 DAYS ROAMING NEAR LIBERTY RESERVOIR
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, Carroll County Animal Control, Carroll County Police, and livestock recovery specialist complete extraordinary roadside rescue of wild mustang
CARROLL COUNTY, Md. - September 3, 2026 - After 66 days roaming the Liberty Reservoir area, a wild mustang is finally safe following a collaborative rescue involving Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, the Humane Society of Carroll County and Carroll County Animal Control, local law enforcement, and livestock recovery specialist JD.
The mustang had been loose since June 29, frequently appearing near Deer Park Road and creating growing safety concerns for both the horse and motorists. Because he is wild and unhandled, safely containing and transporting him required extensive planning, specialized experience and patience.
After successfully baiting the mustang into a secure pen, the rescue team faced one final challenge: moving him safely from the enclosure to a livestock trailer parked near the busy roadway.
The team carried 59 heavy corral panels - each approximately 10 to 12 feet long - into the brush along the road. Fallen trees and other obstacles had to be cut and moved before the panels could be assembled into a continuous chute connecting the pen to the waiting trailer.
Law-enforcement officers helped temporarily stop traffic as the mustang was guided through the chute and safely loaded. The operation took approximately three and a half hours from start to finish.
“This rescue required an incredible amount of coordination, patience, and trust between everyone involved,” said Courtney Rosenberger, Gentle Giants Community Outreach Coordinator. “Every decision had to protect the horse, the people working around him, and the motorists traveling nearby. Watching him finally step safely into that trailer was an extraordinary moment.”
The mustang was transported to Gentle Giants’ advanced handling facility, where he unloaded safely and is now settling into his new surroundings. After 66 days on the run, he has earned a fitting new name: Outlaw.
Outlaw will be given time and space to decompress before Gentle Giants begins the careful process of building trust and preparing him for safe handling.
“This horse survived for more than two months by relying on the instincts that have kept wild horses alive for generations,” said Lorin Grey, Gentle Giants Director of Growth & Development. “Our job now is to respect those instincts while slowly teaching him that the people caring for him can be trusted.”
Gentle Giants and the Carroll County Animal Control team extend their gratitude to JD for his specialized livestock-recovery expertise, the law-enforcement officers who assisted with the chute and traffic control, and everyone whose cooperation helped bring Outlaw to safety.
ABOUT GENTLE GIANTS DRAFT HORSE RESCUE
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue is a nonprofit equine welfare organization dedicated to saving draft and draft-cross horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect. Through specialized veterinary care, training, and compassionate rehabilitation, Gentle Giants gives draft horses in need the opportunity to heal and begin again.
To learn more, or to donate to support Outlaw’s rehab and recovery, visit www.gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.org.
ABOUT THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF CARROLL COUNTY
Carroll County Animal Control is a contracted service serving the residents and animals of Carroll County and is managed by the Humane Society of Carroll County. Animal Control works to protect the health, safety and welfare of both people and animals throughout the county, responding to animal-related concerns and providing enforcement, field services and assistance with animals in need.
For More Information:
Jaime Limoges
Executive Director
Humane Society of Carroll County
O: 410-848-4810 x811
M: 443-487-1542