NEW YORK— The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that in 2018 it awarded more than $800,000 in equine grants to assist 56 organizations across the country. The grant funding supported several areas of equine welfare including increasing equine adoptions, expanding safety net services, strengthening law enforcement’s ability to address equine cruelty, and the Rescuing Racers Initiative, which aids in the rehabilitation and retraining of retired racehorses.
“The ASPCA is dedicated to providing focused and impactful grant funding to the many groups around the country working to help more horses find loving homes, keeping owned horses out of risk, and combating cruelty and neglect,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of Equine Welfare for the ASPCA. “In 2019, we look forward to continuing to develop innovative programs and partnerships with the rescue community and equine industries to help even more horses transition to new careers and safe homes.”
Each year, the ASPCA hosts a national grant competition to elevate the lifesaving efforts of equine rescues and raise awareness about the year-round work they do to find homes for horses. In 2018, participating groups adopted out more than 1,000 horses during the ASPCA’s two-month Help a Horse contest period. To build on this success, the 2019 challenge has been reimagined and renamed – Help a Horse Home: The ASPCA Equine Adoption Challenge – to help save even more lives.
“In 2018 we challenged equine groups to focus their efforts more squarely on adoption as our research shows that there are an estimated 2.3 million individuals in the United States with a strong interest and the capacity to adopt a horse,” said Dr. Weiss. “Connecting those people with horses in need is the aim of this year’s Help a Horse Home Challenge, and we are excited to expand the contest to offer $150,000 in grant funding to equine rescues, shelters and sanctuaries who secure the biggest increase in adoptions compared to the previous year.”
Any U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization or governmental agency capable of receiving grant funds and fulfilling an animal welfare or protection mission that adopts out horses or other equines is eligible to participate in the 2019 Help a Horse Home Challenge. Those interested in participating, can register at www.aspcapro.org/hahh.
The ASPCA Equine Welfare department is focused on ensuring horses nationwide have good welfare, which includes working collaboratively with stakeholders in both the rescue community and equine industries to help at-risk horses safely transition to new careers and homes, increasing safety net support for horse owners, and enhancing anti-cruelty efforts. The ASPCA’s efforts to ensure equines have good welfare also includes supporting humane legislation and advocacy, field rescue and targeted equine grants.
For more information about the ASPCA’s efforts to help horses, please visit www.aspca.org.
About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.