With the arrival of Hurricane Laura, which battered the East Texas and Louisiana coastlines as the region's strongest storm in over a century, The Foundation for the Horse is asking for financial help for horses that are being impacted due to evacuations or that otherwise may be in harm’s way.
To provide immediate aid, The Foundation is donating $5,000 total to two groups it has worked with previously: the Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association’s Equine Committee.
Veterinarians within these groups are actively helping horses that are being evacuated or which may have to endure the hurricane in place. Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences is currently taking in and sheltering animals, and its VET will be deployed as needed to impacted areas. Similar efforts are underway in Louisiana as well.
The Foundation will work with agencies and veterinary members in Texas and Louisiana to identify the needs of the equine community. Supplies are not being accepted currently because the catastrophic storm is still occurring. Once the Foundation receives an assessment of need and distribution protocols from the agencies and veterinary members in the afflicted areas, The Foundation will work to support them with monetary and other resources as needed.
"The Foundation and the equine veterinary community know the tragic loss of life and incredible destruction and flooding that can and will be caused by Hurricane Laura,” said Foundation Advisory Council Chair Dr. Rick Mitchell. “We are compelled to reach out, together with our members, horse owners and industry leaders, as part of the effort to proactively support the disaster’s equine victims."
To make a gift to The Foundation in support of disaster relief or another area benefiting equine welfare, visit www.foundationforthehorse.org and click the “Donate” button.
About The Foundation for the HorseEstablished in 1994, The Foundation for the Horse is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the welfare of the horse through Education, Research, and Benevolence. Governed and stewarded by world-renowned equine veterinarians and equine stakeholders, The Foundation awards over $700,000 annually in scholarships and grants to impact equine health and well-being throughout the U.S. and developing countries. To learn more, visit www.foundationforthehorse.org.