ASPCA Grants Over $1 Million to Equine Groups in 2015 to Assist At-Risk Horses

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that in 2015 it awarded over $1 million in equine-related grants to support 124 organizations across the country in their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate horses. The grant money supported several areas of equine welfare including large-scale rehabilitation, emergency relief grants, safety net programs, the nationwide ASPCA Help a Horse Day grants contest, and the Rescuing Racers Initiative, which aids in the rescue and rehabilitation of retired racehorses to save them from slaughter.

“Equine rescues and sanctuaries step in to care for abused and neglected horses, providing a vital service that promotes equine welfare, and the ASPCA is proud to assist these groups in their important work,” said Jacque Schultz, senior director of the ASPCA Equine Fund. “Horses have been a central part of the ASPCA’s mission for nearly 150 years, and we are grateful to our special supporters for their generosity that enables us to continue our work to protect horses.”

In 2015, more than 100 equine rescue groups held events across 33 states to raise awareness about equine protection for ASPCA Help a Horse Day, celebrated annually on April 26 – a date chosen for its significance to the ASPCA’s long history of horse protection. In 1866, ASPCA founder Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for horse mistreatment on April 26 of that year. The protection of horses has remained a core part of the ASPCA’s mission ever since, including legislation, advocacy, rescue and targeted grants.

"In just two years, the ASPCA Help a Horse Day contest has become an integral part of our equine grants program, and we were thrilled to see groups around the country engage their communities in creative new ways to help spread awareness about how to protect horses,” said Schultz. “We look forward to expanding this contest in 2016 to recognize even more groups for their year-round commitment to equine welfare as we celebrate throughout the United States on April 22-24."

Most of the ASPCA’s equine-related grants are awarded as part of the ASPCA Equine Fund, which provides life-saving resources to support nonprofit U.S. equine welfare organizations who work to rescue and protect horses. The grants benefit equine organizations striving to achieve best practices in both nonprofit management and equine care.

To learn more about the ASPCA Equine Fund and 2015 grantees, visit www.aspcapro.org.