ASPCA Announces 5th Annual Help a Horse Day Contest to Find Homes for Horses

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has opened registration for its fifth annual ASPCA Help a Horse Day contest. The nationwide competition for equine rescues and sanctuaries is designed to raise awareness about the year-round lifesaving work they do to find homes for horses. This year’s contest has been expanded to offer 17 grant prizes totaling $110,000.

Motivated by the results of ASPCA equine research suggesting there could be approximately 2.3 million adults in the U.S. with both the resources and desire to adopt a horse in need, Help a Horse Day 2018 is focused on finding good homes for horses.

“This year, we are shifting the goals of Help a Horse Day to focus more specifically on adoption,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of Equine Welfare for the ASPCA. “The ASPCA has been so energized to see Help a Horse Day grow each year, and we can’t wait to see what innovative ideas the participating rescues come up with to engage their local communities and maximize exposure for the many wonderful horses available for adoption.”

Any organization that houses equines in need of homes and is a registered 501(c)(3) or governmental agency is welcome to compete. Groups will be judged on the number of adoptions and adoption commitments they secure, the amount of funds they raise during the contest period, the best overall adoption campaign, and most compelling adoption video.

Help a Horse Day is celebrated annually on April 26—a date chosen for its significance in 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. Now in its fifth year, Help a Horse Day has been a meaningful way for equine rescues and sanctuaries to garner essential community support for their lifesaving work. Since 2014, the ASPCA has awarded equine groups more than $300,000 in grant funding through the Help a Horse Day contest.

For more information about ASPCA Help a Horse Day or to register to compete, please visit www.aspca.org/helpahorse.