$225,000 Granted By ASPCA To Equine Rescue Groups To Rescue & Rehabilitate Retired Racehorses

This week, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) announced that it has granted $225,000 to nine equine rescue groups to support their efforts to save and rehabilitate retired racehorses.

Launched in 2010, the ASPCA Rescuing Racers Initiative has awarded over $2 million dollars to prepare retired racehorses for new homes after their racing careers end.

“The ASPCA is dedicated to ensuring horses nationwide have good welfare, and through the Rescuing Racers Initiative we are able to provide much-needed grant funding to the many groups around the country that provide critical resources to former racehorses,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, Vice President of Equine Welfare for the ASPCA in a statement. “While their racing careers may have ended, these retirees still have much to offer as they transition into new homes, and we are pleased to support the efforts of these groups as they rehabilitate and retrain these horses for life off the track.”

Selected recipients include a wide range of equine rescues, each being awarded a grant ranging from $10,000–$45,000 to support their work. Recipients of the 2018 ASPCA Rescuing Racers Initiative include:

• CANTER/National

• CANTER, Michigan

• Friends of Ferdinand, Indiana

• Kentucky Equine Humane Center Inc., Kentucky

• MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, Inc., Maryland

• New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Kentucky and Ohio

• ReRun Inc., New York

• The Exceller Fund Inc., Kentucky

• Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Kentucky

The ASPCA Equine Welfare department is focused on ensuring that horses nationwide are protected, 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 that equines have good welfare also includes supporting humane legislation and advocacy, as well as field rescue and targeted equine grants. In 2017, the ASPCA awarded more than $750,000 in equine grants to assist 91 equine organizations across the country.