Horse rescue network saves hundreds of horses from slaughter in one year
Another Chance 4 Horses, a Pennsylvania horse rescue, only has
barn and pasture facilities for approximately 40 horses at a
time, but the need is much greater. Add to that daily
chores, hay, grain, farrier, dentist, veterinarian care, and
there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Then add the
phone calls constantly coming in from people who have felt the
crunch of the economy and who have no funds left over to
care and feed their own horses. New ideas come from need, and
besides the legion of volunteers whose steadfast dedication to
the horses at Another Chance 4 Horses cleaning, mucking, exercising
and training horses, started the Horse Helpers to network
and help rehome more horses in desperate need.
There is a lot of hard work, dedication, and great organizational
skills from a staff of volunteers that have made possible
in 2009 to save over 600 horses from abuse, neglect and slaughter. Horse
Helpers, numbering 25 volunteer participants post
on over 40 internet sites, local newspapers and other media
opportunities relaying information about horses for adoption,
horses for sale, horses in danger, auction and broker owned horses
... all needing homes. Horse Helpers also help
to track down past owners, past breeders and even reunite horses
and owners who have been searching years for each other.
Christy Sheidy, co-founder of Another Chance 4 Horses, finds
the work of the Horse Helpers an incredible way to network
across the US and even internationally.
" We basically have two categories at our rescue," explains
Sheidy. " We have the Thoroughbred division and the other
category includes all other horse breeds. For instance,
we placed 95 Thoroughbreds this year. The Horse Helpers were
able to look up tattoo numbers and trace their owners and trainers
if the horse had ever raced. Some responsible owners and trainers
are ecstatic when we inform them that we found their horse in
a killpen, and these people step up to the plate. Danny
Limongelli, an owner who races his horses in the mid-Atlantic
region was shocked when his three race horses landed up in Unadilla
and were purchased by a kill-buyer for slaughter. Limongelli
paid to rescue them, and the horses were adopted out through
the placement program. We also had a chance to educate him and
sent him information about using signed protection contracts
for this horses."
According to Lisa Amarino, volunteer Horse Helper for
the Thoroughbred division, " It is my continued hope especially
with the onset of several tracks instituting zero tolerance
policies, that more and more owners and trainers will become
more agreeable to want to ensure their horses' safety once their
race careers are over and to prevent the owners and trainers
from the possibilities of losing their racing privileges
at the tracks that are enforcing the zero tolerance policies."
There have been 56 horses other than Thoroughbreds placed with
protective contracts this past year.. The Horse Rescue
Coalition, a group of rescue organizations that network throughout
the US and started by Another Chance 4 Horses placed horses with
protective contracts, many of the horses going to other HRC approved
horse rescue organizations up and down the Eastern states
ranging from South Florida to Maine.
Another Chance 4 Horses also has a separate division which acts
as an intermediary service to provide horses with a larger viewing
audience and more time for the horses to be viewed as when
they originally went through the local auction rings. All
levels and breeds of horses are offered by several different
horse brokers. Another Chance 4 Horses was able to successfully
find placement for 240 of these horses.
Other programs used were zero fee and consignment horse
sections on the website.
And as for bringing public awareness, Another Chance 4 Horses
continues to research and report such findings as wild
mustangs sent to slaughter despite the Bureau of Land Management
denials. The reportings also brought to the public
eye, the story of Ernie Paragallo, a fixture in New York
horse racing who has been charged with multiple counts of horse
neglect and abuse and ultimately had his agent's license revoked
by The New York State Racing and Wagering Board. The first three
horses from Paragallo's farm were discovered at a broker barn ready
to ship to slaughter in Canada. Another 170 horses were saved
from Paragallo's Center Brooke Farm as a result ofl the original
investigation. In addition the Racing Board has made plans to
tighten its ownership and plan to do site checks rather than
just a census.
The New Year 2010 has started, and horses are in need of homes.
The Horse Helpers are ready and the work of Another
Chance 4 Horses continues.
If you are interested in more information about Another Chance
4 Horses
or you would like to become a Horse Helperclick
here
Another Chance 4 Horses
According to Lisa Amarino, volunteer Horse Helper for
the Thoroughbred division, " It is my continued hope especially
with the onset of several tracks instituting zero tolerance
policies, that more and more owners and trainers will become
more agreeable to want to ensure their horses' safety once their
race careers are over and to prevent the owners and trainers
from the possibilities of losing their racing privileges
at the tracks that are enforcing the zero tolerance policies."
