WEST TOWNSHEND — Gerda's Equine Rescue will participate in the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' national Help A Horse Day contest, a nationwide competition for a chance to win a portion of $110,000 in grants.
The contest kicks off April 26 and is a chance for rescue groups, shelters, animal control agencies, and sanctuaries to raise awareness about the year-round lifesaving work they do to find homes for horses.
As a participating group, Gerda's Equine Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will host a series of events and clinics to raise awareness of horse rescue and adoption. Gerda's also plans to kick off Help a Horse Day with a “Shipping Scholarship” fundraiser.
Gerda's plans to host a free gelding and microchipping clinic this fall through a grant from the Unwanted Horse Coalition. Funds raised for the “Shipping Scholarship” will be used to help horse owners in financial need ship horses to the free gelding clinic, or seizure horses and owner-surrender horses to the rescue.
They hope to raise $5,000 from April 26 through the end of May. Visit www.gerdasequinerescue.org to donate.
Help a Horse Day is 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.
Now in its fifth year, Help A Horse Day has aided hundreds of equine rescues and sanctuaries in garnering 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.
Motivated by the results of ASPCA equine research suggesting there could be 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 more good homes for horses.