Appaloosa Rehoming Resource: New Hope for Unwanted Horses

PR Log (Press Release) – Nov 09, 2009 – In March, Appaloosa Horse Club members received an email blast about a family in Tennessee who had 80 Appaloosa horses they needed help finding homes for, because they could no longer afford to feed them.  Just two months later, two one-month old Appaloosa fillies were dumped in Baker City, Oregon. Unlike the many SPCA and other shelters available for dog and cat owners, horse owners can’t just look in the phonebook for a safe place to drop off a horse they can no longer feed. Appaloosa Rehoming Resource was formed to provide a resource and network so Appaloosa and other horse owners know they have options other than abandoning or starving their horses.

Appaloosa Rehoming Resource, Inc is a non-profit, charitable organization formed for the following purposes:

•   To assist in rehoming Appaloosa horses suffering starvation or neglect, or to prevent starvation and neglect, due to owners' inability to care for the horse(s). Financial assistance may be provided for hay and grain, transportation costs to a new home, placing horses in temporary homes until permanent homes can be found, emergency veterinary care, humane euthanasia, and other disbursement of funds when and where the life of an Appaloosa or other horse might be in jeopardy.

•   To provide a resource to the public for placing individuals in contact with owners who have an Appaloosa horse needing a new home,

•   To offer programs to educate horse owners regarding responsible horse ownership and to provide information to the public about horses in need.

•   To provide temporary aid in the way of emergency funds for hay and grain, when a horse owner is facing imminent, or is in temporary crisis caused by unforeseen circumstances such as fire, illness, or job loss.

The Appaloosa Rehoming Resource is modeled after the Arabian Horse Rehoming Resource.

Due to today’s economic climate, many people are faced with life-altering situations, including job loss and foreclosure. When struck with the crisis of no income and the potential of becoming homeless, children and family come first. Putting food on the table becomes the number one priority. Horses, other livestock, and pets often become collateral damage, forgotten and hungry.

“Appaloosa owners need to know that there ARE options and resources available to help find homes for horses they are no longer able to care for”, says Vicki Gaudreau, Executive Director of Appaloosa Rehoming Resource. Appaloosa Rehoming Resource has several events and activities planned to increase awareness. “A combined Appaloosa and all-breed open horse show is scheduled for the weekend of May 22 & 23, 2010, at Champions Center, Springfield, Ohio, a low or no-cost gelding clinic for the fall, and other activities still being developed.”

According to the study conducted by the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), “Study on Contributing Factors Surrounding the Unwanted Horse Issue”,  available at http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org , 63% of equine rescue and retirement facilities polled report that they are at or  near filled to capacity and, on average, turn away 38% of the horses requesting placement.

The Appaloosa Rehoming Resource offers alternatives and resource options for Appaloosa and other horse owners in crisis, or those trying to prevent crisis. http://www.appaloosarehomingresource.org