Photo: Houston SPCA.
Sweeping across the Gulf Coast of Texas as a Category 4 hurricane over the past weekend, Hurricane Harvey’s catastrophic flooding has put the Houston and surrounding area equine community in a state of distress. Declared a major disaster and weather event, hundreds of horses and livestock have been affected.
Banding together as a community, emergency rescues, fellow equestrians opening up their barns for shelter and extensive veterinary care has been required over the last several days. As the rain continues to fall, rising flood waters will make extended care for displaced large and small animals on an ongoing need.
Supporting the efforts of emergency response groups and organizations that are helping horses impacted by the flooding, US Equestrian is providing financial assistance through the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.
Developed in 2005 during the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund was formed to help ensure the safety and well-being of horses during trying times. Since its inception, over $370,000 has been donated to aid horses across all breeds in disaster-related situations. All money donated to the fund is strictly used to benefit horses and horse owners.
US Equestrian will be working with the Houston SPCA to support their rescue and rehabilitation efforts through the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.
Encouraging donations to help the horses affected by Hurricane Harvey, US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney said, “As part of our commitment to the health, welfare, and safety of horses, the USEF disaster relief fund was created to assist horses impacted by devastating natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey. The outreach and generosity of the equestrian community to support the ongoing emergency assistance in this and future disasters allows us to provide direct financial assistance to the groups involved in the ongoing rescue efforts.”
For more information on the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, please contact Vicki Lowell, vlowell@usef.org.
From the US Equestrian Communications Department
Lexington, KY, August 28, 2012 – In the wake of the horrific tornado damage in Kentucky this spring, the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) created an equine disaster relief fund aimed solely at Kentucky victims. KHC also contributed the remainder of its U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund to the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) Equine Disaster Relief Fund, which aids disaster victims across the country.
Lexington, KY – Fires blazing across the Colorado landscape have together burned more than 100,000 acres in the past few weeks. The Waldo Canyon and High Park fires near Colorado Springs and Fort Collins respectively have ravaged the natural beauty of the area, destroyed nearby homes, and left many displaced people wondering what to do next. For horse owners that uncertainty is even greater. Hundreds of horses have already been displaced and, while local Horse Parks, Fairgrounds, and Equestrian Centers have graciously opened up to evacuated horses; the cost of caring for those horses magnifies the stresses of an already trying time. Efforts to help are already underway but outside assistance is badly needed.
The duo of tornadic storms that devastated the southeast United States last week left a wake of splintered wood, shattered glass, downed power lines, despair and shock for the residents of towns like West Liberty, Kentucky and Harrisburg, Illinois to clean up and recover from. As if that weren’t enough, one of the region’s heaviest snowfalls of the year came down on Sunday night and further hindered an already difficult recovery process. For some effected residents the physical and monetary burdens of recovery are intensified by the need to care for their horse or horses. It is in times like these that the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) calls on you to aid them by donating to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.