The conditions are dire for horses across the state of Texas – and 2011 is the most challenging year BEHS’s President Jennifer Williams, Ph.D. has faced in thirteen years of rescue. The economy has affected so many of the rescue’s members: people have had to return their beloved adopted horses and stop fostering. Donations are down, adoptions are down and the number of people fostering is down. The drought has made grass non-existent and hay is nearly impossible to find.
The problem is that while fewer people can foster or adopt, the need for Bluebonnet’s help continues to grow by leaps and bounds. BEHS is receiving more neglect reports than usual, and the rescue turning away people who want to donate horses they cannot afford to keep. Far too often, BEHS finds itself unable to help starving, abused, and abandoned horses when sheriff’s departments call.
BEHS foster homes normally pay for the cost of hay and grain (which can be a tax-deductible donation since BEHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, but many people are struggling to feed their own horses due to inflated hay prices. So the rescue is launching a “Hay for Foster Horses” campaign. The rescue is asking for donations of hay, donations of shipping, and/or monetary donations. They’ll then distribute hay to foster homes in order to allow them to take on more foster horses. We hope that by implementing this Hay for Foster Horses Campaign, we’ll be able to keep helping sheriff’s departments across Texas get help to starving and abused horses, ponies, miniature horses, donkeys and mules.
You can contribute to the Hay for Foster Horses campaign via the Paypal button below or by mailing in a donation to BEHS, Hay for Foster Horses Campaign, PO Box 632, College Station, Texas 77841. If you can donate hay or shipping services, please email Jenn.
Thank you for your support – it helps us help more horses!
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