Don’t Be Fooled by ‘Save This Horse From Slaughter’ Donor Campaigns

 

By the United Horse Coalition

 

Your heart’s in the right place. Make sure your dollars are too.  We know it’s hard to turn away from a horse in danger but kill-pen and bail-out schemes often profit from your compassion and keep the slaughter pipeline alive.  Skip the schemes and donate to reputable rescues and safety net programs that focus on stopping the pipeline before it starts.  Your dollars should support solutions, not the cycle.

 

From rounding up at the grocery store to dropping a few dollars in a red pail or answering a flood of donation requests, our society responds to heartfelt calls for financial support.

 

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous equine welfare organizations exploit this tendency through deceptive fundraising. It is hard to resist emotionally charged appeals that pair photos of horses with messages that say, in effect, “If you don’t donate to our organization, this horse is going to slaughter.”

 

This is a cynical distortion of reality.

 

Although the practice was banned in the United States in 2007, horses are shipped abroad for slaughter (and human consumption) each year. A given horse’s fate is often determined at auction, where “kill buyers” sometimes pay a premium for horses that might otherwise have gone to an adoptive home. These bidding wars can place a financial strain on legitimate horse rescue organizations.

 

They also set the stage for deceptive “bail-out” fundraising appeals, which use shocking images and videos to trigger horror and impulse giving. One of the most troubling trends is the recurring claim that a specific horse, or truckload of horses, will ship to slaughter unless immediate donations arrive. Urgent “countdown clocks” ramp up the emotional blackmail.

 

In reality, multiple investigations and industry insiders have raised serious doubts about whether many of these horses are actually in imminent danger in the way donors are led to believe. In addition, kill buyers and auctions increasingly factor rescue fundraising into their business models. In other words, they will sell selected horses to rescues and donors (again, at a premium) while still meeting slaughter quotas with horses that are kept out of public view. The result is a perverse incentive structure in which suffering becomes a sales tool.

 

These scaremongering campaigns do more than mislead generous people. They also warp the entire rescue system.

 

By repeatedly responding to sensational “save this horse tonight” appeals, donors unwittingly support the organizations most skilled at emotional manipulation, at the expense of quieter, more reputable rescues that show integrity by investing in reputable rescue practices like veterinary care, rehabilitation, training, and thoughtful placement. But by refusing to exaggerate risk or exploit animal suffering for clicks, these organizations pay a financial price. The more the public is conditioned to expect a ticking clock and horror story with every ask, the harder it becomes for those honest organizations to compete.

 

Years ago, “National Lampoon” created an infamous magazine cover featuring a photo of a sad-looking mutt with a gun to its head. “If you don’t buy this magazine,” the cover copy threatened, “we’ll kill this dog.”

 

This cruel joke, which was understood as satire, has been repurposed as a business model. The joke is gone. Only the cruelty remains.

 

Real compassion for horses, and respect for donors, requires more than a shocking photo and countdown clock. So, this holiday season, look beyond the emotional manipulation. Ask questions, do some research, and support rescues that are transparent about where their horses come from, how their funds are used, and how they track their outcomes. Then you can make your donation with a clear head, and for the right reasons. To find reputable, accredited rescues, visit the United Horse Coalition’s Equine Resource Database.

 

About the United Horse Coalition

Through industry collaboration, the UHC promotes education and options for at-risk and transitioning horses.

 

The United Horse Coalition is a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the American Horse Council to educate the horse industry about the issues facing horses At-Risk, or in transition. We seek to provide information for existing and prospective owners, breeders, sellers, and horse organizations regarding the long-term responsibilities of owning and caring for horses, as well as focusing on the opportunities available for these horses.