FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2016
CONTACT:
Jennifer Williams, PhD
Executive Director, Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society
888 542 5163
jenn@bluebonnetequine.org
Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Celebrates ASPCA Help A Horse Day with Local Events
Community support needed to give the rescue a chance to win up to $25,000 from the ASPCA to help save more horses
(Waco and Temple, Texas: April 2016) – Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society (BEHS) will be celebrating the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) national Help A Horse Day and competing with rescues across the country for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes to assist with their efforts to protect horses. Founded in 2005, Bluebonnet has rescued 804 abandoned, abused, and neglected equines. BEHS’ Bluebonnet in Bloom celebrates the organization’s horses and volunteers 5during events in Temple and Waco in April. These events are designs to provide information about the rescue’s work, recruit new volunteers, and find homes for rescued horses.
The goal of the nationwide Help a Horse Day’s competition is for local rescues to raise awareness about the lifesaving work they do year-round to care for at-risk horses in their community who have often been abused or neglected. Horses have been central to the ASPCA’s work since its founding 150 years ago, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for the mistreatment of a horse on April 26, 1866.
Funds raised by Bluebonnet in Bloom will be used locally to help law enforcement agencies in Texas investigate reports of neglect or abuse, remove abused, neglected, and abandoned horses and other equines, and to provide food, medical care, and foster homes to rehabilitate those equines. None of the funds raised at Bluebonnet in Bloom events go to the ASPCA® or other organizations.
“This will be our first year competing in the Help a Horse event. I hope the community comes out to support our horses, volunteers, and organization. The more people who attend our events during April and greater the number of new volunteers and funds we raise, the better the chance we have of winning one of the prizes from the ASPCA®. Those funds will allow us to help even more horses this year,” said Dr. Jennifer Williams, Executive Director of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society.
There will be three local Bluebonnet in Bloom events. Throughout the month of April, It’s Reining Shoes will be donating 50% of the sale of all in-stock decorative horseshoes to the rescue. The rescue will hold an informational booth at the Temple Tractor Supply Company on April 23 from 10am-3pm. On April 30, Bluebonnet volunteers and Bluebonnet horse Rosie will be at the Waco All Breed Rescue Event from 10am-3pm to meet the public and talk about the rescue.
Other Bluebonnet in Bloom events include:
• Informational booths in Austin, College Station, Denton, Gainesville, Houston, La Grange, Navasota, New Braunfels, Temple, and Waco throughout April
• An online photo event featuring a photo competition and featuring individual rescue horse’s stories (April 23-24)
• Silent auction and horses to meet the public at the Navasota Tractor Supply (April 23)
• Benefit trail ride, silent auction, and Bluebonnet horses available to meet the public in Sisterdale (Boerne area) (April 23)
• Low cost equine vaccination clinic in La Grange (April 23)
• Tack sale and Bluebonnet horses available to meet the public in Austin (April 24)
• 25% off of adoption fees for any horse adopted in the month of April.
For a complete list of Bluebonnet in Bloom events, visit our website http://www.bluebonnetequine.org/index.php/news/future-events.
Bluebonnet is also interested in adding events to our calendar in April. Event organizers are welcome to contact the rescue with information about their event.
When you attend a Bluebonnet in Bloom event, donate, or volunteer, you help horses like Dezzy. Dezzy is a 16-year-old, Thoroughbred mare. When she was rescued from an owner in west Texas, she was emaciated and nervous about people. Once she gained weight, Dezzy spent time with a local horse woman, training for the rescue’s Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge. She learned to interact with humans and to be ridden. Another local horse owner, Allison, met Dezzy at the rescue’s Bluebonnet Horse Expo and fell in love. A few weeks later, she adopted Dezzy and brought her to her home in Temple, TX. Allison continues to work with Dezzy to help her overcome her negligent and abusive past. Without Bluebonnet, Dezzy would not be safe, love, or secure now. She’s one of the fortunate horses.
For more information about Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society and Bluebonnet in Bloom, please visit http://www.bluebonnetequine.org or http://www.facebook.com/BluebonnetEquineHumaneSociety or call (888) 542 5163.
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