Comment/Statement , Fundraising , UK Rescue

World Horse Welfare’s latest TV advertisement details grim reality of its rescue work as rehabilitation centres near capacity

Equine welfare enquiries soar as cost of living crisis bites.

Posted on 01/04/2024

Birth of first foal from rescued ‘smuggled’ Dover 26 horses

As the cost of living crisis continues to have major ramifications across animal charities, we have launched a new TV advert to highlight the suffering of hundreds of horses across the UK and raise critical funds to help support our rescue and rehabilitation work.

Since the start of the year, we have seen a 43% increase in welfare enquiries, many of which have necessitated visits from Field Officers, and our four Rescue and Rehoming Centres are nearing capacity.

“As the advert highlights, a lot of what our charity has to deal with happens out of public view so we felt it was imperative to bring the heartbreaking reality to British TV viewers and raise awareness of their plight.

“We are seeing a dramatic increase in demand for services and our UK support team have already dealt with 938 welfare enquiries this year, compared to 658 at the same point in 2023.

“We aren’t expecting it to get any better either, as the wet winter weather has been particularly bad for horse owners this year, and our four Rescue and Rehoming Centres have already surpassed our preferred numbers.”
Peter Rowbottom, Director of Fundraising

The latest campaign features Seamus, the Clydesdale horse who was found so emaciated he was referred to as a ‘giant skeleton’. Alongside Seamus, who was successfully rehabilitated and rehomed, are other appalling cases of neglect and abuse, all of whom we have supported on their journey to a better life.

“We hope that the advert will resonate with viewers and help us raise much needed funds to continue our work to improve welfare for all horses.”
Peter Rowbottom

View the full advert.