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
Share
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
Share
Topics
Related News
Dismay at misrepresentation of World Horse Welfare’s views
Charity sets record straight about its views on equine mental health and solutions for horses who have lost a companion.
Rehomed Shetland now thriving at Aboyne centre after horrific neglect
When Haggis was found he was riddled with lice, grossly overweight and showing signs of laminitis, an extremely painful and sometimes fatal condition affecting horses’ hooves.
Recommended Blog Posts
We catch up with Cadbury and his rehomer on National Chocolate Day
The sweetest rescue pony makes the most of his second chance with rehomer Lucy.
Meet some of our often-unsung heroes on Groom Appreciation Day – Abi at Belwade Farm
“All of us love the horses we care for and when things go wrong, we really feel it, as this isn't just a job for us. If we didn't love them all, we wouldn't be working here to try and make a difference.”
A day with the vet: scans and x-rays
Claire Dickie, Glenda Spooner Farm Centre Manager, describes some of the cases looked at in the course of a vet day.
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now
