#StopHorseSmuggling

World Horse Welfare has sent out a mailing with the information that horses are still being smuggled out of Britain to European slaughterhouses.

They need the help of everyone who loves horses and cares about their welfare.  We need to put our love for them into action!

on Wednesday 19 April 2023

 Please write about it to the Prime Minister - 
you can find out how here

World Horse Welfare need our help for two things:

1. To pass the Kept Animals Bill to make export for smuggling illegal and
2. To get practical compliance and enforcement measures in place to stop horse smuggling.

The current government manifesto has pledged to make the Kept Animals Bill law.   This would make it illegal to export live animals from British shores for slaughter, including horses.  The bill has support across the parties and World Horse Welfare have been busy lobbying, but this law is still not in place, so horses can still be smuggled into Europe “under the radar”, as World Horse Welfare put it.

What’s more, many of the horses have been loved by families.  Some are ex-sports horses who can no longer compete.  There are young horses, too, who have no future as horses to be ridden.  Many of these horses have been sold on to what owners thought would be safe homes.

They can be issued with false documents which makes it impossible or very difficult to trace them.  They have to go on journeys with very poor welfare conditions.

World Horse Welfare have 3 aims with their fundraiser

The charity is aiming to raise £150,000 through this appeal.  The funds raised will enable them to do three things:

1. “Ramp up” pressure on the government to implement and enforce the Kept Animals Bill, so that it is harder for horses to be smuggled out of the country.
2. Expand their port investigations – currently these monitor ports in Wales and Scotland, but these ports need expanding so that World Horse Welfare can get empirical evidence that horses are being smuggled out without the right documents
3. Invest £20,000 in research and analysis – this is to identify trends in horse smuggling to better protect horses and support enforcement action.

Please donate if you can and help World Horse Welfare  #StopHorseSmuggling.  And please spread the word  Horses need our help as do other animals affected.

There are other ways to help on the World Horse Welfare website. 

You can see more about the work World Horse Welfare does - here's an example of a rescue from a Scottish island.

They also have a number of videos on how to care for your horse here.

The Lluest Horse and Pony Trust urgently need the help of us many of us as possible.  They are situated on a 40 acre site in the stunning Brecon Beacons. 

In March 2023, they announced on Facebook that they were sadly having to close after 38 years of rescuing horses and ponies.  This was due to some horrendous and unexpected repair bills that had come in.

You could sponsor a donkey as the cheeky Misty,
or a pony, or a stable

The Trust’s basic running costs are £10,000 a month.  The Trust’s work is funded by donations, legacies and a few successful grants. 

Can you please spare £2 a month to help Lluest?

Lluest Horse and Pony Trust are asking everyone to donate just £2 a month by standing order to help them.  They need 5,000 people to donate this amount to cover their monthly running costs.

This would leave them free to concentrate on the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of equines who desperately need the help of the Lluest team.

Other ways to help are:

• Do a fundraising event for Lluest – perhaps with a pony theme
• Shop and use your computer – details are on the website – with a Co-op membership card, Easyfundraising, Give as you Live, the search engine Everyclick.co.uk
• They have an Amazon wishlist
• Donate tack
• As a business, you could help with staff fundraising, payroll giving and Charity of the Year
• Sponsor a horse or pony or donkey or stable
• Rehome a horse or pony through the Guardianship or Fostering scheme or their Direct rehoming scheme
• Spreading the word on social media
• Simply donate online or send a cheque – details are here
• Volunteer!

We cannot let this amazing rescue close and we need to give them all the help we can.  Please help if you can.

You can visit their website here to find out more.

Visit their Facebook page here.

Images copyright Lluest Horse and Pony Trust

Tonight, Thursday 17 November 2022, there's a programme on ITV at 8:30pm called Pets:  The Cost of Living - Tonight

The reporter Chris Choi finds out how some owners are coping with the cost of living crisis. 

Visit ITV here

Animal Charities have lots of information on how to cope with the cost of living crisis as they are very much affected by it, so if you are in a position to help them, please contact your local one and see what you can do.

Pet food banks have been springing up everywhere - here's our list of pet food banks in the UK (which we're adding to).

Meantime, take a look at Cats Protection who have ways to help and the RSCA who amongst other things have advice for horse/pony owners  plus looking after exotic pets  

Cost of living crisis: Eight tips to save money while still caring for your pet

Pet health care costs

Find a pet food bank

What to do if you can't afford your pet