Adoption Guidelines
Adoption Guidelines
What type facility/pasture is required for adoption?
Horses must be provided with pasture shelter and/or a stall in a barn. The standard for horses is approximately 1 acre per horse of pasture.
Barbed wire fence is not allowed. Fencing may be 2-4 stranded wire, 3 board fencing, multiple types of tape fencing,Electro Braid, Equi Fencing, or iron piped fencing.
Why do rescues retain ownership of horses after adoption?
Rescues retain ownership because they have made the committment to the horse that they will never be in an abusive situation again. This is normally not an issue with adopters because they do make the committment to the horse for the life of that horse when they adopt a horse. We have seen situations such as in the case of Mustangs adopted out by the BLM,in which adopters have full ownership after one year. We have seen Mustangs in serious situations because the adopter has sold or given them away to people that have ended up abusing them. There is no way to regulate how the horse will be treated or whose hands they might fall into after one year. It is not fair to the horse. We trust the adopters that we adopt to and they in turn trust us. As long as the horse is being cared for there is no issue.
Reporting Abuse
What should one do when they suspect a horse is being abused?
Report to Animal Control. Every county in North Carolina has an Animal Control agency, operating within the Heath Dept. of that county. They will rspond to every report .
Can rescues seize horses that are being abused?
No! No rescue has the legal authority to go on anyone's property and seize horses that they suspect are being abused. Police,Sherriff'sDepts or Animal Control are the only legal authorites in North Carolina that can go on a person's property to inspect for abuse. If abuse is suspected, these agencies may call upon a rescue to render educational/health information in question and they may ask a rescue if they are willing to take horses in, if the decision is made to seize a horse. However, the decision to seize is strictly made by legal authorities. Rescues are not legal authorities.