CHANGING FATE EQUINE RESCUE OF DELAWARE INC

According to recent reports, every year approximately 170,000 horses are slaughtered. They come from different backgrounds, race tracks, farms, riding academies, private owners and are sold at auctions all over the country where they spend hours and sometimes even days in overcrowded pens, often without access to food and water. Once they arrive at the slaughter plant, some have already succumbed to illness or injury and are down in the transport vehicle. More often than not, these horses are left to suffer and die. Those that are still standing when they arrive at the plant are supposed to be rendered unconscious prior to slaughter. Unfortunately, most are improperly stunned and remain conscious. They are hung up by the rear legs and their throats are slit. You can see why it is so important to save as many as we possibly can.

Changing Fates Equine Rescue (CFERD), has been serving the community for over 15 years. We serve the entire Delmarva Peninsula. Our largest and most successful Program is our Adoption Program. We bring horses into our program from several different sources. We have SPCA seizures from neglectful and abusive owners, as well as owner turn overs. We have as purchased several horses from kill buyers, including an Off Track Thoroughbred. Had we had not stepped up and purchased the horses, they would have been bound for Canada to be slaughtered and shipped overseas for human consumption. It is a tragic end for many horses. We take in these unwanted horses and bring them back to health (if needed) and train them for their new forever homes. If for any reason our adopter cannot keep the horse they adopt from us, the horse must be returned to us. We would not want to find one of our horses needing to be rescued again. We currently have a large volunteer program. Every Saturday morning we have volunteers come out to the rescue and they learn what is involved with caring for the horses as well as personal hands on experiences with the horses. This program works very well for children that can't afford a horse of their own, but have a great love of the animal. It is also a benefit to the horses. It exposes them to a lot of interaction while they wait for their new homes.

We continue to rescue horses as funds allow. We feel we have make great progress in accomplishing our goal. We are a volunteer only group and all the funds we receive go directly to save the horses.

We currently own 32 +/- acres with a 13 stall barn We have management to purchase the property and construct the barn using grant funds. Currently, the only debt CFERD has is for a farm tractor. Within the next two years, we hope to start a therapy riding program, as well has a hay/fee bank to assist horse owners.