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
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
Topics
Related News
Disbelief at what was on rescued foal’s foot
Our Field Officers never know what they will find when they attend a welfare concern. Little Tintin certainly took us all by surprise though!
Dumped in a ditch at a day old, Charley is now ready for the world
Nine months later, she has recovered, recently been rehomed and can look forward to a bright future.
Recommended Blog Posts
What is a dummy rider and how do we use them on our farms?
We catch up with Caroline Heard, Assistant Manager at Belwade Farm, to find out all about them.
Analysing the success of community projects in Senegal
Bursary student Faye Al-Nakeeb takes a look at the impact of our project in Senegal on the welfare of local working equines.
Social licence – how the perception of horse riding has changed
With a recent survey revealing some startling findings about perceptions of the welfare of horses in sport, the horse world has plenty to discuss.
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now