Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Freedom to express normal behavior
Freedom from fear and distress
Our goal is to prevent horses from entering the slaughter pipeline by directly supporting horse owners through grants aimed at:
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making humane euthanasia a more desirable option
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reducing the number of unwanted horses through gelding/spay operations
The work of horse rescue organizations is demanding, unrelenting, challenging, heart and gut wrenching, and yet also incredibly rewarding, inspiring, satisfying, energizing and deeply motivating. We at Horse Aid Canada are humbled by their dedication, commitment and achievements and work to support their efforts whenever possible.
Horse Aid Canada is a federally registered Canadian charity. Registration No. 762762029RR0001
Your Donation in Action
Thanks to your support we’ve been able to change the lives of horses across Canada. Please take a moment to read their stories and the difference you made in their lives.
Our Grant Process
It is so important when providing grants that we take the necessary steps to ensure every application is legitimate. It is how we build trust in Horse Aid Canada for our donors, our grant recipients and others who are touched by our programs.
When a grant application is submitted, we contact the veterinarian who will be conducting the procedure to verify the details. Then, and only once the procedure has been completed, we send the grant funds directly to the vet clinic to be applied to the recipients bill.
We never send funds in advance of the procedure because sometimes plans change. There could be an accident in the middle of the night or there might be a reason that a different vet conducts the procedure. We also never send the funds directly to the grant recipient.
By following these procedures you can be sure that your donation is being used for exactly what it was intended for. If you have any questions or want more information please reach out to us at horseaidcanada@gmail.com.
Our Board of Directors
Our board is composed of a group of specialists in their respective fields covering the range of expertise that is necessary for good governance.
Laura Cull, BA, HBSW – President and Founder
Leanne Hammond, MA – Vice President
Jennifer Duncan, CPA, CA – Treasurer
Emma Bosma, Coach & Trainer – Secretary
Kristen Okimaw, LLB
Dr. Mike Lavroff, DVM
Ally Macdonald, Coach & Trainer
Full Circle of Life Horse Shelter Network
Horse Aid Canada is proud to be a member of the Full Circle of Life Horse Shelter Network. We are so grateful for the efforts of Horse Plus Humane Society in bringing organizations together. Through collaboration and cooperation we can all help more horses.
Story of Hope
Hope was rescued at the livestock auction in Armstrong, BC in the summer of 2007 after having been starved, neglected and abandoned. Her rescuers named her “Hope” in the hopes she would live. But if she only had a few days left at least she would know love and pass peacefully instead of experiencing the horrors of the slaughterhouse. Hope not only lived, she gained weight, got her health back and I adopted her the following summer.
Hope was a thoroughbred and had a lip tattoo, which indicated that she had been been raced. Her tattoo was scarred, much like it had been treated with a caustic or acidic substance to make it unreadable. Racehorse owners will do this to try and get around track regulations that prohibit sending horses to slaughter because it is costly to keep or re-home them. The horrors of the racing industry are not well known by the public and this is one of those nasty secrets. But there was enough of her tattoo left that I was able to trace her through the Jockey Club.
Hope was born May 5, 1991 at a stable in Oklahoma and her registered name was “Petula Pi”. She had a brief racing career in the USA and I don’t know how she ended up in Canada. She was 17 when I adopted her and she was my very first horse. I knew nothing about horses but when I had learned about horse slaughter I was so moved I felt I needed to do something more than volunteer or donate. I needed to make sure I personally saved an unwanted horse from that horror.
Hope became the equine love of my life. Despite all she had been through, Hope loved life, everyone and everything. She was pure joy. She taught me so much …. things one can only learn from a heart and soul horse. On November 9, 2018 I laid her to rest. I knew the year before that she didn’t have much time left and I promised her that the winter of 2017 would be her last one. We shared just over ten incredible years together. She was 27, a good age for a thoroughbred, so I’m told. No words can express the grief and pain I still feel over losing her. She was a blessing in my life and I am grateful I was able to make her life worth living again.
Hope continues to inspire and motivate me to do good in the world for horses. Horse Aid Canada is in honour of her and her legacy of love.
Laura Cull
President & Founder
