The Equine Shelter Rescue Fund distributed nearly $30,000 this summer, after taxpayers stepped up to support an underserved segment of New Mexico’s shelter animals.
Meet Figaro, just one of the many equines rescued and rehabilitated by The Horse Shelter in Cerrillos, NM. “No matter their background, each of the neglected or abused animals that comes into our facility needs to eat,” says Susan Hemmerle, operations manager at The Horse Shelter. “The greatest expenditure we face in the horse rescue community is for hay and other feed, and the Equine Shelter Rescue Fund is a vital tool to help us offset these costs.”
By Jessica Johnson, APV Chief Legislative Officer
Friday, Sep. 2, 2016
The “Land of Enchantment” is even more enchanting when we come together to protect and safeguard the animals that make this state unlike anywhere else. New Mexico taxpayers did just that when they filed their 2016 income tax returns, many choosing to donate all or a portion of their returns to keep domestic horses fed, safe and happy in our state.
What made this possible? Legislative action!
Every year, New Mexico’s licensed horse rescues save hundreds of animals, yet some state citizens may be unaware of overall importance of these shelters to animal welfare in our state. These facilities frequently house and care for domestic equines that have been seized by the New Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB) and other law enforcement during animal cruelty investigations—ensuring safety, rehabilitation, and a second chance to animals that can live for decade or more. Just like every animal rehabilitating in these facilities, each shelter and sanctuary faces unique challenges in its mission to provide lifesaving care, and the biggest challenge lies in the shelters’ and sanctuaries’ ability to provide enough hay and other feed for their animals.
Animal Protection Voters knew if we wanted change, we had to step in and rally the public to help us meet this grave and serious need.
So in 2013, APV worked alongside State Senator George Muñoz and the state’s horse shelters to, though the legislative process, successfully create the Equine Shelter Rescue Fund (ESRF), to collect and disburse money to shelters who care for equines in need. Despite their important role, the shelters received ZERO direct state or public funding—until the ESRF existed.
Fast forward to the spring of 2016, when representatives from state government, rescue shelters, and advocacy organizations convened in a special panel to review ESRF requests and see the past years’ work bear fruit. This panel, responsible for administering the funds, sought to maximize the impact of the taxpayers’ contribution to fairly and effectively serve all rescued equines across the state. Ultimately, the ESRF advisory panel decided to recommend applied funding based on real-world hay and feed costs reported by each shelter or sanctuary.
APV’s Campaigns Manager, Phil Carter, was a part of that advisory panel, and he shared his experience with me: “As we’ve learned through our partners in the horse rescue community, it’s not just a matter of dividing up the funds based on the numbers of horses at each facility. Each shelter faces its own challenges based on its herd size, rehabilitative needs and the reach of their services. Through the distribution system we created, we can ensure a fair and effective use of donations to support needy horses for years to come.”
Thankfully, in late July of this year, the NMLB followed the recommendations of the ESRF advisory panel in distributing state support to needy domestic horses, donkeys and mules. That month, NMLB mailed out checks totaling $29,493 of taxpayer funding to licensed horse rescue facilities across the state.
Now in its third year, the Equine Shelter Rescue Fund (ESRF) makes it easy for state income taxpayers to support rescued equines during tax season by simply checking a box on the New Mexico PIT D form. Even outside of tax season, individuals can contribute at any time to support this fund by contacting Animal Protection of New Mexico at 505-265-2322.
Despite the successful disbursement of funding in 2016, stakeholders in the Equine Shelter Rescue Fund strive to grow the fund each year to better meet the considerable needs of equine rescue facilities. We vow to continue educating the public and promoting the ESRF—including advocacy for additional state funding—so that we can empower more people to save the lives of horses, donkeys, and mules.
Thank you to everyone who made the Equine Shelter Rescue Fund possible and who continues on this journey with us!
Jessica Johnson, Chief Legislative Officer, APV
