The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has launched a national campaign called “Raise the Barn” to coincide with the kickoff of its fifth annual Help a Horse Day contest.

More than 120 equine rescues, sanctuaries, and shelters across the country are competing in the annual grants contest, which is designed to raise awareness about the year-round work they do to find homes for horses. This year’s contest runs from April 26 to June 30 and has been expanded to offer 17 grant prizes totaling $110,000.

Motivated by the results of ASPCA research that suggests there could be approximately 2.3 million adults in the U.S. with both the resources and desire to adopt a horse in need, Help a Horse Day 2018 is focused on finding good homes for horses. Participating groups will be judged on the number of adoptions and adoption commitments they secure, the amount of funds they raise during the contest period, the best overall adoption campaign, and most compelling adoption video. The contestants have been separated into three divisions based on budget, capacity, and number of adoptions they achieved last year.

“Help a Horse Day has always been about elevating equine welfare and we are grateful to all of the contestants for their willingness to stretch and grow with us this year as we learn how to find more good homes for horses,” said Emily Weiss, PhD, Cert. AAB, vice president of equine welfare for the ASPCA. “The ASPCA is excited to empower these organizations with the tools they need to engage their communities and supercharge adoptions to safely place more horses in loving homes