The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has announced that it will award up to $50,000 in grant funding to inspire new thinking and initiatives to improve equine welfare and expand safety net services for equines.

The society’s Equine Welfare Safety Net Innovation Grant Program will fund innovative programs designed to keep owned horses in their homes and out of risk.

The grant program will support new initiatives designed to identify owners with at-risk horses to deliver services and resources to help keep horses in their homes or provide access to euthanasia to alleviate suffering. Grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and will be available to a variety of organizations including veterinary clinics, equine associations, universities, trade schools, and shelter or rescue groups that are 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental entities.

“Safety net programs are vital to decreasing the risk for horses and helping us achieve our goal of ensuring good welfare for all equines, and we are excited to measure the impact of new programs and share our learnings with other equine organizations across the country,” said Emily Weiss, PhD, Cert. AAB, ASPCA vice president of equine welfare