GOAL:
Bring like-minded individuals and groups together throughout the state to work together, hand in hand, in finding solutions to equine welfare related issues.
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Alliance Membership Opportunities Open To
Rescues & Sanctuaries - 501(c)3 & Private Supporting Memberships Open to (Entities offering support for Rescue Horses) Veterinarians Trainers Farriers Transporters |
PURPOSE: Each year hundreds of equine are left suffering across our state, through no fault of their own. The majority of these animals are healthy or treatable and could be re-homed if organizations worked together, especially Tennessee equine rescue organizations.
The TN Department of Agriculture is responsible for the oversight of animal shelters and vet clinics in Tennessee. County by county, different agencies are responsible for animal control and/or animal sheltering. Inspections by county or state officials are infrequent. TEWA is a program aimed at helping our local animal welfare industry “police itself”.
Unfortunately, there is no organized structure in Tennessee that has established best practices, model documents or a code of ethics as a resource for the equine rescue community. Rescue organizations, most of which use a home-based fostering system and consist mainly of animal-loving volunteers with a passion for finding new, loving, caring homes for the equine in their care, are often left to recreate the wheel or learn the ropes through trial-and-error experience.
It is the intent of the Tennessee Equine Welfare Alliance (TEWA) to:
· Leverage best practices and collaborations to lower the deaths of homeless healthy and treatable equine in Tennessee
· Provide a code of ethics and best practice resources for rescue organizations. Assure the public, including adoption event hosts, businesses, donors,
adopters and potential volunteers, that alliance members operate according to the standards set by the Best Practices Handbook and the TEWA
Code of Ethics
· Assure donors and animal welfare funder's of professional capacity
· Improve collaborations and partnerships by assuring all alliance members operate to standards that are reputable and have been vetted for
partnerships
· The program is wholly voluntary. It is open to all equine welfare organizations including, but not limited to rescues or sanctuaries either 501(c)3
non-profit organizations or private, equine trainers or any other entities that deal in equine welfare.
Alliance members apply for certification annually and when it is granted, they are provided documentation that can be displayed on websites, in printed materials and at adoption events.
As the program becomes more established, it will provide added benefits to the alliance members such as grants, educational opportunities, specialized behavior training for volunteers, fundraising opportunities and cost reductions through joint purchases and ventures. Ultimately, the purpose of the TEWA Program is to improve capacity and partnership between the rescue community and public community, so that all healthy and treatable equine are given that second chance, making euthanasia an act of mercy reserved only for the severely ill, injured or vicious.
The TN Department of Agriculture is responsible for the oversight of animal shelters and vet clinics in Tennessee. County by county, different agencies are responsible for animal control and/or animal sheltering. Inspections by county or state officials are infrequent. TEWA is a program aimed at helping our local animal welfare industry “police itself”.
Unfortunately, there is no organized structure in Tennessee that has established best practices, model documents or a code of ethics as a resource for the equine rescue community. Rescue organizations, most of which use a home-based fostering system and consist mainly of animal-loving volunteers with a passion for finding new, loving, caring homes for the equine in their care, are often left to recreate the wheel or learn the ropes through trial-and-error experience.
It is the intent of the Tennessee Equine Welfare Alliance (TEWA) to:
· Leverage best practices and collaborations to lower the deaths of homeless healthy and treatable equine in Tennessee
· Provide a code of ethics and best practice resources for rescue organizations. Assure the public, including adoption event hosts, businesses, donors,
adopters and potential volunteers, that alliance members operate according to the standards set by the Best Practices Handbook and the TEWA
Code of Ethics
· Assure donors and animal welfare funder's of professional capacity
· Improve collaborations and partnerships by assuring all alliance members operate to standards that are reputable and have been vetted for
partnerships
· The program is wholly voluntary. It is open to all equine welfare organizations including, but not limited to rescues or sanctuaries either 501(c)3
non-profit organizations or private, equine trainers or any other entities that deal in equine welfare.
Alliance members apply for certification annually and when it is granted, they are provided documentation that can be displayed on websites, in printed materials and at adoption events.
As the program becomes more established, it will provide added benefits to the alliance members such as grants, educational opportunities, specialized behavior training for volunteers, fundraising opportunities and cost reductions through joint purchases and ventures. Ultimately, the purpose of the TEWA Program is to improve capacity and partnership between the rescue community and public community, so that all healthy and treatable equine are given that second chance, making euthanasia an act of mercy reserved only for the severely ill, injured or vicious.