United States Equine Rescue League, Inc.

Mission statement: The United States Equine Rescue League (USERL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the compassionate care of equines. Our mission is to save, protect, and rehabilitate equines in need. We rescue abused, neglected, or abandoned equines; provide them with care and rehabilitation; and finally find them a compatible, loving home. We believe that education is the long-term solution to improving the lives of equines. about userl: The United States Equine Rescue League, Inc. (USERL) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, incorporated in NC in the year 1997. Tax ID# 56-2069469. Funded by private donations and fundraising Staffed mostly by volunteers Foster network involving almost 100 homes Averaging over 100 equine rescued per year Active Regions across North Carolina, Virginia, and Indiana Goals: To educate horse-owners and the public about proper equine care, and the problems of neglect, abuse, and slaughter. To rescue equines from neglectful and abusive situations by educating owners, helping to place at-risk equines and ultimately working within the bounds of the law to remove equines from their owner's care when deemed necessary. To rehabilitate sick, injured and underweight equines and restore them to a state of health To end the suffering of those equines which cannot be rehabilitated by means of humane euthanasia. To find all equines that come under the care of USERL a compatible, loving home.

Potential adopters first need to fill out an adoption application. If a particular horse interests them, they should put that horse's name on the application. An USERL volunteer will contact them to discuss the horse and put them in contact with the foster home. Once the potential adopter, foster home and the appropriate USERL Regional Director and/or Executive Director agree that the horse and adopter is a match, USERL will schedule a barn check. An USERL volunteer will schedule a time to meet you at your barn. S/he will be looking for safety (i.e. no barbed wire, no junk in the pastures), a clean, healthy environment and the condition and temperament of your other horses, if any. Depending on how quickly you can get out to meet the equine and how quickly we can get a volunteer to do your barn check, typically the process takes one week to one month. Complete and return the USERL Preliminary Adoption Application. We will then contact you directly if we have additional questions. If the personal interview is satisfactory and if the USERL has a potentially suitable equine at the time, the USERL will schedule an appointment to check the potential adopter's facilities. In addition, the USERL will also conduct interviews of the references provided by the potential adopter on the Preliminary Adoption Application. Upon satisfactory completion of the above, USERL will schedule a working session with the potential equine to determine if this is a suitable match. Upon the completion of the session, it will be determined whether or not the equine and potential adopter are compatible. The USERL may at that time require additional sessions. Facility requirement: The facility shall have at least a roof and three sides and be in good repair and free of standing water. The equine must be allowed a minimum of 4 hours of daily turn out in a suitable and safe fenced area. Barbed wire is not accepted by the USERL. The USERL requests that the adopted equine be kept with a companion equine or other compatible large herd animal. When all requirements and preliminary adoption procedures have been satisfied, the USERL will require the following at the time of final adoption: Completion of a permanent Adoption Contract detailing the care, which is required for the individual equines being adopted. Payment in full of an adoption fee (non-refundable after 30 days), which is based upon each individual equine, and set by the USERL at its sole discretion. The USERL reserves the right to conduct unscheduled follow-up on the Adopted Animal and the facility at the USERL's discretion. If either are found to be in unsatisfactory condition, attempts will be made to help the adopters remedy the situation. If these attempts are unsuccessful, the USERL retains the right to repossess the adopted equine at any time. The USERL may require the adopter to submit to them receipt of proof of required veterinary and farrier care and/or an annual health statement from the adopter's veterinarian and farrier.