From our executive director, Nicole Arciello:
Today is #GivingTuesday and our biggest fundraiser of the year! Your ongoing partnership allows us to continue our work to end horseracing in the United States.
Here is how YOU helped save thousands of lives this year:
Victory in Illinois!
After almost 100 years of abusing and killing horses, Arlington International Racecourse outside Chicago was permanently shuttered after the final race Saturday, September 25, 2021. This is the 40th U.S. track to close since 2000!
Victory in Massachusetts!
In the two years since New England’s last Thoroughbred track, Suffolk Downs, closed, there have been repeated attempts to bring racing back. Having previously worked with advocates in Great Barrington and Wareham, HW took an active, leading role in fighting the Sturbridge plan. In addition to sending out 4,500 full-page inserts (see it here) in the Sturbridge Villager and providing hundreds of materials for activists to disseminate around town, HW founder and president Patrick Battuello and I attended a planning-board meeting in September and the town vote October 28th. We, along with a host of other MA advocates, were there to greet residents – with the facts, the truth about horseracing – as they arrived to cast their ballots. And we succeeded, the measure, in the words of the town administrator, “defeated soundly.”
More Mobile Billboards!
Horseracing Wrongs’ successful Mobile Billboard campaign kept on truckin’ with two more at Travers Day at Saratoga (August) and two at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup (November), bringing our total to 10 billboards – at ALL the major races – on the year! This was a huge educational campaign and the first of its kind! And we have plans to do even more next year!
Major Media Breakthrough!
Over the past 18 months, the editorial boards of both The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer have called for an end to horseracing on moral grounds! This is a huge accomplishment, and we worked closely – sharing our singular data and insights – with editors at both papers prior to those editorials coming out.
Every day, we work hard educating the public, pressuring corporate sponsors, and lobbying politicians. We mobilize grassroots activism through protests (over 40 this year!), demonstrations and our Facebook Action Group.
This work is absolutely critical, as HW is the only non-profit in the nation solely focused on the defense of these poor animals. And we can’t do any of this without your support. Please give today so that we can continue to fight for the thousands of horses abused and killed by this vile industry every year.
Thank you.
For the horses,
Nicole
Make a Gift for the Horses Here
It’s beyond frustrating that NONE of the animal welfare groups out there will condemn horse racing, especially when the atrocities are done right out in the open for everyone to see.
That’s why it is up to us, Rebecca. We are small, but we have made much progress since we have begun. Every day I remember that because of Patrick’s investigation into this industry the thousands of horses that have been ignored, suffering in silence, are now being fought for by so many people. That’s why I wanted to take Horseracing Wrongs a step further just four years ago and make it a non-profit so we can amplify our work and make a difference in the lives of horses. Thanks to Patrick and to Joy to form enough people to start an organization at our dining room table. Now we just hired our first employee and added a new board member. And there is so much more to come for the horses. We are a part of a coalition in New York State to end the subsidies (corporate welfare) and a bill was introduced just last week. We are working with lawmakers in other states to introduce bills to ban or repeal live racing. We can get this done. We are small, but we are dedicated to end this cruelty and death. Thank you for joining us to fight for the horses!
Nicole
I don’t understand that either, every bird – every insect is rescued, every dog - every cat every other animal in this world, etc. only these mistreated horses not – nobody in this world seems to care that the horses are mistreated in such a way. But I will write to PETA again from Germany. “Horses are not sports equipment”
I urge those who can give do so!
Some organizations requesting donations have someone who is willing and able to make matching donations. Hopefully, next year on Giving Tuesday there will be a generous donor who can make matching donations for Horseracing Wrongs. (Greenpeace had a $5.00 match for every $1.00 donated. League of Conservation Voters even has a 24 hour extension for a $100,000 donation if they reach 1500 donors.)