Rescue,
Rehabilitation and Re-Homing
Spring Hill
rescues horses from various situations including animal-cruelty seizures,
horses at sales at risk and PMU (pregnant mare urine) foals from slaughter.
Sometimes other farm animals are in need, and we don't hesitate to take them
in, rehabilitate and re-home as well. Many of the horses that come into our
facility are either severely neglected or have been poorly handled or
trained. Spring Hill has the facility, resources and expertise to handle an
immediate influx of needy and often traumatized horses. Rehabilitation can
include veterinary treatment, dietary and mineral supplements, parasite
control and hoof care. All rescued horses get an immediate assessment of
both their physical and emotional conditions. Eventually they are evaluated
for their riding suitability, dispositions and monitored for vices. Matching
adopter and horse is often challenging, but we work hard to make the best
matches possible and expect them to last the lifetime of the horse. Spring
Hill places horses into adoptive homes throughout
Vermont and the Northeast
States.
Owner
Relinquishment / Horse Donation
Spring Hill
advocates responsible ownership. If an owner no longer wants to keep the
animal, he or she should make every effort to rehome it. An owner may opt to
donate their horse to Spring Hill to sell or donate the proceeds from sale
of their horse. A donated horse should be free of major vices and
disabilities or medical liabilities. We will determine if the horse would be
appropriate for donation or would be considered an owner relinquishment. In
urgent situations, we may take in a horse that can no longer be cared for
properly by its owner or the owner’s family if the owner has died. However,
due to space constraints, Spring Hill may not be able to take possession of
a donated or relinquished horse. But we can list the horse(s) on our website
as a courtesy to help owners re-home their horse(s) in the meantime. There
is a $350 fee for each relinquished horse to help defray the costs of caring
for the horse until a new home is found. This fee may be waived in urgent
situations. Horse donors are allowed to claim a fair market value tax
deduction. All horses must have a current Coggin’s test and be up-to-date on
their vaccinations and dental care before coming to our facility.
Cruelty Response Team
Spring Hill’s
Cruelty Response Team (CRT) is routinely called on to investigate cases of
suspected abuse and neglect of horses and other livestock.
Our approach
to humane enforcement begins with educating the owners to teach them about
proper equine nutrition, the importance of shelter, dental care, hoof
maintenance and parasite control. Sometimes responsible horse owners fall on
hard times and are forced to cut corners with their horse care. In that
case, Spring Hill helps owners figure out a way to care for their horses or
helps them re-home them.
Spring Hill
has zero tolerance for animal abuse and if, in any instance, the owners
refuse to comply with animal-cruelty laws, we will advocate for animal
seizure and criminal prosecution through law enforcement.
Prevention and Education
Recognized as
a resource by law enforcement agencies and humane societies all over
Vermont, Spring Hill has provided human-enforcement training and equine-care
programs to hundreds of law enforcement officers, animal-control officers,
Humane Agents, Humane Society staff and individuals.
Spring Hill
hosts a variety of horse care and training clinics through various
professionals. Our goal is to prevent dangerous situations by teaching safe,
humane handling and training and proper horse care.
Rowdy
Dog Rescue
In October of
2008, Spring Hill took Rowdy Dog Rescue under its wing. Rowdy Dog Rescue is
dedicated to saving shelter dogs from euthanasia (normally from high-kill
shelters in the southern states) and finding good homes for them. Volunteers
and staff from the shelters will “pull”, quarantine and vet dogs from death
row and house them until they are transported to our facility. Millions of
dogs get needlessly euthanized every YEAR at high-kill shelters due to
overpopulation.
Although
Rowdy Dog Rescue is a small program, it has a big heart and fits in nicely
with Spring Hill’s programs.
Visitation and Farm Tours
All visitors
(including potential adopters, volunteer applicants and large groups) must
contact Spring Hill to request an appointment to visit the farm or look at a
specific animal. Due to the unpredictable nature of cruelty investigation
work, we do not have set hours of operation. All visitors MUST have an
appointment and must check in with a Spring Hill representative upon
arrival. Visitors cannot go into paddocks or pastures area’s without the
assistance of a qualified Spring Hill representative.
Volunteer Program
Spring Hill
aims to fulfill its mission by providing an inclusive volunteer environment.
Our organization is stronger for embracing those who share its commitment to
helping not only horses but other animals in need as well. We also
understand the importance of reaching out to all of Vermont’s communities
that are not aware of Spring Hill and its mission.
We consider
volunteers a valued resource. Our volunteers are given meaningful duties,
treated fairly, supervised effectively and recognized for the important
services they provide. In return, we expect them to perform their duties to
the best of their abilities and to remain loyal to the mission of Spring
Hill.
Volunteers
play many essential roles in the mission of the rescue program. Not only can
they work with the animals but they also contribute to the education and
outreach programs that enable Spring Hill to expand its reach.
Many
benefits of volunteering here are intangible: gaining knowledge about the
care and handling of horses, learning new skills, meeting people with
similar interests and contributing to an important cause.
Volunteer Application
- .pdf
Volunteer Handbook
-
.pdf
Programs & Services