Equine Welfare Network: Eligibility Requirements for Affiliate Participation

• The organization provides or conducts real services, benefits, assistance, or program activities involving equines in the United States.

• The organization conducts publicity and promotional activities based upon its actual program and operations, and that these activities are truthful and non-deceptive, include all material facts, and make no exaggerated or misleading claims.

• The organization has a presence on the internet, i.e., a unique domain/url address that clearly defines its equine programs and ensure that the content displayed is kept current and based on actual programs and operations. A Facebook page is not acceptable.

• The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, disability, handicap, age, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

• The organization must abide by the EQUUS Foundation Code of Conduct.

• The organization prepares and submits to the IRS a complete copy of the organization's IRS Form 990 or certifies that the organization is not required to submit an IRS Form 990.

• The organization has operated for at least one full operating year.

• The organization's programs and activities are directed by an active and responsible governing body, whose members have no material conflict of interest and a majority of which serve without compensation.

• The EQUUS Foundation expects all organizations, regardless of their size and scope, to be accountable and transparent to the public at large. The organization must maintain it's GuideStar profile annually at https://www.guidestar.org/ with the required minimum information to display the Guidestar seal reflecting the current year.

• The organization does not engage in any activity that disregards the welfare of animals of any kind, causes an animal to feel pain or fear, exploits or harms an animal to benefit the organization, or willfully slaughters an animal to benefit the organization.

• Until such time that equines are no longer at risk of 'slaughter' defined as the killing and processing of horses for human or animal consumption either in the United States, or by being transported outside of the United States vs. 'euthanasia' which is defined as the practice of ending the horse's life painlessly to relieve suffering, the organization must certify that the organization has not allowed, and would not consider allowing, an equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that would cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter.

• The organization's re-homing agreement must state or reflect that any individual or organization in possession of the equine as of the date of the agreement and any time thereafter is bound to not sell the equine at auction for slaughter or allow the equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that will cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter. It is the position of the EQUUS Foundation that including verbiage on the future re-homing of the equine reflects the shared recognition of the organization and the adopter that horses continue to be inhumanely 'slaughtered' and the shared commitment of the organization and the adopter to ensure that the equine be protected for his or her lifetime.

1. This statement is not required to be included in the organization's re-homing agreement if the organization:

a - retains ownership of re-homed equine;

b - requires that the re-homed equine CANNOT be sold, adopted, transferred, auctioned, released, given away, or otherwise placed into the possession of another individual or organization under any circumstances and must be returned to the organization should the adopter no longer wish to, or cannot, care for the equine;

c - includes a statement in its re-homing agreement that should the adopter decide to re-home the equine, the organization must grant approval of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason prior to the equine being placed into the possession of such individual or organization, including being provided written notification of the name, address, and telephone number of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason AND includes one of the three statements below:

1 - a statement that the terms of the agreement are binding on any future adopter and the agreement between the adopter and the organization shall be incorporated as an addendum to any future agreement;

2 - a statement that requires the adopter to obtain the organization’s approval of any future adopter;

3 - a statement that requires any future adopter to re-sign an agreement with the organization

2. A re-homing agreement is not required if the organization does not have the authority to transfer ownership and/or does not own any of the equines involved with its programs.

• The organization must abide by the EQUUS Foundation Guidelines for Human-Equine Interactions.

• For organizations that conduct Equine Assisted Services (EAS), until such time there is consensus in the EAS community on terminology and enforcement of guidelines for conducting EAS, the organization must comply with the EQUUS Foundation Guidelines for Conducting Equine Assisted Services.

• For those organizations that conduct Equine Transition Services (ETS) and that are eligible to attain verification or accreditation status with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), an EQUUS Foundation Alliance member, the organization may be required to attain verification to participate. To learn more about GFAS Accreditation and Verification for equine organizations, visit the GFAS website at https://www.sanctuaryfederation.org.