(New Orleans, LA)—In what has been an annual event since 2017, the Humane Society of Louisiana (HSLA) has teamed up with Cascade Stables to help find homes for parade horses. Each year, Cascades Stables purchases 15-20 horses from a horse broker to meet the demand for parade horses for carnival krewes. Before the Humane Society got involved, Cascades would sell the horses back to the same broker after the parade season, and many were lost in the system. Many were likely sold at sale barns or even sold for slaughter.
To ensure that these parade horses end up in great homes, HSLA in partnership with Cascades Stables, established a formal adoption program five years ago. HSLA volunteers run the program and manage a page on Facebook called the Humane Society of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras Horse Adoption Program (https://www.facebook.com/mardigrashorses2017). Volunteers post current photos of the available horses, a short profile, and the adoption fee. Those interested in adopting a horse must submit an adoption application online that is available through the same Facebook page. The adoption fees range from $200 to $900.
“This has proven to be a lifesaver for the 77 horses we have adopted since we started this program in 2017,” HSLA Director Jeff Dorson said. “We are grateful to the volunteers who man this program, and to the public who have embraced it. We owe it to these majestic horses to find them great homes instead of selling them at a sale barn.”
The Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest animal protection organizations in the state and operates the Enoch J. Donaldson Animal Sanctuary in Mt. Hermon. For more information on its programs and services, please visit its website at www.humanela.org.
