Kentucky Equine Humane Center Opens Next Week
Thursday, September 6, 2007
LEXINGTON, KY - It is something he has been looking forward to for a long time, and finally, Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky) will get to wield a pair of scissors and slice through a ribbon to officially open the new Kentucky Equine Humane Center (KyEHC).
The KyEHC is a first-of-its-kind facility, established with the specific goal of providing owners with a humane option when they need to give up their horses. The center is located on a tranquil, 50-acre horse farm just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, which has already become a safe refuge for at-risk horses of all breeds and disciplines. No horse in a precarious situation is ever turned away.
According to Whitfield, “Horses have always held a special place in Kentucky's culture. With representatives from the federal and state governments working alongside local horse owners, the Kentucky Equine Humane Center will step-up and accept the responsibility of caring for our Commonwealth's most treasured animals and encourage individual horse owners to care for their own.”
As governor of the Horse Capital of the World, Ernie Fletcher has stated, “Kentucky and horses are inseparably connected to one another. Horses are an integral part of our state’s national identity, our history and our future. They embody the unbridled spirit of our state and it is our duty to be mindful of their welfare.”
Congressman Ben Chandler (D-Ky) echoed, “The equine industry is at the heart of the Bluegrass State and has been engrained in Kentucky culture for centuries. In Congress, I have truly enjoyed working with Representative Whitfield to ensure equine health and the viability of the horse industry. A big part of keeping this industry strong involves responsible equine ownership, which is why I am thrilled that the Kentucky Equine Humane Center is opening in my district. This center will do much to promote the humane treatment of horses and will also provide a valuable service to horse owners seeking humane alternatives for their unwanted horses.”
The KyEHC will hold a private ribbon cutting ceremony on September 14, with Whitfield officiating and a reception and farm tour to follow. The public is invited to the Open House and Adoption Day the following day, September 15, from 10am to 3pm.
The KyEHC is governed by an impressive board of directors and advisors*, representing a number of breeds and disciplines, whose commitment to horses and to the horse industry are matters of record.
John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park, site of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games stated, “People around the world look to Kentucky first when it comes to anything related to horses. Consequently, it is imperative that our state set the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to equine welfare. The Kentucky Equine Humane Center will help our state do just that.”
For more information, contact Lori Neagle, Executive Director, at 859-881-5849, email info@kyehc.org or click on www.kyehc.org.
*KyEHC Board Members: President - Staci Hancock; Vice President - Joan Ciampi; Treasurer - Ralph S. “Bud” Watson II, CPA; Secretary - Meg Jewett; Susan Bryson Speckert, Esq; Tom E. Daugherty, DVM; Arnold Kirkpatrick; James Smith, DVM; Advisory Board: Josephine Abercrombie, Alice Chandler, Diane M. Curry, Tracy and Carol Farmer, Jennie Garlington, Greg and Becky Goodman, John Hettinger, Chris and Judy McCarron, Lori Kirk-Wagner, Bennie Sargent, Congressman and Mrs. Ed Whitfield, Mary Lou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Misdee Wrigley, Nick and Kim Zito; Executive Director - Lori Neagle
KyEHC Mission Statement: To provide humane treatment and shelter while working as a clearinghouse to seek adoptive homes for all of Kentucky’s unwanted equines, regardless of breed; to educate the public and raise awareness for responsible equine ownership so that fewer horses end up in crises; to work with and serve as a model for organizations with the same mission in other states: to save America’s equines from in humane treatment.
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