Voting is now open for the Animal Friends Pet Insurance charity awards, for which £50,000 will go to the winner — and Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is in the running to receive a share of the total £100,000 prize pot.
As part of Animal Friends’ ‘A Wildly Different Xmas Tail’ campaign, the insurance company is asking members of the public to vote for one of five Berkshire-based charities. Everyone who votes will also be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 e-voucher.
RoR is British horse racing’s official charity dedicated to protecting the welfare of horses who have retired from racing. It helps ex-racehorses find new homes, providing retraining and welfare programmes to set them up for a successful second career after life on the track.
The racehorse charity’s yard is located in East Garston, Hungerford.
“Every year, more than 2,000 racehorses retire from racing in Great Britain,” said a spokesperson for RoR. “Like people changing jobs, these horses need to learn new skills, adapt to new environments, and sometimes find new homes.”
The other four charities in the running are Blind Dog Rescue UK, Refuge4Pets, Forgotten Felines and Wolfie’s Legacy.
The charity that finishes second will receive £20,000, while the remaining three will each be given £10,000.
‘Extraordinary work for vulnerable pets’
“All five of these charities are doing extraordinary work to care for all the vulnerable pets in their care,” said Richard Mills, chief executive at Animal Friends.
“These charities may only be small, but what they do has a big impact on the lives of the pets they help, not just at Christmas but all year round.
“Abandoned and relinquished cats, dogs, and horses around the country rely on the phenomenal work of volunteers and local charities to give them the care and love they need while they wait for their forever homes,” he continued.
“We wanted to hear the voices of the public, so we can help these charities continue with their incredible work.”
How to vote
Voting opened at 10am on Friday 29th November. It closes at midnight on Sunday 15th December at 11.59pm. It is free to vote.
