Where do your rescued horses come from?

The horses and equids at Rainbow Meadows come from a variety of sources:

1. Owner surrender - our primary source of adoptable horses is via owner surrender. It is the belief of Rainbow Meadows that if we can intervene with a concerned and loving owner that has found herself/himself in a situation where the care of the horse is no longer possible, then we keep the animal from sliding off the slippery slope towards the sale barn and the kill buyer.
2. Seizure - Rainbow Meadows is committed to the support of law enforcement as they execute warrants to remove horses and equids from locations where they have suffered abuse and neglect. We offer Custodial Care services to agencies so that there is a location and experienced staff to care for the seized horses that are often in need of critical care. When the legal processes have been completed and the animals can be released for rehoming, those horses can then be legally admitted to Rainbow Meadows. Once completely rehabilitated, those horses become available for adoption.
3. Abandonment - On rare occasion, horses or other equids have been reported as abandoned. Rainbow Meadows works with the reporting party or law enforcement agency to comply with the Estray Law in the jurisdiction where the animal is found and contained. Once proper notification via local print media has occurred and the requisite time has passed, Rainbow Meadows admits, rehabilitates and re-homes the animal.

It is important to note that Rainbow Meadows does not participate in any activity which will support the financial gain of a kill buyer utilizing organizational funds. We will not purchase a horse, donkey or mule from a killer feedlot or a kill buyer. We will not go to auction to bid against the kill buyer. However, on occasion Rainbow Meadows has accepted animals that were purchased from the kill lots or kill buyers by individuals or groups.