Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society in Maryland, Earns Accreditation from Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries

(Mount Airy, MD) – The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only globally recognized organization providing standards for identifying legitimate animal sanctuaries, awarded Accredited status to Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society,  effective February 20, 2014.

Accreditation means that Gentle Giants meets the criteria of a true equine sanctuary/rescue and is providing humane and responsible care for its animals.  To be awarded Accredited status, an organization must meet GFAS’s rigorous and peer-reviewed animal care standards, which are confirmed by a site visit and adherence to a demanding set of ethical and operational principles to ensure its integrity, accountability, and long-term success.

“We are very happy to announce the recent Accreditation of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society,” said Jackie Beckstead, Director of Accreditation and Field Operations for GFAS.  “This organization demonstrates broad expertise in the welfare of equines, and in particular draft horses.  Gentle Giants is committed to educating the public on the special needs of the large-breed equines and on the important issues of horse slaughter, equine welfare, and animal rescue.  They consistently provide high quality of care for all their animals.  Gentle Giants’ dedication to integrity and their long term strategic vision will ensure leadership in equine rescue and welfare for many years to come.”

“Gentle Giants has long prided itself on providing the best possible care and training of its rescued horses, and works continuously to improve the public perception of horse rescues in the US,” said Christine Hajek , President and Founder of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society. “GFAS accreditation provides us with a lengthy and demanding set of benchmarks to assure donors that our organization is providing good care to our animals, is reputable, and is using precious donor funds appropriately.  We are honored to be accredited by GFAS, and we encourage other horse rescue groups who are serious about their work to consider joining the list of GFAS-accredited and verified organizations.”

About Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the sole purpose of strengthening and supporting the work of animal sanctuaries, rescues, and rehabilitation centers worldwide. The goal of GFAS in working with and assisting these animal care facilities is to ensure they are supported, honored, recognized and rewarded for meeting important criteria in providing care to the animals in residence. GFAS was founded in 2007 by animal protection leaders from a number of different organizations in response to virtually unchecked and often hidden exploitation of animals for human entertainment and financial profit. The GFAS Board of Directors guides the organization’s work in a collaborative manner. While the board includes those in top leadership at Born Free USA, The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, the ASPCA, and American Anti-Vivisection Society, all board members serve as individuals dedicated to animal sanctuaries.  Visit localhost to learn more.

About Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society
Established in 2005, Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue was formed to facilitate the rescue of draft and draft-cross horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect.  Gentle Giants is a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to raising public awareness through the use of brochures, pamphlets, and public presentations on the topics of horse slaughter and cruelty, the responsibilities of horse ownership, the over-population and over-breeding of horses, and how over-breeding contributes to the horse slaughter industry.  Gentle Giants houses over 60 draft horses, and has placed over 300 draft-breed horses into adoptive homes.  To learn more about how Gentle Giants is working to end horse slaughter and protecting America’s draft horses, please visit www.GentleGiantsDraftHorseRescue.org, or call 443.285.3835.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare.  One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.  As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach, and animal health services.  The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit.  For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.  To become a fan of ASPCA on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/aspca.  To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca.

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