The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) announced today that the 2016 Accreditation Application is now available online for Thoroughbred aftercare organizations to apply for TAA accreditation. Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2016. The application can be accessed by visiting the TAA website at: www.thoroughbredaftercare.org/accreditation.
Organizations must meet certain minimum requirements to be eligible for accreditation:
- Organization must have a current status as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with the Internal Revenue Service or must be a registered charity in Canada.
- Organization must have been operational for a minimum of three years.
- Organization must house a minimum of five Thoroughbreds.
- Organization must have an official euthanasia policy consistent with the AAEP.
- Principals of the organization must have never been convicted of killing, abandoning, mistreating, neglecting, abusing or otherwise committing an act of cruelty to a horse.
- There must be no legal proceedings pending against the organization, or a principal of the organization, and related to the organization.
Submitted applications are evaluated upon five key areas: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing their horses. Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA.
“Our number of accredited organizations has grown steadily over the three years since the TAA began, from 23 organizations our first year to our current 56,” stated Kristin Werner Leshney, chair of the TAA accreditation committee. “We look forward to reviewing the new organizations that apply this year and hope to add more partners to our alliance to assist Thoroughbreds as they transition from their racing careers to the next phase of their lives.”
Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the non-profit Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Funded initially by seed money from Breeders’ Cup Ltd., The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, Inc., the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals and other industry groups. To date, 56 aftercare organizations supporting more than 180 facilities across the U.S. and Canada have been granted accreditation and received funding from the TAA. To learn more about the TAA, visit thoroughbredaftercare.org.
