TAA accepting applications for accredited aftercare facilities

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now accepting applications for accreditation from aftercare organizations.

Passing the TAA’s on-site accreditation inspection will make a facility eligible to receive financial support for the ongoing care of retired Thoroughbreds.

To apply, a facility must possess 501(c)(3) tax exempt status; must have been in operation for at least three years; must care for at least five residents, with at least 50 percent being Thoroughbreds; and must follow a euthanasia policy consistent with that of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

Applications for accreditation must be submitted by June 1 for organizations to be eligible for consideration for grants in 2013 and 2014.

To read the complete TAA Code of Standards for approved aftercare facilities and to learn more about the accreditation process, click here.

“The Code of Standards and application materials are products of a great deal of input from all around the Thoroughbred community, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Humane Association,” TAA executive director Mike Ziegler said. “Our guiding principle in the creation of all of these documents was to make the welfare of retired Thoroughbreds our top priority.”

Based in Lexington, Ky., the TAA is designed to serve as both the accrediting body for aftercare facilities that care for Thoroughbreds following the conclusion of their racing careers and a fundraising body to support these approved facilities.

“The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will help give Thoroughbreds the post-racing life they deserve,” Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and chief executive officer of the American Humane Association, said. “By establishing standards for aftercare facilities and supporting those facilities that adhere to them, we believe the TAA’s work will have a truly lasting impact on the welfare of Thoroughbreds.”