News item:
Here’s a little blurb we came across from Hilary Wood of Front Range Equine Rescue. While this pertains to Colorado, this may start cropping up in other states.
Urgent for Coloradans!
Your 2011 Colorado income tax form provides a check-off category for the “unwanted horse fund”. The organization receiving the donated funds is not a horse rescue, takes no stand against horse slaughter, and many of their Board members are pro slaughter (they support bringing horse slaughter plants back to the U.S.). We strongly encourage you to give your hard-earned tax donations directly to legitimate equine rescues instead. The tough economy has already hurt many rescues; giving your tax dollars to the “unwanted horse fund” means less for the rescues. If you are not in Colorado, we appreciate your relaying this information to your friends or relatives who live in Colorado.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
They actually put that on the tax returns?? That seems a little nutso. There are so many charities–are they going to put them all on there?
I read something awhile back about how people get those on tax returns, and of course I can’t remember any of it now.
Linda, evidently there are 10 different charities on the Colorado tax return each year.
This is a very interesting article about fraud and the potential for fraud in Colorado’s “charitable” giving tax program. I don’t understand the part about the “waiting list”. Will the “unwanted” horse charity (at #11) be on the 2010 or 2011 tax form?
http://www.coloradonewsagency.com/2010/11/15/state-revenue-officials-keep-watchful-eye-on-tax-checkoffs/
The Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance will be the beneficiary of these funds. Here’s their website:
http://www.counwantedhorse.org/index.html
The CUHA did grant horse rescues and horse-related activities almost $45,000 in 2010. As with any charity, I wonder how much the officers and administators make vs. how much actually goes to help the cause. They list 3 sale barns as an “option” for dealing with “unwanted” horses, with the caveat your horse may end up going to slaughter. They “work closely” with the Unwanted Horse Coalition (now under the umbrella of the American Horse Council), which is always a pro-slaughter flag for me.