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About AHDF Visit our new Meet the Board page and see photos of our board and state coordinators! AHDF was founded in the year 2000. It's time for a new, vigorous, unified grassroots-based organizational approach to protecting horses and all members of the species Equus. For the six years that founder Trina Bellak, Esq. worked closely and often daily on horse issues for The Humane Society of the U.S., she learned a great deal about the suffering that goes unabated in the lives of horses of every imaginable type and breed. Much of this unnecessary inhumane treatment goes on "behind closed doors" or out of the public view, often even those who may be witness keep silent. Having worked with many horse and or animal welfare, protection, conservation organizations over a span of many years now, and having been exposed directly to the myriad of issues and suffering afflicting horses, Trina realized many of these were going unaddressed by existing organizations. She came to the sad understanding that even long established and sometimes well funded organizations that ought to have been working diligently on stopping abuse of horses were not doing so. After Trina's successful work on passage of the nation's first (and long awaited) federal bill on the treatment of the vast numbers of long-suffering horses transported to slaughter plants, and some inroads in the case of the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and Wild Horses, she realized the need for AHDF was real and the work would be ongoing. AHDF’s founder and president Trina Bellak succumbed to her long and hard fought battle with breast cancer in May 2006. While the horses that Trina loved lost a true and valued friend and champion, those within the organization lost a great friend and leader. The Board of Directors and those who knew Trina decided that her legacy should live on in her beloved organization and the Board selected Shelley Sawhook to fill the position of President in September 2006. Shelley served as the Press Director for AHDF and is the former President of the United Equine Foundation. She is a long time owner and former trainer of horses. Shelley began working on the issue of horse slaughter in 2001 after learning of its existence while volunteering for a local rescue. Shelley met Trina in 2002 and the two shared their passion for the protection of these majestic animals. Shelley plans to continue the work of AHDF as a memorial to Trina and the horses that have died due to abuse, neglect and slaughter. Please join Shelley, the staff and volunteers of AHDF and horse lovers from around the world in helping to end the mistreatment of these noble animals. These animals, big and small, who give people so much and ask so little. Won't you please join today, send in the most generous Tax Deductible contribution you can and write a meaningful letter that can make a difference on whatever campaign is most urgent to assist on now. You can just click below and email us so easily. And please, send this web site to others or send us names of people to email alerts to. Spreading the word is the only way to be effective--in numbers there is strength! Thanks for caring. Make a difference and
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