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.”