National Horse Protection Day Mane Event
Celebration Set for March 1st

January 25, 2008 (Des Moines, Iowa) – On Saturday, March 1, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) will celebrate National Horse Protection Day in a partnership with The Animal Miracle Foundation.

Beginning at Noon,at the ARL’s new Barn facility located behind the Main shelter at 5452 NE 22nd Street, Des Moines the ARL will give tours of the barn, showcase adoptable horses, and have a variety of speakers. The afternoon activities are free to the public. The schedule of speakers is below:

12-12:45 Randy Hensley, Natural Hoof Care, Natural Pasture

1-1:45 Josh Colvin, Recognizing/Reporting neglect/abuse in horses

2-2:45 Kelly Ann Graber, Nutrition

3-3:45 Robin Sprafka, Des Moines Mounted Patrol

At 6:30 p.m. the ARL will have the “Mane Event” at Jester Park Equestrian Center, indoor arena, 11171 NW 103 Court, Granger. This will include a silent auction of horse themed items, live music, food, and special appearances by Joe Camp, writer, producer and director of the famed Benji movies and horse owner and Colleen Paige, founder of The Animal Miracle Foundation.

Joe Camp will discuss his upcoming book, “The Soul of a Horse: Lessons from the Herd.” The book is based upon Camp’s own experiences with horses including one of his own, an ARL alumn, Mouse. Camp shares with readers the true friendship that can form between human and horse, when given a chance.

Colleen Paige, who in addition to being the founder of The AMF, is also the Editor-in-Chief of “Pet HOME: Everyday Living for People and the Pets Who Love Them” and author of “The Good Behavior Books for Dogs”. Paige will be on hand to discuss her career in pet behavior counseling, pet savvy interior design, and her foundation. The Animal Miracle Foundation is the origin of the National Horse Protection Day.

Tickets to the evening event are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. To order your tickets contact Julie Lofdahl at 515/262-9503 x119 or online at www.arl-iowa.org.

ARL Executive Director, Tom Colvin states, “This National Day provides an outlet to raise awareness about horses in Iowa and throughout the United States. The day provides the ARL the ability to educate the public about the abuse, neglect, and homelessness of horses as well as showcase adoptable horses and provide more information about the ARL’s Barnyard Buddies Program.”

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is a nonprofit organization founded in 1926. The ARL is the state’s largest animal shelter, serving over 18,000 animals in 2007 from all corners of the state. The ARL is the greater Des Moines area’s only shelter that never turns away an animal in need.