Page 29 - 2021 TAA Magazine

Akindale SANCTUARY

Thoroughbred Rescue
Thoroughbred Rescue REHABILITATION
RETRAINING/ADOPTION

TESTIMONIAL:

“The TAA has
not only given
Akindale
Thoroughbred
Rescue funding,
it has given us a
lot more exposure.
Before accreditation,
it seems we were just
known on the East
Coast. We are now
known wherever the
TAA is, and that is all
over the country.”

FOUNDED: 2006
ADDRESS:
77 Cox Rd.
Pawling, NY 12564
Starwest and Tactical Gold are best friends and retirees at Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue.
PHONE: (845) 855-1262
“I never met a horse I didn’t like.” deeded and dedicated in perpetuity to the care of WEB ADDRESS:
Those words were spoken by our founder, retired racehorses and continues to successfully akindalehorserescue.org
the late businessman and philanthropist transition Thoroughbreds to second careers.
John Hettinger, a noted racehorse owner and Akindale operates a “Reinventing Racehorses” SOCIAL:
breeder, winner of the Eclipse Award of Merit, program that has rehabilitated, retrained, and Akindale

and an activist against equine slaughter, fight- re-homed hundreds of Thoroughbreds. The @Akindalehorse
ing successfully for legislation that banned U.S. program’s emphasis is on working directly with @akindaletbrescue
slaughterhouses. the racing industry to be sure Thoroughbreds
“He is the modern father of Thoroughbred get the best opportunity for a second career. AVERAGE NUMBER OF
aftercare,” said D.G. Van Clief, president of Akin- Once a horse enters the Akindale program, they THOROUGHBREDS PER YEAR:
dale Thoroughbred Aftercare. “We owe its exis- are guaranteed a safe haven for life. Horses are 150
tence to John for making this a top-of-conscious- prepared for a second career and the right home
ness issue. He said he was going to do something is found for them. If anything goes wrong in the
and he put his money where his mouth was. He horse’s lifetime, they can come back and retire in
was a champion for retired racehorses.” our sanctuary and live out their years peacefully.

In 2019, Hettinger was inducted into the Akindale is a non-profit organization that
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for his accepts tax-deductible donations to help cover
contributions to the industry and to horses. the costs of care for the 160-plus Thoroughbreds
Hettinger founded Akindale Thoroughbred in its care. Every dollar makes a difference in
Aftercare in 2006, two years before his death. He the lives of our horses, whether it is a one-time
left 300 acres of the family farm in Pawling, N.Y., cash donation, material donation, or a long-term
to carry on his mission and care for the animals sponsorship of one of the 130 retirees living in our
he called his “best friends.” The property is sanctuary.

PAGE 27 DAILY RACING FORM