Homeless horses used in Mardi Gras parades available for adoption

NEW ORLEANS (WAFB/Gray News) - As the good times wind down and Mardi Gras season comes to a close, a non-profit is working to adopt out the homeless horses that helped carry Carnival royalty through the streets of New Orleans.

According to the Humane Society of Louisiana, people can adopt the horses that were brought into the city from horse brokers to meet the additional demand for animals in parades during Mardi Gras.

The non-profit organization said that until recently, it was not uncommon for the parade horses to be subsequently sold to slaughter after the festivities.

“Several years ago, we began receiving reports that some of the parade horses, still distinctive with glitter and decorations from Mardi Gras, were spotted en route to slaughter in Mexico,” Jeff Dorson, founder and executive director for the Humane Society of Louisiana, said.

The Mardi Gras Horse Adoption Program began in 2017, and since then, 106 Mardi Gras horses have been adopted, according to the Humane Society.

“Once we became aware of the sad reality behind the pageantry, we mobilized our team to ensure that none of the Mardi Gras horses would ever again endure this cruel fate,” Dorson said.

Find out which horses are available for adoption on the adoption program’s Facebook page. More information about the Mardi Gras Horse Adoption Program is available on the Humane Society of Louisiana’s website.