Hightail Rescue

Equine Rescue. Hightail was created in 2011 for the sole purpose of rescuing horses, and in recent years, that purpose has expanded to encompass many other types of animals/livestock. We have been a safe haven for animals seized by law enforcement, found abandoned, and surrendered by owners who themselves were in dire circumstances. We all believed deeply in what we were doing, and were under the impression that we were conducting the business side of the rescue properly. Recently, Hightail has been the subject of audits by regulatory agencies. During these audits, we discovered that we have been lax in our recordkeeping; that we need to have a more active Board of Directors; and update or establish policies and codes of conduct that will keep the rescue functioning in accordance with state and federal standards. We apologize for any lack of transparency that may have been present. We understand that this may cause a temporary drop in confidence among donors, but hope you understand there was no negative or dishonest intent involved in the mistakes that were made. The Board is fully committed to fixing these mistakes as quickly as possible and are currently taking the following steps: 1) We procured the assistance of a consultant specializing in Non-Profit Organizations who is going to be advising us as we establish new policies and organizational guidelines. 2) We have set numbers of horses that can be accepted based on the fiscal guidelines of what the rescue is taking in for donations. There are very limited exceptions to these guidelines, which means we may be declining some owner surrenders until we can get our finances back on pace with our growth as an organization. 3) We will be sourcing out our tax preparation to a third party to insure that all state and federal guidelines are complied with. 4) We are actively searching for a firm to complete a financial audit and give us a clear set of guidelines for our future financial tracking. 5) We are creating a Conflict of Interest Policy, Conduct Policies, and a series of Standard Operating Procedures that will help govern further decisions made by the rescue. 6) Board meeting minutes, tax information, and board contact information will be added to the website and the Facebook page for public access. 7) We will be retaining an attorney to advise us on legal matters, and representing the rescue if needed. The Board of Directors will be attending yearly training to make sure we are aware and familiar with state and federal requirements of the rescue and the board. 9) Board meetings will be open to the public and will be posted on the Facebook page if anyone wishes to attend. We are open to questions regarding the plans and processes moving forward, and will gladly respond to questions via phone, e-mail, or social media. During this process, we assure you, the horses and other animals will continue to be cared for; adoptions will still proceed forward; and Hightail will continue to operate under its mission to rescue and rehab animals in need.