Sixteen horses that will march in this year's Mardi Gras parades will be up for adoption as part of an effort to save them from being resold at auctions or for slaughter.
News outlets report that the Humane Society of Louisiana, Cascade Stables and Barney's Farm Sanctuary are working together to find new owners for the 16 parade horses after Mardi Gras.
The program was started to prevent the transactions for horses that Cascade Stables in New Orleans wasn't able to care for following the celebrations.
The 2019 carnival season will be the program's third year. Humane Society of Louisiana director Jeff Dorson says that since it began, 32 horses have been adopted and saved from uncertain futures and none has been resold to a broker for slaughter.