The New Orleans Police Department’s Mounted Unit is one of the department’s most iconic divisions.  Visible in the historic French Quarter and at such high profile events as Mardi Gras, Super Bowls and many of the city’s numerous music festivals, the horses are an integral part of the NOPD and they always seem to draw a crowd.

“For crowd control, one horse equals 10 police officers,” said NOPD’s Lead Mounted Instructor Dave Waguespack. “Our horses are trained to handle the noise, the crowds, and interacting with people so they’re always a big part of any special event plan. Plus people just love seeing them out there.”

In an effort to expand the number of horses in the herd, the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation (NOPJF) has launched the “Adopt-A-Horse” program to raise funds for the unit. Corporations, organizations and individuals have the opportunity to “adopt” one of 14 available NOPD police horses.

By adopting a horse in the NOPD Mounted Patrol, the tax deductible sponsorship will help purchase additional horses for the department, as well as pay for the equipment and training needed to get the new horses street ready and outfitted properly.

Currently there are 25 police horses in the NOPD stable, including a foal born on March 17, 2017. Another pregnant mare, Allie, is due at the end of April. These new additions are the first returns on the NOPD’s investment in its in-house breeding program, which launched in the fall of 2016.

However the foals born this spring won’t be trained and ready to hit the streets for at least two years. Currently the horses in the NOPD fold range from 4 to 17 years old, with the majority of the horses in the 14-16 year old range. Horse officers retire just like their two-legged counterparts, so additional horses are needed to replace those that leave for greener pastures at the end of their careers.

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“Everyone loves the horses and the officers in the Mounted Unit. We want to help NOPD enhance the Mounted Unit making it more accessible to the community,” said Melanie Talia, CEO of the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation. “By increasing the number of horses and riders, NOPD will be able to extend its patrols beyond special events and locations typically served by the unit.”

The cost of adopting a horse for a year is $2,000 and the donation is tax deductible.

Adoptive families and sponsors receive:

• A plaque with the name of the adoptive family/individual/company on the horse’s stall
• Official certificate of adoption
• Professional photos of the horse and the horse with sponsor-designated personnel/family members
• Recognition on NOPDNews and NOPJF website
• Annual invitation-only event for all sponsor families/companies
• Exclusive Mounted Unit Mardi Gras-style beads

For more information about the Adopt-A-Horse program contact the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation at 504-558-9944 or visit www.nopjf.org.