The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has announced that it has awarded a grant of $15,000 to Montana Horse Sanctuary in Simms, Mont., which will be used to buy hay and feed for horses and cattle affected by the disastrous wildfires that recently damaged about 18,000 acres of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Early estimates are that 1,200 horses and cattle now have little or no feed. The land is not expected to recover from the fire for months, but the need for feed will increase as new foals and calves are born, potentially swelling the animal population to about 2,000.

"We are happy to come to the aid of the livestock impacted by these destructive fires," said Jacque Schultz, senior director of the ASPCA Equine Fund. "These funds will be used to purchase much needed hay and feed for horses and cattle impacted by the devastating fires that destroyed buildings, uprooted residents, and negatively impacted the food source for more than a thousand head of livestock."

"Our organization is incredibly grateful to the ASPCA for its immediate and generous response to this crisis," added Jane Heath, executive director of the Montana Horse Sanctuary. "It’s a huge boost to our ability to help the Blackfeet Tribe and their animals during this difficult time