33 horses recovering at New Jersey horse rescue

SHAMONG, N.J. -- Thanks to the only equine rescue group in New Jersey, 33 neglected horses are on the road to recovery.

The horses were rescued by a farm in Shamong, New Jersey after it became too difficult for their caretaker to keep up with them.

The horses are now being looked after by a group called Forgotten Angels Equine Rescue, based in Medford, which hopes to find adoptive homes.

"We want to make sure they're getting into a home where they're not going to be bred, they're not going to be raced, that they're going to be taken care of in a forever home," said Eileen Mullen.

The group's founder, Darlene Supnick, was concerned that, if no one intervened, the horses could be sold for slaughter.

"At least 100,000 of our American horses shipped to Canada and Mexico every year to be slaughtered," she said.

"It's heartbreaking. There are a lot of really young, sound horses that could make a difference in someone's like, like they did in mind," said Billie Lapata.

The group is determined to keep these horses from slaughter and has been working to doctor the ones that need help and find them all homes.

"Some of them are older, they've had injuries from the track so they were laid up, and they needed special care with some tendons and knee chips ,things like that," said Sarah Harney.

Right now, Forgotten Angels members are paying for the horses' care out of their own pockets. The nonprofit group welcomes donations or anyone who's interested in adopting a horse.

So far, 17 have found new homes.

"We really want to try to place these horses before winter because once winter comes this nice grass that you're looking at is going to go away," said Mullen.

For more information, visit ForgottenAngelsEquineRescue.com or call 609-820-6377