Mission Statement
Our passion is to help horses in need...
Georgia Equine Rescue League, LTD (GERL) is a non-profit organization with 501 (c) (3) status that believes it is the responsibility of its members to help find solutions to the growing problem of starved, abused, and neglected equine in the state of Georgia. GERL believes that through education, incentive programs for equine health, and funding of Georgia law enforcement entities, that positive steps can be taken to help reduce and eventually eliminate this problem in our state.
Our Story
In April 1992, the Humane Care for Equines Act was passed in the State of Georgia. The enforcement of this law was to fall under the responsibility of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA) Equine Division. This law allowed the GDA to impound abuse cases and prosecute offenders. However, even though the Humane Care for Equines Act had been passed, there was no money allotted to fund the enforcement of it.
In January 1993, with $100 loan, six members and a commitment to help Georgia’s starved, abused, and neglected horses, the Georgia Equine Rescue League, Ltd., (GERL) was formed to raise funds and support the GDA in their equine endeavors. Today GERL has over 400 members and an annual budget of $100,000+.
In March of 2020, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black closed all State impound barns, including two located in state prisons, and transferred responsibility of horses to local county law enforcement and animal control agencies. GERL provided the GDA with over $650,000 in services in support of the GDA equine program over the 27 years.
With this modification within the GDA, the influx of equine suddenly dried up with very few counties picking up the slack left by the State, this change had a drastic impact on GERL. It was during that time that a door opened to the world of Veterans and horses.
GERL provides financial support to several Georgia non-profit organizations whose mission is to support our veterans with equine related therapy. Recognizing equine therapy groups often struggle with making ends meet, GERL occasionally covers feed bills through our “Horses Heal Veterans” program.”
GERL also provides a foster care and adoption program for unwanted horses in Georgia. Foster homes provide care and rehabilitation for horses until they can be adopted. Horses adopted through GERL are followed up by GERL Area Coordinators to ensure that they are maintained properly.
GERL has created several programs in an effort to help with the problem of the unwanted horse. Programs like our Crisis Intervention Program that provides a helping hand to Georgia horse owners that have fallen on hard times, providing them with temporary financial support to care for their equine in lieu of turning them into rescues.
Other programs include the GERL Stallion to Gelding Castration programs (2) that help stallion owners with the financial burden of gelding their horses. GERL has helped pay for the castration of over 1,300 equines since the introduction of this program in 2010.
GERL responds to 25-50 requests per month. Our phone line receives 15-30 calls per week requesting everything from help with an old horse to auction donations. Each call is returned. Representatives from GERL lecture all over the state to various 4-H clubs, saddle clubs Girl and Boy Scout troops, feed stores and anyone else who is interested. A quarterly newsletter is published to maintain communication with our members. The newsletters provide educational veterinary articles, rehabilitation stories and photos, up-coming fund-raising information, private ads, etc.
The Georgia Equine Rescue League (GERL) is more than a rescue organization as you can see by our many programs. I hope that you find us worthy of your support!
