“I really wanted a White Arabian horse,” Anthony Perrin said. “We were going to get one and I had a friend that said you should rescue these three horses, because you have room in your barn. I went with my dad to the farm that these three horses were at, and what we found was horrifying.”

Anthony Perrin described the horses being stuck in manure up to their stomachs, saying that their legs could not be seen. At 16 years old, she walked up to the owner and told him that he would either let her and her father take the horses back with them or she would call the police. The horses — named Josephine, Taffy and Blaze of Glory — went home with her and her father, and 30 years later Anthony Perrin is still doing the same thing.

Following a divorce where she lost her last rescue, Anthony Perrin thought she would never have horses again, until after a new marriage and a move to a 20-acre farm, she opened Nola’s Angels with her husband and step-children a year ago.

“I said if I am going to do this again, everything is going to be mine,” Anthony Perrin said.

Pecos, Azizah and Daphne, three of the eleven horses at Nola’s Angels and Horse Rescue. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

Anthony Perrin and her husband take care of the animals at Nola’s Angels and Horse Rescue together. Located at 44 South St. in Panama, Nola’s Angels is home to 11 horses, two sheep, four potbelly pigs, one goat, one turkey, nine ducks, 20 to 30 chickens, three dogs and three cats. All of the animals have come from places of neglect, or kill shelters, and in very bad condition and Anthony Perrin has worked to fix them up and give them a better life. The price of taking in the horses has ranged from $300 to $900.

A lot of the business’s funds come from sponsors. Kids and their families are able to come learn to ride or to sponsor a horse on the farm, and pay Anthony Perrin and the family to take care of them. Often there are also volunteers who come and help, but each kid has the ability to sponsor one of the horses.

Nola’s Angels is also working to have fundraisers, such as the Chilli Game Night event on Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. At the event, the public is welcome to come and enjoy three different types of chili, including vegetarian, make smores over a fire, and play games.

“The payment is donations, but we are asking for a minimum of $1,” Anthony Perrin said. “We will have inflatable stick horses for kids to do barrel racing, and an inflatable bowl for ring toss. There will be many games and prizes. Even if a kid doesn’t win we are putting together a treasure box for all of the kids to take home something.”

Nola’s Angels will also be selling 50/50 tickets, for $5 each or 10 for $35. All of the money from this fundraiser will be going toward the building of an indoor arena. The arena will also have its own five separate stalls for animals that the rescue takes in that need to be quarantined.

The current facilities of Nola’s Angels and Horse Rescue.

“That’s what we do, we rescue, rehab, and sometimes we send them out,” Anthony Perrin said. “I think a lot of people don’t know what we do, because we haven’t been here that long. We may allow animals to be adopted sometimes, but only after people sign a contract, because we don’t want them going back to the same type of situation that we rescued them from.”

Nola’s Angels is always looking for volunteers or those willing to be sponsors. There is one sponsor that sponsors the barn itself, but besides that the horses are the only animals sponsored.

The rescue also offers lessons and rides, but no showmanship. They have two summer camps where kids can do crafts and learn about riding and grooming, and overall horse education.

The age range of the horses at Nola’s Angels ranges from two years old to in the 30 year old range. One horse, Pecos, is what Anthony Perrin referred to as a therapy horse who has been there for four or five years and came from Rainbow Farms in Russell, PA. He is one of the few that Anthony Perrin said will be there until he passes away.

For those who want to donate to the shelter but cannot make it to the event on the 25th, Anthony Perrin said there are online venues available, including Venmo, cash app, Facebook pay and Paypal. There is a mailbox in the barn for those who want to drop off donations, and there will be a few more containers available during the event. The rescue also accepts donations of items like trailers, tack, and food.

“We take what we can get,” Anthony Perrin said. “We are just trying to get going and get people here. Sometimes people bring treats too.”

Anthony Perrin said they are always looking for volunteers to help as well. She said that she can put out on the Facebook page that 6 o’clock is chore time and will have people show up to help. Additionally, she said the rescue can also end up being a horse therapy for people, including herself.

“It helps me, because it’s sponsoring for everyone,” Anthony Perrin said. “We have kids who sponsor and ride, and they form a bond with these horses. A lot of them have disabilities, so it’s kind of a therapy for them. We encourage people to come out and see us and volunteer.”

For Anthony Perrin, it is amazing to see the horses and other animals go from the neglected cases that they were when they were brought in, to where they are today.

“I was raised to respect all animals,” Anthony Perrin said. “My dad used to say horses are unicorns, but you just can’t see their horns. All horses are magical. The number one rule here is, do no harm. All of our animals here are angels.”

Nola’s Angels and Horse Rescue can be found on Facebook or reached at 814-730-5666.