A group of Jim Thorpe area Girl Scouts recently got hands-on experience helping rescued horses.

Nineteen members of Girl Scout Troop 30470 collected various supplies including horse treats, fly spray, carrots, apples, salt blocks and more, and delivered them last week to TP's Crunch N Munch, a local rescue shelter in its eighth month of operation.While there, the Scouts learned how to interact with the horses, feed them, figure out their weight and size and learn about the different parts of the animal."For many of the girls this is a first-time experience and they are really excited," said Tammy Selby, troop leader. "This is a wonderful opportunity for the girls to help out the shelter with the items they need."TP's Crunch N Munch opened in February after a large animal abuse case in Carbon County, according to Pearl Sheckler, who runs it along with her family and neighbors.While the rescue teams did a great job, Sheckler said, all the animals could not be taken off site the same day. In fact, it took up to 10 days to get them all removed."We were in a crunch and the animals needed to munch," Sheckler said, "and that is how the shelter really came about. Our goal is to close the circle in the rescue process."All funds distributed to TP's Crunch N Munch go directly to the animals in need, whether it be for food, vet service or whatever it takes to get them out of the environment they are subject to and into a safe place.The shelter has hosted up to 18 animals at one time, mainly from abuse situations in Carbon County."We see all kinds of difficult situations," Sheckler said. "We've had a blind pony, another horse with breathing issues and difficulty putting on weight. A lot of these horses that are rescued are underweight and need help with nutrition."Helping abused animals has long been a passion for Sheckler.While the shelter is a stop in between the abusive or neglectful situation and a horse's new forever home, Sheckler is picky about who can adopt one of the animals."I just don't want to see them back here in a year or two," Sheckler. "We really try to make sure that they are going somewhere they will be loved and cared for."The horses were certainly feeling the love last week as the Scouts fed them rice cakes with honey and apples on them.By the end of the night, the girls had the process down to a science and could do the feeding without the horses munching on their hands.Sheckler said it was the first such group that had visited the shelter."The donkeys were as intrigued with the girls as they were with them," she said. "We gave the girls coloring books with information about the horses. It was really fun and a good experience for all."The shelter is always looking for additional food and supplies."Hay is always a good thing," Sheckler said. "We use the blue Dawn dish detergent, it makes a great fly spray."For more information or to find out how you can help, message the shelter through its Facebook page,

https://www.facebook.com/TPs-Crunch-n-Munch-591930227647982/