What We Do Why "The Gingersnap Girls" Meet The "Girls" Our founder, Ann Mercer, feeding Brell the treat of choice - Gingersnaps! The Gingersnap Girls Foundation was there... - Good Samaritan Program, helping animals and people in short term critical need. - for an elderly woman who could no longer care for her geriatric horse - to provide respite care for a pony whose owner was undergoing severe emotional problems - to raise funds to assist a large animal rescue disaster team after Hurricane Katrina - to develop a humane education curriculum for elementary school students.

"Always Loved, Forever Remembered"

Dear Friends,

As another year comes to an end, we want to thank those of you who have helped us very much. Without you, the Gingersnap Girls Foundation could not have made it to our 19th year of rescue.

We would like to share with you some news of this past year – some is happy news, some is very sad. We started 2022 with much sadness. We lost our very sweet Willow to a sudden illness. It was devastating for us, and in her honor, we rescued another haflinger mare, Hope. Hope was shipping to direct slaughter and the Gingersnap Girls Foundation rescued her at the 11th hour. In October of this year, we lost Lucky, our 43 year old pony who was so special to everyone. He was rescued 12 years ago from an abusive pony ride operator. When we rescued him, we were not sure he would even survive a week, and for 12 years he made us very happy.  

And some good news – Maeve and Gabe, who were rescued a few years ago and were immediately adopted, came back to us in the spring due to their adopter's illness. This fall, in a great adventure, Maeve and Gabe went to live with dear friends in Montana and are doing great.  

In addition, we have directly rescued 23 horses in the last 8 months and are currently helping 5 more indirectly. All of these horses and ponies were destined for slaughter, and all have come from abuse and neglect. Currently, we have 18 under our immediate care in our permanent sanctuary, and recently Georgia, Zack, Molly, and Star were adopted into loving homes.  

Due to taking in so many that are in serious need, we have been hit very hard with veterinary bills – harder than ever before in our history. Our current veterinary bills are so large that they have the potential to make our future look dim. If you would like to make a direct donation to our veterinary practice, we would very much appreciate any help:
Haymarket Veterinary Service 703-754-3309 (Ask for Liam or Mary)  

Our Good Samaritan Program, established nearly 4 years ago, has assisted over 60 families just this year. Through this program, we help families and individuals by enabling them to care for their beloved animals during a short-term critical need. This year, we’ve made it possible for 123 horses, multiple dogs and cats, a few goats and a bunny to remain in their home to keep them out of livestock sales and shelters. This year we have worked hard to provide feed, hay and pet food for these animals. In addition, we provide groceries to the “human family”.  

Presently, we are in great need of adopters and sponsors, as well as foster homes. It’s a wonderful way to help our organization and provide care for animals rescued from abuse, abandonment and slaughter.  

With only 2 days remaining in this year, we are asking for your help to continue our mission of rescuing the abused, abandoned, sick and slaughter bound. We ask you to please consider making a tax deductible, end of year donation to help our rescue. All donations are currently TRIPLED through midnight, December 31, 2022, by longtime supporters, the Hughes family and friends.  

The Gingersnap Girls Foundation wishes all of our wonderful supporters a very safe, happy, and healthy New Year. Thank you to all of you.

Happy New Year!

Melea Ann Mercer Founder/Director Email: info@gingersnapgirls.org, mercerpayton@aol.com  
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About Us

We were founded in honor and memory of three mares, Calypso, Chrissy and Flag who were each saved from the slaughter truck by their own angels.

Each came to us from different places and each at different times, but together they were The Gingersnap Girls, leaving a legacy of strength, hope, and courage in the quest to help save other slaughter bound equines, in addition to providing aid to any equine enduring abuse, neglect, or misunderstanding. Each had an abiding and overwhelming love of gingersnaps!

The Gingersnap Girls Equine Education and Rescue Foundation was founded in 2004 becoming a 501 (c)(3) organization classified with the IRS as a public charity in 2005.

What We Do

The list shown on the left are but a few ways The Gingersnap Girls Foundation assists in helping our equine friends - and human friends, too.Without your generous support we cannot continue to help the abused, neglected, or homeless horses and ponies. In addition, with your help, we can continue our educational programs to ensure future generations will not ever know abuse as we do now and there will be no need for organizations such as the Gingersnap Girls!

Why "the gingersnap girls"

Many people have asked how "the Gingersnap Girls" got their name. Simply - the three mares in whose honor we were founded,
All had developed a very healthy appetite for and ongoing
Love of gingersnap cookies. (Murray's being the number one choice!)

Chrissy, Calypso, and Flag ate them until the day they left us to go to heaven. In fact, in the last two days of Chrissy’s life, gingersnaps were the ONLY thing we could get her to eat.

A friend, knowing of the girls' great fondness for this cookie, one day asked me how the Gingersnap Girls were doing.

Years later, the name sticks!

NOTE: for those that wonder if these cookies are "healthy" treats, I have only to say that they have the vet's approval and as proof, Chrissy lived until she was 32 years old, Flag was 33 and Calypso made the ripe old age of 30! TLC and gingersnaps are a good combination!

Meet the "Girls"

Calypso: Calypso was a thoroughbred, bred in Maryland, bound for the race track. She was slow on the track and a well-meaning trainer turned her into a fox hunter who eventually passed through several hands, ending up alone in a field in a snowstorm with no shelter, food, or water. A well-meaning neighbor saw her plight, and began feeding her. When her owners planned to take her to a livestock sale because she was no longer wanted, this same neighbor stepped in and contacted a local equine rescue group where she was quickly adopted by our founder. Flag: No early history is known of this sweet mare except that someone must have been very kind to her at one time for she had the most loving of dispositions. But someone else was not so kind, leaving Flag and another horse abandoned in a field - moving away and leaving them with no food or water. Again, a kind stranger noticed and took action. Chrissy: Chris was found at a livestock auction boarding a killer buyer's truck. She was bought for $150 by another person who "just wanted to help." She had won over $200,000 on the track for her owner, became a broodmare and was then left to fend for herself in a back field of her owner's property. No food, very little water, no medical care. When she was found, she was hundreds of pounds underweight with rain rot, and was very mistrustful of everyone. Her owner had tried to get the last nickel out of her by selling her to the killer buyers where she would have become food for a European or Japanese plate!

SHADES OF THE EARTH Against every season's landscape From summer's green to winter's bare limbs, I have watched these three souls Learn to trust again, and become friends. They came from very different places And to me at different times, But from the moment I saw each brown eye, I knew I was theirs and they were mine. I will never know who once taught one to be so loving, Or who gave confidence to the one so bold and sure, Or the man who inflicted such pain, That the third one had to endure. I can never know how their spirits have persevered, Or what their eyes have seen, But, my thanks will always be to those who spared them From what their fates might have been. For myself, I only know what joy they bring, And how I want their lives only filled with bliss, And, I only know they are my "Shades of the Earth", Known to my heart as Calypso, Flag, and Chris . . . M.A. Mercer 5/95