A handful of horse owners who are suing to get their animals back from a Cabot-based rescue group have asked the courts to forbid the group from adopting out the animals to new owners.

Pam Vivirito, owner of Equine Angels, already has said six of the horses have found new homes.

Those horses, originally belonging to Brian Arendosh of Fairview Township, were taken the same day in March that Arendosh was charged by state police with animal cruelty.

After the charges were dropped later by the Butler County District Attorney, Arendosh asked the county courts to give him his animals back, and he joined four other horse owners in suing Equine Angels in federal court.

That lawsuit, which claims the animals were removed under duress of Vivirito and the state police, also seeks return of the animals.

The other plaintiffs are Geraldine Geibel of Summit Township; Debra Gaus and Jessica Gosset of Venango County; and Elan Welter-Lewis of Clearfield Township.

In a motion filed Monday, Butler attorney Alexander Lindsey asks the federal court to block Equine Angels from adopting out any more horses. Alleging the adoptions are equivalent to sales because the rescue group asks $500 from every person who takes an animal, the motion alleges the adoptions would permanently prevent the rightful owners from getting their property back.

“They have no right to pursue the sale of said horses under the guise of attempting to solicit donations,” states the motion, which also asks for immediate return of the animals.

When questioned later, Lindsey said it was unclear what Equine Angels’ responsibility would be to retrieve the horses if his clients win the lawsuit.

“All we know is that her disposal of the horses while this matter is in front of Judge (Timothy) McCune in the state court and Judge (Thomas) McVerry in the federal level is a significant complication,” Lindsey said.

When contacted Tuesday, Vivirito said she plans to continue with the adoptions.

Additionally, Equine Angels is screening people who have applied to adopt a second set of 10 horses originally owned by Welter Lewis.

“We are going to do what is in the best interest of these horses,” said Vivirito, who earlier claimed the horses had to be adopted out because her group could no longer afford to feed and care for them.