Pam Vivirito of Equine Angels Rescue tends to one of the horses that will be relocated when the horse rescue group moves to Hidden Oaks Farm on Glasgow Road in Gibsonia. The group is again accepting horses after a several-month hiatus.

GIBSONIA, Allegheny County — A horse rescue group that called it quits after running into controversy and legal troubles is making a comeback at a new location and with a slightly different mission.

Pam Vivirito of Equine Angels Rescue on Tuesday was unpacking belongings and the rescue horses still in the care of the organization.

The group is moving from a stable in Cabot to Hidden Oaks Farms on Glasgow Road.

With the new location, Vivirito said, comes a renewed spirit and a slightly altered intent.

After taking a several-month hiatus at the advice of its attorneys, the group once again will accept horses. However, those animals will be retirees from racetracks and cases in which the owner just can’t provide for them anymore. The group also hopes to begin assistance and education for horse owners.

It will no longer be in the business of caretaking for animals seized in abuse cases.

The group, during its 5-year existence, rescued nearly 150 horses from abuse or neglect.

But a handful of the horses’ owners successfully fought to have charges of neglect against them withdrawn, and they sued for the return of their animals. The lawsuit, which alleged the horses were improperly taken, eventually was settled for $105,000 in the horse owners’ favor.

Vivirito said the news coverage of these events caused the nonprofit group’s donations to drop and the organization slowly began downsizing the 27 horses in its care with the intent of folding.

“I did some soul searching,” Vivirito said. “My heart told me to keep going.”

The group plans to relocate with 6 of its 10 remaining horses. Four of the horses will be placed with new owners. That will leave four open stalls available for newcomers.

“The past is behind us and we are looking forward to helping as many horses as we are able to,” Vivirito said.

In addition to accepting retired racehorses and animals owners no longer want, “we are also going to begin to educate owners and help those that need help. Whether it be grain, hay, vet care ... whatever we can do within our budget to help.

“We would like to be able to help the owners who have run into bad luck to be able to keep their horses with help from the rescue. Some people just need to get through a rough time and need to find a way to make it work for a brief time.”