Slump in donations forces Brown County sanctuary to turn away farm animal rescue requests
MT. ORAB, Ohio (WKRC) — A Brown County animal sanctuary has fallen on some hard times.
Foreverland Farm says funding is so low they’re having to turn down requests to rescue more farm animals.
A Brown County animal sanctuary has fallen on some hard times. Foreverland Farm says funding is so low they’re having to turn down requests to rescue more farm animals. (WKRC)
“I think I have gotten 50 inquiries about us helping animals in our community that needed placement,” said Foreverland Farm founder and executive director Brittney Kane.
She says they weren’t able to fulfill any of those requests because of their current situation.
“Our funding has been down significantly this past year. It’s about 50 percent down from where it typically is,” said Kane.
Kane says that is due to a decrease in donations they’re used to seeing. She says they’re pursuing a grant opportunity through a private foundation.
“Who’s willing to match up to $10,000? So if we can raise $10,000, they will give us another,” said Kane.
They’ve raised $6,000 so far, with the remaining total needed by the end of the month.
“So, if we can raise that funding, it’ll pay for feed for the animals for at least the next two months,” said Kane.
Not a permanent solution, but something Kane says will take some of the pressure off while they work on other sustainable options for the sanctuary. Kane says the sanctuary sits on 15 acres of land and is home to a variety of animals.
A Brown County animal sanctuary has fallen on some hard times. Foreverland Farm says funding is so low they’re having to turn down requests to rescue more farm animals. (WKRC)
“We have chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs. We have a llama, a cow, and we have a lot of horses,” said Kane.
The nonprofit was founded back in 2018, eventually purchasing their property in Mt. Orab three years ago. Kane says there are 110 animals. Some of them were rescued, others were surrendered, and some have high medical costs that people just can’t afford.
She says many of them have their own unique story, including a turkey named Rumor.
“Rumor was going to be used for Thanksgiving dinner, so we took him in a little bit before Thanksgiving, and he’s been with us, oh my gosh, almost since the beginning, probably late 2018,” said Kane.
A Brown County animal sanctuary has fallen on some hard times. Foreverland Farm says funding is so low they’re having to turn down requests to rescue more farm animals. (WKRC)
Kane says depending on the day, it costs about $1,500 a day to run Foreverland Farm. The sanctuary holds a special place in her heart.
“It’s honestly exceeded all of my expectations; that’s why it’s been such a struggle lately thinking that, you know, this beautiful thing that we’ve all built together could be taken away. That’s been the hardest part,” said Kane.
If you would like to help Foreverland Farm, click here.