MOUNT ORAB, Ohio — A local animal sanctuary is hosting two special Pride Month events this month, hoping to raise much-needed funds after experiencing a significant donation shortfall.
Foreverland Farm Animal Sanctuary in Mount Orab provides a forever home and care to more than 110 animals, many of which were abandoned, abused or slaughter-bound.
"It's a tour around the sanctuary with myself and my partner, Sawyer. We're the founders of the sanctuary, so people get to hear the stories from us, the people that rescued them," said co-owner Britteny Kane.
Meet the rescued animals of Foreverland Farm as they host Pride events to overcome funding challenges:
Kane's passion for animal rescue began years ago with her first horse.
"When I got older, I rescued my first horse named Booger, who's still here with us," said Kane. "He has a lot of medical conditions and at that time, you know, I started to learn, horses like him were kind of seen as disposable."
Many of the sanctuary's animals have a similar story — left by owners who didn't care about their welfare. A few weeks ago, they received a call from a woman who said a neighbor was planning to shoot two pigs that had been roaming around their neighborhood for over a month. The sanctuary picked them up and shared their story online.
"Somebody commented on the video and said, 'Hey, those were actually my landlords' pigs, and they knew that they got out, and we told them about it, and they said that they didn't care,'" said Kane.
Kane said they moved from a smaller sanctuary in Amelia after years of searching, but operating costs are substantial, requiring approximately $400,000 to $500,000 annually.
The sanctuary lost a $20,000 donation last year, making community support even more crucial.
"The hope would be that there's more people who do support us than not, you know, and fill in that gap that they left," said Kane.
Kane believes these Pride Month events offer an opportunity for visitors to connect with the animals in meaningful ways.
"I also think it's important for people to see them, learn their stories, connect with them in a way that maybe they have not before," said Kane.
All ticket sales from the Pride events will directly support the sanctuary's operations.
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