Help Me Save My House While I Save Animals!
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I run Animal Orphans Animal Rescue & Pet Sanctuary, Inc. We are a 501 c3, Non-Profit, 100% No-Kill, animal rescue that specializes in pets with special needs. A large majority of the pets we take in would be immediately put down at most other rescues due to health conditions or behavioral problems. I believe that every pet deserves a chance even if they're not the most desirable. So if an animal doesn't find a home, they spend their entire lives with us. We try to make the rescue as close to home as possible since this will be 60% of our population's permanent residence.
I started this back in 1999 when I rescued a kitten that was born with no eyes. Since then, we have rescued thousands of pets. For the vast majority of this time, I have done it on my own dime. We receive small amounts of donations which helps but since the very beginning I have paid for more than 90% of all cost for: food, utilities, spay and neuters, housing and vet bills. I never minded it. I had a good job for the longest time and the money I spent on the rescue didn't phase me until I got hurt at work, we got hit by a tornado, I was forced to settle even though I have not been released to go back to work, and I'm on a 18 month waiting list for a disablity hearing. After all that, things have become very stressful.
In August of 2016 we were hit by a tornado. It did a massive amount of damage to our rescue's roof. For two years I tried to raise funds, but $50,000 worth of damage quickly turned into $250,000 worth of damage, despite all my efforts to mitigate the progressing damage. The upstairs of the old church quickly became unusable and the animals housed there had to be moved out and into my house.
The insurance company only covered $7,900 but paid the money to the mortgage company who then refused to pay out to us because we couldn't afford to fix the entire roof. To this day, they are still sitting on the money and have point blank said they have no intention of giving it to us. They have asked for permission to put it towards the mortgage itself; the same mortgage that only $27 out of my monthly payment of $855 actually goes to the principal balance of the loan after 10 years of payments.
The city of Donora then decided to step up and start threatening to fine us or condemn the building. With the threat hanging over our heads, I tried to buy us some more time by pleading with the ordinance officer who then called the Humane Officer. The Humane Officer came in with an search and removal warrant and didn't take anyone because they are all perfectly healthy.
During this time I got seriously injured at work. I was living off of workman's comp. This was also the money that was being used to run the rescue. They recently made me settle which means no more money is coming in. In desperation and with the city threatening to condemn the rescue, I took my settlement money and I bought a new building for the rescue in Monessen, PA. Unfortunately now I don't have any money to live on and I don't have any more money to fix the new building up. I also don't have the money to keep running the rescue.
It cost $400 a week just to buy pet food, litter and supplies. This doesn't include medicine, vet bills or utility bills (that's another $2,500). During this transfer from one building to the other, this is creating two sets of utility bills. That means even more costs than normal. None of this includes my bills, my mortgage and my utilities.
The new Rescue needs a good bit of work before we can get it up to code and move the animals in. This all requires money. We are doing all the remodeling on a shoestring budget, trying to make every dollar stretch but it only goes so far. We have received very generous donations of flooring from The Finishing Touch in Monessen, PA and a utility sink from Beacon in Belle Vernon! I have taken items I had bought for my house and used it for the new rescue. Anything to get it done.
In addition, once we get the animals moved out, the city will require us to tear the old building down or they will fine us. This means we need to come up with $5,000 in order to rent a excavator so that I can tear it down myself because the lowest bid that I was able to get was $95,000. If I had that kind of money I could have saved the building.
I am currently at risk of losing my own house and most of my utilities have shut-off notices. This effects the rescue since I currently house a large number of the animals at my house. What's keeping us afloat is the small amounts of donations that are coming in on a sporadic basis. Just enough to keep food in everyone's bowls and the food bank and snap for me. Also a good friend loaned me some money.
The tornado did damage to my house roof as well. The insurance company also sent that money to the mortgage company who refuses to release that $4,000 for the same reason as the church . . . so my roof is starting to leak and my walls are starting to fall in.
I also haven't had a working hot water tank since August. I've spent $250 in parts, trying to fix it and it still will not light. I've had 2 servicemen look at it and they can't figure out why. I also don't have a working stove so I have been living off of microwavable food that is terrible for you.
The other day, (2/12/19) I found a note on my door from the water company that I had used an abnormally large amount of water and to call them, only to find out that they had not bothered to read my meter since November and that I have used 45,000 gallons of water. After many hours of searching, we have found 13 leaks including a broken pipe under the house that was spewing hot water into my sistrine which is why I didn't notice. That's more water than I use in three years time. I have no idea how I'm going to afford to pay for the water, sewage and electric bill now.
I hate to ask for help because that is not how I was raised but if I lose my home all the animals will be put down. I have tried so hard and spent so much time and money trying to help people and animals alike and now I must ask for your help if the rescue and I are going to make it. It's not like there is a long line of people with a stack of cash and a spare building waiting in the wings ready to take my place as the CEO of this rescue.
I think everyone assumes I have everything under control because I've been making magic happen for years. It seems like I'm always diverting a crisis. But at this point I see no way out without help. It takes a lot for me to ask for help so I hope everybody understands how serious it is that I have. Please consider donating even a dollar. Every little bit adds up. This isn't just for me, this is for all the animals as well.
If you donate to this fundraiser the money goes to my bills and my utilities. If you donate to the other fundraiser, that money goes to the animal rescue so you can choose how you want to help.
https://www.gofundme.com/help-us-move-our-rescue-to-safety&rcid=r01-155069824467-c5b96a59fee74599&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_m
I started this back in 1999 when I rescued a kitten that was born with no eyes. Since then, we have rescued thousands of pets. For the vast majority of this time, I have done it on my own dime. We receive small amounts of donations which helps but since the very beginning I have paid for more than 90% of all cost for: food, utilities, spay and neuters, housing and vet bills. I never minded it. I had a good job for the longest time and the money I spent on the rescue didn't phase me until I got hurt at work, we got hit by a tornado, I was forced to settle even though I have not been released to go back to work, and I'm on a 18 month waiting list for a disablity hearing. After all that, things have become very stressful.
In August of 2016 we were hit by a tornado. It did a massive amount of damage to our rescue's roof. For two years I tried to raise funds, but $50,000 worth of damage quickly turned into $250,000 worth of damage, despite all my efforts to mitigate the progressing damage. The upstairs of the old church quickly became unusable and the animals housed there had to be moved out and into my house.
The insurance company only covered $7,900 but paid the money to the mortgage company who then refused to pay out to us because we couldn't afford to fix the entire roof. To this day, they are still sitting on the money and have point blank said they have no intention of giving it to us. They have asked for permission to put it towards the mortgage itself; the same mortgage that only $27 out of my monthly payment of $855 actually goes to the principal balance of the loan after 10 years of payments.
The city of Donora then decided to step up and start threatening to fine us or condemn the building. With the threat hanging over our heads, I tried to buy us some more time by pleading with the ordinance officer who then called the Humane Officer. The Humane Officer came in with an search and removal warrant and didn't take anyone because they are all perfectly healthy.
During this time I got seriously injured at work. I was living off of workman's comp. This was also the money that was being used to run the rescue. They recently made me settle which means no more money is coming in. In desperation and with the city threatening to condemn the rescue, I took my settlement money and I bought a new building for the rescue in Monessen, PA. Unfortunately now I don't have any money to live on and I don't have any more money to fix the new building up. I also don't have the money to keep running the rescue.
It cost $400 a week just to buy pet food, litter and supplies. This doesn't include medicine, vet bills or utility bills (that's another $2,500). During this transfer from one building to the other, this is creating two sets of utility bills. That means even more costs than normal. None of this includes my bills, my mortgage and my utilities.
The new Rescue needs a good bit of work before we can get it up to code and move the animals in. This all requires money. We are doing all the remodeling on a shoestring budget, trying to make every dollar stretch but it only goes so far. We have received very generous donations of flooring from The Finishing Touch in Monessen, PA and a utility sink from Beacon in Belle Vernon! I have taken items I had bought for my house and used it for the new rescue. Anything to get it done.
In addition, once we get the animals moved out, the city will require us to tear the old building down or they will fine us. This means we need to come up with $5,000 in order to rent a excavator so that I can tear it down myself because the lowest bid that I was able to get was $95,000. If I had that kind of money I could have saved the building.
I am currently at risk of losing my own house and most of my utilities have shut-off notices. This effects the rescue since I currently house a large number of the animals at my house. What's keeping us afloat is the small amounts of donations that are coming in on a sporadic basis. Just enough to keep food in everyone's bowls and the food bank and snap for me. Also a good friend loaned me some money.
The tornado did damage to my house roof as well. The insurance company also sent that money to the mortgage company who refuses to release that $4,000 for the same reason as the church . . . so my roof is starting to leak and my walls are starting to fall in.
I also haven't had a working hot water tank since August. I've spent $250 in parts, trying to fix it and it still will not light. I've had 2 servicemen look at it and they can't figure out why. I also don't have a working stove so I have been living off of microwavable food that is terrible for you.
The other day, (2/12/19) I found a note on my door from the water company that I had used an abnormally large amount of water and to call them, only to find out that they had not bothered to read my meter since November and that I have used 45,000 gallons of water. After many hours of searching, we have found 13 leaks including a broken pipe under the house that was spewing hot water into my sistrine which is why I didn't notice. That's more water than I use in three years time. I have no idea how I'm going to afford to pay for the water, sewage and electric bill now.
I hate to ask for help because that is not how I was raised but if I lose my home all the animals will be put down. I have tried so hard and spent so much time and money trying to help people and animals alike and now I must ask for your help if the rescue and I are going to make it. It's not like there is a long line of people with a stack of cash and a spare building waiting in the wings ready to take my place as the CEO of this rescue.
I think everyone assumes I have everything under control because I've been making magic happen for years. It seems like I'm always diverting a crisis. But at this point I see no way out without help. It takes a lot for me to ask for help so I hope everybody understands how serious it is that I have. Please consider donating even a dollar. Every little bit adds up. This isn't just for me, this is for all the animals as well.
If you donate to this fundraiser the money goes to my bills and my utilities. If you donate to the other fundraiser, that money goes to the animal rescue so you can choose how you want to help.
https://www.gofundme.com/help-us-move-our-rescue-to-safety&rcid=r01-155069824467-c5b96a59fee74599&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_m
Organizer
Chris Harr
Organizer
Donora, PA
