An animal sanctuary in Racine County is in a tough spot after leaders said their energy bill nearly doubled.
Tiny Hooves Sanctuary board president Sandi Swiss said their nonprofit went from paying about $700 a month one year to $1,200 during the same period the following year.
"That is almost $500 that we don’t have to spend on the animals now for food, for shavings, for necessary medical care," Swiss explained. "Obviously, we were expecting a little bit of an increase because everything is costing more, but we weren’t expecting that much."
The sanctuary in Union Grove currently cares for about 150 farm animals, many rescued, elderly, or with special needs.
Swiss also said they receive weekly requests to take in new animals, which, unfortunately, they have to turn down because they can’t afford to care for any additional animals.
Many in Wisconsin are also experiencing what Tiny Hooves staff and volunteers are going through after Wisconsin's Public Service Commission approved a We Energies rate increase to help pay for clean energy projects.
“Just the thought that we wouldn’t be able to give them the care that they deserve because of resources,” staffer Courtney Maye said, “It’s a scary thought for sure.”
Maye, who works as an animal care employee, hopes it never comes to that.
The non-profit plans to rely on aggressive fundraising and the generosity of community members to keep their mission intact.
Watch: We Energies bill hike puts Racine animal sanctuary in a tough spot
“We have promised to take care of all of these animals for the remainder of their lives and give them the best life possible,” Swiss said. “We are dedicated to doing that.”
If you want to support Tiny Hooves Sanctuary you can sign up to volunteer or donate on their website.
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