A local animal sanctuary is in need of support after the extreme winter weather that swept across the Lowcountry this past week.
The near 40-acre Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary is home to more than 200 animals. The sanctuary in Hollywood South Carolina near Charleston offers cats and dogs with no other home or shelter a place to find solitude, love, and support with space to be outdoors.
With the extreme cold, the director said they anticipate an astronomical electricity bill for January and are asking the community to help.
“We've got good cabins for all the animals and nice long runs," said Mike Gibbons, Director of Development for Halle Hill Animal Sanctuary. "So they're shielded from the elements and they've got lots of room to run and basically their own big yard to play in."
The nonprofit relies heavily on volunteer donations. They said they had to run their heaters 24/7 to keep the animals safe outdoors.
“Every one of our barns is equipped with heat lamps as well as our cattery,” Gibbons said. “That adds a tremendous electric bill."
They are asking the community to find it in their hearts to donate. Donations can be made online, or by mail with a check, and can be in the form of sponsorships for individual pets, sponsorships for canine cabins or cat condos, or planned giving to their legacy society. You can also help Hallie Hill by purchasing supplies from Their Amazon Wishlist. All donation options can be found here.
“A lot of these animals are animals that may be a little bit more difficult to adopt,” Gibbons said.
Hallie Hill Takes care of 150 dogs and 50 cats on their property. They believe they can’t change an animal’s past, but can rewrite their future.
“We are able to take time to either work with socialization, to work with health issues, to get them ready to go into a forever home," Gibbons said. "And if not, then, they can make this their forever home."
Hallie Hill helps Charleston maintain the status of being a "No-Kill Community" by working with local shelters and rescues to take in dogs that might not get adopted due to age, medical, or behavioral issues. For other animals who may have been surrendered or rescued, Hallie Hill serves as place to become adoption ready.