Community Raises Over $60K To Save Animal Shelter Facing Eviction

The spirit of generosity and giving around the Christmas season is still alive and well, and one no-kill, nonprofit animal shelter in Illinois has the donation basket to prove it.

Last week, Cache Creek Animal Rescue in the town of Joliet was hit with an eviction notice, threatening to take away the safe haven for dogs and cats at the facility who were hoping to find a new family. Devastated at the thought that the animals might be left homeless for the holidays, the shelter started an online fundraiser in a desperate bid to raise money to secure a new location.

Thanks to local news reports about the rescue center's plight, and an outpouring of support on social media, donations began pouring in faster than anyone could have ever expected. Just one day after launching a campaign on GoFundMe, the shelter had exceeded its goal of $50,000, with donations coming in from animal lovers from around the country.

Shelter worker Tori Spetz told The Dodo that she and the other volunteers were "in shock."

"We're all so humbled by the love and support we've received from everyone," says Spetz. "It's amazing to see all the communities come together to help us. We're just a small little animal shelter. So, to see all these people who truly care about animals and care about us succeeding, it's really amazing."

As of Friday, the donations are still coming in, with more than $67,000 raised so far.

But more than the money, the extra attention has led to something even more important: animals finding forever homes.

"We've gotten phone calls all day long and tons of adoptions," says Spetz. "Sometimes it's just people saying 'good luck', but it's amazing to see everyone come together like this."

With the added funding, Spetz says the shelter should be able to afford an even better location, as well as more comfortable kennels for their animals. Most important, the donations represent lives saved - all the animals at Cache Creek are rescued from kill shelters throughout the state.