COCOA, Fla. – A Brevard County woman's love for animals has led her to take on a big project: opening a sanctuary for hundreds of animals of all sizes.
Katherine Johnson, founder of Friends for Animals Sanctuary, said they're dogs and cats that have a hard time finding a new home because of their behavior, or maybe because some people don't find them pretty enough to take home.
Johnson is hoping to turn the county into a no-kill place for thousands of shelter animals that don't get adopted easily.
"I want to save them and the worse they are, the sicker they are, the more they're into my heart and the more I just love working with them," Johnson said.
Right now, she has 17 acres in Cocoa that's currently a construction zone. It's a dream that had Johnson selling her accounting business in 2011 to create The Animal Sanctuary.
"Phase one was where we cleared all the pepper trees, we graded everything, grubbed everything. We brought fill in to start putting the pads up. We're going right into phase two right now, which is going to be all the electrical, plumbing, the septic tanks," Johnson said.
Even without the finished facility, Johnson is already fostering cats and dogs.
"We made a decision back in 2012 to start saving animals as we were building so we don't save as many animals as a lot of the other rescues because we're trying to do two at once but we've done over 350 cats and dogs over the last six years," she said.
The land already has some residents: three horses and a donkey named Jesse.
They've lived in a 40-year-old barn since 2005. It's part of the land she purchased. Johnson said she's making sure they remain here even after the project is completed.
"These horses are used to roaming free for all these years. We will not corral them," Johnson said.
The Animal Sanctuary will be home to forgotten shelter animals, as well as neglected farm animals -- a project estimated to cost about $2 millions. Johnson is using her own money from a Thrift store she owns, as well as donations from the community, but she'll likely need more to be able to get real results.
"We still need monetary donations. We still need to get this whole thing built. We have enough money to get phase two done -- get these two buildings done -- and hopefully start phase three, but I don't have enough yet to complete the whole entire project. If there's any contractors that would love to help us please contact us. And volunteers," Johnson said.
The facility will have an intake center, a veterinary clinic, a cat cottage, a barn and dog bungalows --among other buildings.
Johnson said the facility will be equipped to handle up to 300 animals at any given time, depending on their size.
Johnson said she hopes between the SPCA, the Humane Society and all the private rescues that are out there, Brevard County will be a no-kill county soon.
"And once that happens that gives us the ability to either take in surrenders or you know move to other counties and help other counties with their overpopulation."
"I truly want to save these animals and I just want to have a legacy that in Brevard County there is a way to save them," Johnson said.
To make a donation to The Animal Sanctuary visit theanimalsanctuary.org.