ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — The weather is causing challenges for an Adams County animal rescue sanctuary, which said it has been hit with more rain and flooding than it's ever seen before.
"You think you get ahead one day, and you make plans to get a machine to start cleaning up from the flood, and the next day, you get another two inches of rain," Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary founder Andrea Davis said. "We feel very disheartened by the way that the weather just keeps pounding us."
She said the sanctuary is home to over 500 farm animals that include 20 different species, several of which have been brought in after being abused and/or neglected.
"Everything from water buffaloes, and cows, to all the farm birds, geese, chickens, ducks," Davis said.
The sanctuary has recently been impacted by severe weather.
"It's hard sometimes in the morning for me to come out and look around and see the devastation," she said. "The amount of rain that's hit, the way it's changed the landscape ... it's prevented us from doing the clean-up that we need to do."
However, an opportunity to revamp the space has appeared during a time they need it the most. Eight acres of land next door has become available.
"If all goes well, we will almost double our space," she said. "This is kind of our 'Hail Mary.' It will absolutely help this whole sanctuary heal and become the beautiful place that it was before all of this happened to us."
But they need help in order to do that.
"We have about a month to finish fund-raising for our down payment and everything that we need to secure the funding," Davis said.
She said the sanctuary has received some money because it was selected as one of three charities Gov. Jared Polis chose to help with money raised during the Inaugural Ball.
However, they still need more assistance. They're hoping the community can help.
In addition to the money coming from the governor's charity, another donor has offered to match donations up to $100,000.
They've also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to collect money.
