‘Praying for a miracle:’ Non-profit sanctuary for farm animals faces foreclosure
By Charles Perez
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YANCEY COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — A Western North Carolina animal sanctuary is on the verge of closing.
The Blue Heart Sanctuary in Green Mountain has been in the business of saving animals for more than two decades.
The Yancey County non-profit, home to many farm animals who no longer serve an economic purpose, has been a refuge to many animals who otherwise would not have survived.
“A lot of people look at them (the animals) as, ‘what profit can I make off them / what are they going to produce for me?’,” Blue Heart Owner Michelle Castner said of the animals she rescues.
Over the years, Blue Heart has been home to horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Castner says there are a lot of mouths to feed, and it’s an undertaking that comes with some expense.
On March 13, Blue Heart Sanctuary will have its day in foreclosure court. Should the court choose to foreclose on the business property, Castner and her many animals will face an uncertain future. It’s a fate, she says, she’s still hoping to avoid.
“It’s been incredibly challenging for me to reach out and ask for help, to ask for support,” Castner said.
The rescuer says she hopes someone will come forward to help avert foreclosure and a county demand that she and the animals vacate the property. If that happens, she says many of the animals won’t survive.
“I’ve kinda exhausted all possibilities,” Castner said. “I’m praying for a miracle.”
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