COVENTRY – Tara Farm Rescue, which has saved more than a hundred animals, now needs a little help itself.
The Coventry farm is trying to raise money to build a new barn after its last one was destroyed by years of winter weather.
Tara Farm Rescue was started by Bonnie Jeanne Gorden more than two decades ago. When she started, she worked three jobs just to get the place, which had previously been a condemned farm, up and running.
“It’s been a long road, it's everything, it’s what runs through the veins in my body, it's what’s in my heart,” Gorden said.
The original barn, “Buster’s Barn,” had to be knocked down and needs to be replaced. The new barn will be a home for rescue horses, where hay can be stored and the animals can be treated by a veterinarian.
The building is expected to cost more than $30,000. Gorden says donations, which are what keep the farm up and running, have been low since the recession in 2008.
Tara Farm houses more than 100 abandoned, abused and neglected animals at any given time. Right now there are 38 horses, two donkeys, six pot-belly pigs, 20 chickens, two peacocks, three dogs and 20 cats living on the property.
Many of the animals are up for adoption, while others are looking for sponsorship since they’ll spend the rest of their life on the farm.
“It’s not fancy, it’s not a beautiful place, but that’s not what it takes. It just takes safe, clean and lots of love,” she said. “I sacrificed everything in my life for this and no regrets.”
Tara Farm not only saves animals, but people too. Gorden said it’s become a place people spend time, including troubled children, homeless people, and those who just need a pick-me-up.
“I've seen so many people come here and find just so much in the animals because it’s an unselfish love,” she said.
The nonprofit animal sanctuary is funded by private donations and staffed by volunteers, but it needs your help to stay afloat. You can donate to the Go Fund Me page.
The farm, located at 670 Babcock Hill Rd, is also collecting any animal-related donations: cat and dog food, hay, blankets, etc., which can be dropped off on site.