An animal shelter in Lake County is searching for a new home after finding out its lease would not be renewed.A Forever Home Animal Shelter has been around for more than a decade, spending about seven years in their current location in Tavares. Lori Mastrantoni started A Forever Home Animal Rescue in Lake County more than a decade ago. “I got the first dog Zena, little pathetic thing. She hated everybody,” Mastrantoni said. “Would bite me all the time. I realized what a need there was out there for somebody to help these animals.”She’s been in the same spot in Tavares for about seven years.But at the end of June, “All of a sudden, I got a non-renewal of my lease. Totally shattered. Totally blew me apart,” Mastrantoni said. Right now, the shelter has dozens of dogs and only until Dec. 31 to figure out what’s next. “These animals depend on us,” Mastrantoni said. “We are their only chance and if we’re gone, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.”The shelter’s volunteers say Lori takes in the dogs others can’t or won’t. “She will not say no to the dog,” Lynda Perlow, a volunteer, said. “Lori’s mission has always been to give every dog love,” Andrea Simmons, a volunteer, said.”For whatever reason, when the shelters can’t take any more dogs in they, call Lori. And they know that she’s here from all over the counties,” said Rae Glover, another longtime volunteer, said. “It’s not just Lake County. All over. And they know if she’s got room, she’s going to take them.”This will mark the second time in the shelter’s history that its lease hasn’t been renewed.And now, A Forever Home is looking for its own forever home.Mastrantoni has found a property in Eustis with the right space and zoning, but they’ll need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to make it happen. “The community needs us because, you know, we pretty much take other dogs that nobody wants to take,” Mastrantoni said. Mastrantoni said as of Saturday, they’ve raised almost $30,000 through their GoFundMe, the shelter’s website, and donations dropped off in person.But it will take a lot more for the shelter to find a new home. She’s not sure what’s next if they can’t. “I don’t even want to think about it,” Mastrantoni said. “I just, I have to. Because I have some dogs that are hard to adopt and they depend on us. I can’t leave them. I have to take care of them. I have to find a place.”If you’d like to help, you can find their GoFundMe here and their website here. Top headlines: Deputies identify woman killed in Orange County shooting Wild doorbell cam video shows Central Florida woman coming face-to-face with bear while walking dog 22-year-old Florida woman wins $1 million on Publix scratch-off ticket
An animal shelter in Lake County is searching for a new home after finding out its lease would not be renewed.
A Forever Home Animal Shelter has been around for more than a decade, spending about seven years in their current location in Tavares.
Lori Mastrantoni started A Forever Home Animal Rescue in Lake County more than a decade ago.
“I got the first dog Zena, little pathetic thing. She hated everybody,” Mastrantoni said. “Would bite me all the time. I realized what a need there was out there for somebody to help these animals.”
She’s been in the same spot in Tavares for about seven years.
But at the end of June, “All of a sudden, I got a non-renewal of my lease. Totally shattered. Totally blew me apart,” Mastrantoni said.
Right now, the shelter has dozens of dogs and only until Dec. 31 to figure out what’s next.
“These animals depend on us,” Mastrantoni said. “We are their only chance and if we’re gone, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.”
The shelter’s volunteers say Lori takes in the dogs others can’t or won’t.
“She will not say no to the dog,” Lynda Perlow, a volunteer, said.
“Lori’s mission has always been to give every dog love,” Andrea Simmons, a volunteer, said.
“For whatever reason, when the shelters can’t take any more dogs in they, call Lori. And they know that she’s here from all over the counties,” said Rae Glover, another longtime volunteer, said. “It’s not just Lake County. All over. And they know if she’s got room, she’s going to take them.”
This will mark the second time in the shelter’s history that its lease hasn’t been renewed.
And now, A Forever Home is looking for its own forever home.
Mastrantoni has found a property in Eustis with the right space and zoning, but they’ll need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to make it happen.
“The community needs us because, you know, we pretty much take other dogs that nobody wants to take,” Mastrantoni said.
Mastrantoni said as of Saturday, they’ve raised almost $30,000 through their GoFundMe, the shelter’s website, and donations dropped off in person.
But it will take a lot more for the shelter to find a new home. She’s not sure what’s next if they can’t.
“I don’t even want to think about it,” Mastrantoni said. “I just, I have to. Because I have some dogs that are hard to adopt and they depend on us. I can’t leave them. I have to take care of them. I have to find a place.”
If you’d like to help, you can find their GoFundMe here and their website here.
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