‘I had to stay for them’: Vermilion Co. community rallies together for animal shelter during AC outage

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Following a long and hot last 24 hours, things are looking up for the Vermilion County Animal Shelter, and it’s all thanks to the efforts of a community rallying behind them.

On Thursday, the air conditioner at the animal shelter broke, creating a situation that left hundreds of cats and dogs in 90-degree heat.

After putting out a call for help, the shelter saw volunteers flood in; people brought supplies, offered their homes to animals, and gave their time to the shelter.

“I really don’t know what we would have done if people wouldn’t have been coming out to help and support us,” said Vermilion County Animal Shelter Director Kasey Snyder,

A/C outages resulted in the shelter’s interior temperature reaching nearly 90 degrees and impacting almost 200 animals.

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The dogs and cats soon found sweet relief thanks to the efforts of volunteers like Maureen Donofrio. She and many others took in foster animals while donating items the shelter needed.

“The response was just awesome,” Donofrio said. “And as a volunteer that’s been here for many years now, the need that they have for people to step in, that was very heartwarming.”

People from across Central Illinois flocked to help. Some volunteers, like Jodi Duncheon, stayed for up to 12 hours.

“The need was so great that I couldn’t go home,” Duncheon said. “I had to stay for them. If they had to be in this heat, the rooms that I was cleaning, the cat rooms were 87 degrees. And when you reach inside one of these cages, it’s metal. The heat is so much worse when you’re inside the cage.”

A majority of the cats and dogs found foster families and air conditioning almost immediately. Snyder said dedicated care made all the difference.

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“When you have a situation like this that happens suddenly, you almost feel like you’re drowning,” Snyder said. “When people come in fresh to volunteer and they’re ready to work, it just makes such a difference for everybody. It’s amazing the difference it makes for staff and the morale,” says Snyder.

Among items donated were portable A/C units and fans, too much ice to count, cooling mats, sun shaders for the kennel outside, and 25 kiddie pools for dogs to cool down in.

The dog days of summer were lessened by the kindness of others.

“Even if the air weren’t getting fixed today, we would be able to combine the animals that we have left into the rooms that still have air,” Snyder said. “So either way, at this point, we’re in good shape,” says Snyder.

The air conditioning got fully up and running late Friday afternoon. The shelter hopes that families who stepped up yesterday continue to help out as foster locations in the future.

“Just keep supporting the shelter as much as you can in any way you can,” Snyder said.

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