WELLINGTON, Ohio — Lily's Rose's property in Wellington is cloaked in love, because for decades, no one showed her any. Then a little dog named Lobo came along. Though, he was given to her by her captor, Lily says it helped her get through her experience.
"It was one thing that he gave me that actually helped me stay alive in the house," Lily said.
So, she vowed to open up a safe haven for animals, in Lobo's honor.
"I wanted to call it Unleashed Animal Rescue because I wanted every animal that went through abuse and neglect to know that they have a right to be unleashed," Lily said.
And, they are. At Unleashed Animal Rescue, everyone gets the same amount of care. The dogs, alpacas, pony, birds, and rabbit, too.
Lily works tirelessly to help these animals heal.
"Just seeing the joy on each animal's face when they go home with their special person. It also brings tears to my eyes. I fell in love with each and every one of these animals. So when they leave me, they gotta be with a good person because I wouldn't let 'em go," Lily said.
Now, the healing has extended to those who need it most.
"I help young youth, so I give them a positive alternative. Instead of going out there, breaking the law and going back into the same routine, I give them a outlet to come see how the farm is, what it feels like to work on a farm," Lily said.
She's partnered with Lorain County Domestic Relations Court and will host an event on June 8 from 10am-2:30 p.m., where young people can interact with the animals.
"I believe that telling my story to them and giving them hope, actually turned their life around and actually gave them hope for their self," Lily said.
She's also providing services to domestic violence survivors.
"What we do is we give them a period of time where they can let their animal stay here free of charge," Lily said. "And what that does is give them safety to know that their loving pet is okay."
This is Lily's life. She's up early working to make her animals' lives better, cleaning their enclosures, giving them food and water, and making sure they have enough exercise.
While she's still working through her own trauma, Lily feels at peace knowing she's helping others work through their own.
"I think God put me on the earth as a second chance to do good," Lily said. "I wanna make a difference. I wanna give people hope. I wanna give people hope when there is none."
Unleashed Rescue relies on donations to keep thriving. If you'd like to help, donate or volunteer click HERE.
For more information on Unleashed, click HERE.
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