In Lake County, A Forever Home Animal Rescue now has a forever home of its own

A Forever Home Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter known for rescuing and rehoming vulnerable dogs, held a grand opening ceremony recently at its new location, 1400 S. Bay St. in Eustis. The shelter's relocation comes after the non-renewal of its lease at the previous Tavares location, placing the organization in a challenging situation that could have affected the fates of dozens of animals in its care.

The new 2,040-square-foot property, while smaller, offers a fresh start for the shelter.

“It’s a lot smaller and my mortgage is much higher, but it’s ours,” owner Lori Mastrantoni said. “I have to take care of our dogs. That’s what it’s all about. And nobody can kick us out.”

Operating for more than a decade, A Forever Home Animal Rescue received an outpouring of community support after announcing the need for a new location. Nearly $100,000 was raised through various fundraising efforts, allowing the shelter to put a down payment on the new property.

Mastrantoni and her team of volunteers began renovations on the new location in February. The vacant building needed individual rooms built for the dogs, a working kitchen, bathrooms, and a yard for the pups to play.

“I’m ecstatic that it’s finally open,” Mastrantoni said. “I mean, it’s really an act of God. We have a long way to go yet. We’re half the size that we were. Our donations are down. Our adoptions are down. We need new floors, but it’s ours.”

Volunteer Paula Dale was excited to see all their hard work pay off, but said there was still so much more to do.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s amazing,” Dale said. “We need to get dogs in and out quicker, adopted, because we don’t have as much space. We are always needing volunteers and people to foster those dogs who need a little extra help adapting. The heart and love for these dogs that I’ve seen here is just incredible.”

For more information on how to contribute or get involved, visit www.aforeverhomeanimalrescue.org or call 407-221-1855. Updates on the shelter’s adoptable dogs are available on facebook.com/aforeverhomeanimalrescue/.