‘Outpouring of tangible love’: Community rallies behind local farm owner to help keep her property

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A local farm and animal rescue that offers therapeutic and educational experiences for thousands of children and families is safe, thanks to a massive wave of community support.

Just 24 hours ago, Shannon Carroll, owner of Redemptive Love Farm and Rescue, believed she was about to lose everything.

Carroll recently learned she owed roughly $25,000 in back property taxes that she says she wasn’t aware of and feared the sanctuary she spent years building would soon be auctioned off.

“I haven’t even been able to digest the fact that I could lose the property because it can’t end that way,” Carroll said in a Monday interview with WCTV. “I mean, my daughter is buried here, this is where she grew up and she found a home and she found a family and she flourished. My story can’t end this way.”

She shared her story with the community, launched a GoFundMe and hoped for a miracle.

In less than a day, donors from across the community raised enough money to save the farm.

“God says, ask and you shall receive. So, I did have faith that it would help. But I did not expect the snowball effect that happened in just six hours. And it was overwhelming,” Carroll said.

For nearly a decade, Carroll has turned twelve acres into a refuge for more than 75 rescued animals, thousands of students, children with special needs and families looking for healing.

It’s a place she built after seeing first hand how animals transformed the lives of her own adopted children.

“Our work is our heart and our passion,” Carroll said. “And our work behind here is to bring joy to people.”

Now, after years of rescuing animals, she says it was the community that rescued her.

“Thank you for being an outpouring of tangible love in my life when I really needed it. I didn’t want to tell anybody I needed it, but I did,” Carroll said.

As of Tuesday, Carroll’s GoFundMe has completely cleared the $25,000 tax bill, ensuring the farm can continue serving the community for years to come.

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