WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Fairytale Farm Animal Sanctuary is all about second chances.
"All the animals here come from either some sort of physical or emotional trauma or neglect," said Kimberly Dunckel, Director of Fairytale Farm and Animal Sanctuary.
Dunckel and a host of volunteers cared for the animals when no one else would.
Recently, a Winston-Salem zoning inspector ordered her to stop holding events on the farm since it was located in a residential zoning district.
Those events allowed others to interact with the animals while helping fund the cost of their care.
"We are volunteers too, our family does not make a single penny. We spend a lot of money on the animals, but we don't make any of it, we don't keep any of it," said Dunckel. "To us, this place is a community rescue not just like our personal rescue."
Winston-Salem Planning Director Chris Murphy says the farm and its purpose are not the issues.
Since the farm was not in a commercial district, zoning ordinances did not allow events on the property.
Even though the Fairytale farm is a 501-C-3 nonprofit.
"I think it's a good program, I think it's admirable what they're doing," said Murphy. "They can continue to care for the animals as long as they don't have animals that are not supposed to be there, have the proper number of animals, their housing and stuff is correct. They can do fundraising, they just can't have events there."
For volunteers like Sarah Vogan and Liam Barnes, this is a heartbreaking hurdle.
"Some of the animals are very friendly like immediately and some of them you have to work up to," said Barnes.
"It hurts even more that we've shared with the community what's going on in and hearing their stories, and just how special it is to everyone else too," said Vogan.
The city says rezoning is an option, although it is not likely.
"The ordinance could be changed that would provide some ability to do what's been done, but again, it can't be done just for this property, it would have to be looked at holistically for the entire city," said Murphy.
While they weigh their options, Dunckel says she is working to find new ways to raise money to care for her furry Fairytale family.
"There are a lot of unknowns right now. The one thing I do know, for sure, is that we are committed to these animals, and then we will protect them at all costs, and find a way to make this work," said Dunckel.
More than 2,700 people have signed an online petition urging the city to make some exceptions for the farm.
Fairytale Farm has also set up a GoFundMe to help offset the cost of caring for the animals.