St. Augustine animal-saving thrift store reopens after hurricane

Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue has been saving cats and dogs in St. Augustine for four years.

Executive Director Fran Charlson said that, however, 30,000 animals are euthanized every year in Northeast and North Central Florida. “We want people to understand that dogs and cats in rescues and shelters are not damaged goods,” Charlson said.

To fund the fight against killing animals, the nonprofit relies heavily on money made at its thrift store. In October, Hurricane Matthew wiped out that income.

“We lost about 95 percent of our inventory or fixtures," Charlson told Action News Jax,. "The only thing we didn’t lose were things that were higher than 3 feet on the wall.”

The store had been closed since then while repairs were made, putting a significant kink in the budget. “We go through 700 pounds of dog food a week, Carlson said. "We spend about $40,000 a year on vet care. We have horses we take care of that are very expensive. It affected us quite a bit."

The store reopened on Friday and volunteers and customers said they're equally excited.

“It makes me very happy," Amiana Adler, a thrift store regular said. "I love coming in here, seeing what’s new.”

Donations can be made on the organization's Facebook page. 

Cox Media Group