Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, December 21, 2023
The Oglethorpe Echo
Page C7
Santerineross??? dream becomes reality with Vincent???s Place
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Heather Santerineross and rescue goat Vincent, hold a special bond. The pair have given each other
comfort and love through tough times.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Heather Santerineross, owner and founder of Vincent's Place, a
non-profit, describes the organization as a home for "animals and
human animals alike." She hopes to open early in 2024.
By Jordan Long
The Oglethorpe Echo
A small gravel path winds
through an area surrounded by
Leyland cypress trees just off of
Mitchell Farm Road in Colbert.
At the end of that path, nestled
against a backdrop of trees, stands
a Tiffany blue barn that is the fu
ture home to Vincent???s Place, ???a
magical home for both animals
and human animals alike,??? found
er Heather Santerineross said.
Purring cats, clicking pos
sums and barking dogs are scat
tered throughout the property, all
of whom were rescued by Santer
ineross.
Even though Vincent???s Place,
a nonprofit animal rescue, is still
under construction, Santerineross
said she is doing everything she
can to save animals ??? in the name
of Vincent.
Love at first sight
In 2019, Santerineross met Vin
cent Van Goat while delivering do
nated food at Sweet Olive Farm
Animal Rescue in Winterville.
???I have never felt love at first
sight like that before,??? she said.
???But don???t tell my husband I said
that.???
Santerineross, who had been di
agnosed with fibromyalgia, said
her chronic pain was something
she never thought she would be
able to tame.
???I just felt an instant connection
with Vincent,??? she said. ???He has
been there with me through ev
erything from my pain to my mom
passing.???
After seeing firsthand how an
imal-assisted therapy could help
her, Santerineross wanted to intro
duce it to others.
Bringing her
dream to life
Before the pandemic, in Feb
ruary 2020, Santerineross attend
ed Impact, a farm animal sanctu
ary conference in South Carolina.
During the event, Santerineross
spoke with others who encouraged
her to begin Vincent???s Place.
???I???m lucky I was able to learn so
much from other sanctuary found
ers,??? she said. ???I knew if I wanted
to create one myself, I had to do it
right. I want nothing more than to
rescue responsibly.???
The conference brought her vi
sion in line with how to achieve it.
???They taught me so much, from
remembering to grade the field
outside the barn, to how deep to
put the fence posts in the ground,???
Santerineross said. ???I want all the
goaties and the people that come to
More Info
Vincent's Place (151 Mitch
ell Farm Road, Colbert)
is accepting donations
through @VincentsPlace
on Venmo, heather@vin-
|centsplace.org|on PayPal,
SVincentsPlace on Cash
App. Donors can also spon
sor a fence post or a stall.
Check out Vincent's Place
website (vincentsplace.
org) for more information,
and for updates on the
construction and opening
day, follow @VincentsPlace
on Instagram.
Vincent???s to be happy and healthy,
and a lot of that is my job.???
After being advised by other
sanctuary owners and becoming an
official 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the
summer of 2020, she was excited
for what was next, but that future
was delayed.
???Since a lot of the beginning
steps happened during the pan
demic, and we couldn???t begin
building, I spent all the time I
could researching and attending
webinars, and just about every
thing I could getting prepared for
the future,??? Santerineross said.
Finally construction began in
2021, but there is still much to be
done.
???I???m really hoping for a Christ
mas miracle,??? she said. ???I really
want Vincent???s to be ready in the
new year, so we can take our first
goaties. We really need insulation,
so I just hope more than anything
that we can find someone to do
nate it.???
Santerineross has received help
from not only other sanctuary
owners and donors, but also the
Oglethorpe County Chamber of
Commerce.
???I wouldn???t be where I am with
out all the help I have received,???
she said.
Making change
Santerineross strives to make
Vincent???s Place a safe place for
farm animals, as well as hu
mans.
???I???ve seen such an impact on
animal-assisted therapy on my
self,??? she said. ???I want to help peo
ple with invisible disabilities, like
myself, because people???s physical
and mental health are so impor
tant.???
Vincent???s Place will be open to
veterans, first responders and peo
ple with disabilities, as well as the
public.
???I think everyone needs to expe
rience (animal-assisted therapy),???
Santerineross said. ???Having your
pain go away for just one second
can mean a world's difference.???
With the help and advice from
her board, Santerineross has been
able to find donors and come up
with plans. A close friend, Ken
Johnston, has helped with the pro
cess.
???She is amazing and has done
amazing things, I am so happy to
be a part of this,??? Johnston said.
???I can???t wait to see where it goes.
She truly cares.???
In the meantime, Santerineross
continues to rescue animals and
send them to other sanctuaries she
trusts.
???I want to help in any way I can,
even if Vincent???s isn???t ready yet,
these animals need our help, they
deserve a happy life,??? she said.
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