Jeremy Wagner, founding member and guitarist of the heavy metal band Broken Hope, recently made a huge donation that will help many animals — he gave his rural Illinois farm to a no-kill charity, according to Three Million Dogs.
"Today I made the biggest donation of my life. I signed off and gave away my entire farm to the animal rescue rehab group I've been working with since I purchased the property last summer," wrote Wagner on Facebook. "I'm too busy to manage and enjoy the place, but it does my heart & soul good knowing I have now given a refuge and paradise for many animals who will be given help and love and new homes for many years to come. My generosity and good will for the benefit of animals will never stop. Giving my farm away for free was a super-huge sacrifice, but it was an awesome one and it won't be the last time I do it. In this life money doesn't mean shit if you don't do good with it. So I do as much good as I can before I leave this rock. Cheers!"
Wagner had initially planned to run a sanctuary himself on his farm, but realized soon that his busy schedule —involving writing, recording and touring — did not leave him much time. So, he made the decision to donate the farm to Recycled Pits and a few other organizations, reported iHeartDogs.com.
"I first bought the farm property last summer [2014] and paid for the whole place in full out of my pocket. I didn't even tell my family until I was done, and they thought I was nuts! Anyway, I bought it to live there, rehab the entire thing, and then begin animal rescue on a large scale... to save any creature from a mouse to a horse and give them rehab and new homes, or keep them on the farm to live out their lives happily and with love," Wagner told the Examiner.
"Donating the farm did my heart and soul a great deal of good, as did the stipulation of my gift: the farm's mission is to always aid animals in need and offer their sanctuary and this mission is to never be violated," he continued.
Since the rescue center started, it has given shelter to more than 40 dogs, dozens of cats, rats, raccoons and a rooster.
