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An animal rescue center in Muncie is looking for help after an air conditioning system broke down, putting lots of animals at risk.
The Muncie Animal Rescue Fund's Sanctuary House is usually a cool, comfortable place where old and special needs animals find refuge. That is, until the heat wave took a toll on the old central air conditioning unit at the facility.
The staff asked for help when the air conditioning stopped keeping up last week, and they began to get creative.
"People have been generous and they're donating fans," said Melissa Bliar with the Muncie Animal Rescue Fund (ARF). "We have fans everywhere so the dogs can at least get into some cool air, and we do have a floor air conditioning unit. It does at least put out some cool air."
The Rescue Fund is relying on those donated fans to cool two buildings in the short term, and so far they have narrowly avoided a potentially deadly situation.
"We're just trying to generate as much air as we can," Blair said. "It has cooled this room down considerably."
The temperature inside the house was 84 degrees when Fox59 visited on Tuesday, which is reportedly much better than what it was just a few days ago.
"Eighty-four feels pretty good, and it's keeping everybody as comfortable as we possibly can make it," Blair said.
There is one place on campus where all the animals can come to keep cool. The ARF adoption center still has a fully functional AC, but space is extremely limited.
"If we feel the need that we think they might be a little hot in the sanctuary house and they're going to be more comfortable, then we move them over to the adoption center," Blair said.
With the entire campus at capacity, ARF is now looking for a more permanent solution.
"It's time just to get a new air conditioning unit," Blair said. "That's really what we need."
That means monetary donations are needed, and in the meantime?
"We're always creative," Blair said. "I always say we're champions of making due with what we have."
One way ARF is raising money is through a new art project. You can actually pay to have a cartoon version of your favorite pet painted on the campus fence.
More information on how to help is available online.