By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Kelsea Schafer
Dogs, donkeys and horses–oh, my! Love knows no bounds at A Place for Annie, where all animals are honored as part of God’s creation.
The brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Eddie and Georgia Claridy, A Place for Annie is an animal sanctuary located on the Claridys’ six-acre property in Wilsonville. Founded in 2019, the nonprofit first began taking in abused or neglected canines and equines, in an attempt to provide a safe haven for these animals to live out the rest of their days.
Currently boasting a roster of 18 different dogs, donkeys and horses, the sanctuary not only takes in disabled, elderly, special needs or hard-to-place animals, but it also helps rescue and rehome stray animals in Jefferson, Shelby and Chilton counties. Although, Eddie and Georgia have driven as far as Pennsylvania and back to save even just one animal’s life.
None of the sanctuary’s residents are up for adoption. Instead, they all live together happily as one big family.
“When I started volunteering, I began to frequent disenfranchised shelters, and I started taking home the deaf, the blind, the partially paralyzed, the hospice,” Georgia says. “We began to collect these animals. Then, we both became immersed in animal advocacy with the Animal League of Birmingham.”
Thirteen years into running the sanctuary, Eddie says they have helped save more than 400 animals.
“A lot of animals may never have touched our hands, but we facilitate them,” he says. “We’ll see one through social media and say, ‘I’m going to find this one a home.’”
The Claridys have never turned down an opportunity to help rescue an animal in need. Their reputation as animal advocates has spread throughout the state of Alabama, with some shelters calling monthly about finding homes for longtime stays on euthanasia lists.
“We are one of the worst states in the country to be a dog, cat, any animal,” Georgia says. “The only way out of this crisis is to spay and neuter and adopt.”
The catalyst for this compassionate ministry ignited in 2012, when Georgia saw a three-legged Labrador stray, Max, debut on a TV segment, “Pet of the Week.” She rescued him, giving him to her own son, Gabriel, who was a student at the University of Montevallo at the time.
“Max lived at the frat house in Montevallo and went everywhere with Gabriel,” Georgia says, chuckling. “When we adopted him, that just kind of stirred something over in me.”
A blink of an eye passed, and Georgia found herself rescuing two other three-legged dogs–one of whom gave the sanctuary its name, Annie, the sweetest, little Cocker Spaniel. In 2019, the Claridys moved from where they lived in Leeds to their current home in Wilsonville, downsizing their house but increasing their acreage to provide respite for more animals in need.
Now, they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to care for their residents–many requiring around-the-clock medical attention and care. Yet, they would not have it any other way.
“It’s something that we feel called to do,” Georgia says.
She and Eddie have named every one of their animals, often conjuring up unique monikers after famous musicians or actors. Sir Elton John “EJ,” for example, is a Standard donkey who first came to A Place for Annie after having been neglected for 10 years.
Georgia says donkeys are herd animals who need community, but he lived alone, scrounging for food and water–basic necessities–for the past decade. She notes that donkeys are extremely intelligent animals.
Historically, she says they have also been overlooked or misunderstood; yet, they play significant roles in the Bible and are one of only two animals God allowed to speak in the Old Testament.
“Donkeys are the chosen mode of transportation of the living God,” Georgia says. “Jesus did not ride into Bethlehem on a horse. He rode in on a donkey for a reason.”
They take all of their animals seriously, she says. In fact, one of the sanctuary’s Mammoth donkeys–Kiki Dee–came all the way from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, to live at the sanctuary, but little did anyone know that she was pregnant.
In April 2024, Kiki Dee gave birth to Apollo Too–named after Georgia’s 39-year-old rescue horse who passed away the previous October. After Kiki Dee began showing, Eddie spent months researching how to assist in animal births.
During the wee hours of the morning, Eddie actually delivered Apollo Too on his own because the veterinarian was unavailable. He says for a guy who sells insurance as a living, helping a donkey give birth was so far out of his wheelhouse but was an incredible experience to witness.
“It’s the only new life we’ve ever had here, and it’s the only new life we ever intend to get because that’s not our mission, but it sure was nice,” Georgia says.
Because space is limited, A Place for Annie only takes in canines and equines coming from extreme situations. Two of the sanctuary’s horses, Peaches Diane and Brown Betty “Bebe,” survived a barn fire that killed 17 other horses.
Most of the canine residents are rescues coming from terrible conditions. One in particular, Beatrice Inez or “Bea” for short, has had arguably the worst life out of any of the other animals before coming to live at the sanctuary.
When first picked up by Sylacauga Animal Shelter, Bea was pregnant, malnourished, ridden with fleas and even had pellet holes throughout her body. Having been a long-term stay at the shelter, Bea risked being euthanized if she was not adopted soon.
Georgia, while visiting the shelter, noticed Bea and decided to help her find a home. She ended up finding a home for Bea, but her new family’s other dog attacked and nearly killed her not long afterwards.
When Georgia found out, she adopted her right away, but she was no longer the loving, trusting dog Georgia had first met.
“She’s my favorite because if she wasn’t my favorite, she wouldn’t be anybody’s favorite,” Georgia says. “Everybody needs to be somebody’s favorite.”
The most amazing miracles happen when one opens her heart to love. One fateful night, the barn near the Claridys’ camper caught on fire. Their daughter Randel, who just so happened to be sleeping inside of the camper, never heard the commotion.
However, Bea did. She began barking with all of her might, running up and down the fence.
“I walked out there, and Bea was just going crazy,” Eddie says, initially unaware of the danger. “I turned the corner, and [the barn] was on fire!”
Bea barked for so long and so loudly that she woke up Eddie and Georgia, who were able to rescue their daughter and help put out the fire right before the property would have gone up in flames. Because of Bea–the dog who had been abused by humans the majority of her life–numerous people and other animals’ lives were saved that night.
“She saved our daughter’s life,” Georgia says, tearfully.
As a thank you, Georgia wrote the children’s book, “Beatrice,” honoring the rescue who, because of the second chance she was given, was able to rescue countless others. Georgia says she hopes Bea inspires others to lead lives of compassion, learning to love beyond appearances.
“God did not create us in the same image, but He created us to share the same space,” she says, later adding, “we are called to be good stewards of animals.”
While Eddie and Georgia may never be able to rescue every stray, they say they will never stop advocating for animal rights, furthering their mission to rescue and rehome every two or four-legged friend–and all those in between–that comes their way. After all, God’s love knows no bounds.
Thus, theirs does not, either.
To learn more information about A Place for Annie or make inquiries about animals in need, follow the nonprofit on Facebook (A Place for Annie, A Canine Sanctuary).
A Cast of Characters
Take a look at A Place for Annie’s residents’ names, breeds and suspected ages:
Hubba Bubba: Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, 12
Rocky (JR Martinez): Maltipoo, 13
Mallie Ann: Pug-Chihuahua mix, 14
Biggie Smalls: Chihuahua, 5
Chaney Louise: Terrier mix, 13
Emmy Lou: Terrier, 8
Rufus Edward: Chihuahua, 9
Beatrice Inez (Bea): Pitbull, 10
TJ Maxx: Pitbull-Pointer mix, 2
Buster Clyde: Black and Tan Hound, Age Unknown
Molly Ringwald: Chihuahua, 6
Pedro Carmean: Chihuahua, 5 Months Old
Sir Elton John (EJ): Standard donkey, Age Unknown
Kiki Dee: Mammoth donkey, Age Unknown
Apollo Too: Mammoth donkey, 1
Peaches Diane: Mini horse, Age Estimated between 8-10
Brown Betty (Bebe): Mini horse, Age Estimated at 3
Kookie Elizabeth: Quarter Horse, 17
