ROWAN COUNTY -- The lack of rainfall this summer has resulted in less hay than there typically would be this time of year. That leaves Rowan County’s Horse Protection Society with few options.

Joane Benson founded the Society in the early 1990’s. For more than a decade she has provided a sanctuary for abused and neglected horses, but now faces a crisis.

"If you look at our fields they're completely brown, there is no green at all,” said Deborah Baker, a member of the Society. “The horses have completely eaten down to the dirt. The grass that we have isn't even a quarter of an inch long, and it's brown."

The problem doesn’t just exist in Rowan. It’s a statewide problem.

"We have to bring hay in from out of state ... there's just no other choice,” said Benson. “By the time you bring this hay in the transport cost can be anywhere from $5 a bail, all the way up to $7 a bail.”

As a not-for-profit organization, Benson said it’s a cost she can no longer foot on her own.

“We can't afford that,” she said. “We're used to paying $850 per month. And now our hay costs are $3240 per month."

The society is looking for donations and volunteers. For more information, click Horse Protection Society.