GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – While many residents are still recovering from Hurricane Irma, the storm also had an impact on animals in the area hit by the storm, including those at the Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary in Green Cove Springs.

The sanctuary is home to more than 50 wolves, some of them abused, seized by authorities, or given up by owners who treated them like pets.

"It's heartbreaking, but you just have to extend the grace to that animal to be exactly who and what it is," said John Knight, the owner of Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary.

Knight founded the wolf sanctuary in 2005. He rescues these animals that can no longer survive in the wild - offering a better alternative.

"We dig the underground dens for them so they can escape the elements in the heat of the summer," Knight said. "A large enclosure is still a prison, but when they're up here, they can see a mile or so around."

When Knight was getting ready for Irma, he fell off a ladder while cutting oak tree limbs. He suffered five broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a collapsed lung. He was in ICU for two days, but left the hospital before Irma hit so he could ride out the storm at the sanctuary with his wife and his wolves.

"Wolves don't teach you about wolves, they teach you about you," Knight said. "Caring for these animals is also a personal development effort."

Irma left a mess behind.

"There's mostly been a lot of fallen debris everywhere, on top of platforms, on the ground," Hodges said.

Old fencing on the enclosure is falling apart, not only from wear and tear, but from the recent storms that swept through, causing damage.

Strong winds knocked down trees and bent posts. Knight needs help to replace more than 2 miles of fence.

He doesn’t need volunteers, because it would be unsafe for them to be around the animals.

"What we need is the resources, the financial resources to hire the specific people to come out here and knock these projects out for us while I'm down," Knight said. "That's an expensive thing."

The wolves rode out the storm without any of them getting hurt.

Knight hopes he can raise about $200,000 needed to keep the sanctuary running.

To donate, visit the website of the sanctuary.