'It's just hard': Alta. animal sanctuary mourns loss of 17 animals in barn fire

The owner of an animal sanctuary north of Edmonton is mourning the loss of more than a dozen animals and her barn after a fire destroyed both on Sunday night.

Terra Maclean said seven roosters, four goats, four ducks, and two potbellied pigs were killed.

"They had a really good life while they were here. They were very much a part of our family and part of our lives," she told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.

The loss hurts, she said, especially just days before Christmas.

"You’re trying to do a good thing. You’re trying to save lives. Then something like this happens. It's just hard, hard to understand," she said of her efforts running Ferne's Acres Animal Sanctuary near Busby, Alta.

The barn cats, dogs, horses and cows escaped the blaze, but they will all need a new shelter to survive the winter. Also destroyed was a lot of the equipment that Maclean used to care for her animals.

"It's completely gutted. The straw was in there. The fence posts, all the saddles, bridles, blankets, everything was in there. It's all gone," Maclean said.

She thinks the fire may have started because of a heat lamp she had for baby goats.

Maclean said she would be unable to take in rescues until she can rebuild, and is making arrangements to shelter the creatures that survived.

Ferne's is accepting donations of cash and animal care items on its website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dave Mitchell