New Year…New Hope for the future

It’s a new year, and with the new year comes new hope for the future of ARF and the animals of our community. Our spay/neuter program has been very successful- so far, we have been able to assist owners spay or neuter over 170 pets that otherwise would not have been altered. Our goal for 2009 is to help spay and neuter 200 animals. In addition to spaying and neutering assistance, we provide dog and cat food for owners who are in a tight spot and need a little help with the cost of feeding their pet. We have also given out straw and dog houses to owners with outdoor pets that do not have proper shelter. We encourage owners to bring their pets indoors, but for those pets who do have to spend the winter outside, ARF tries to help make their life as comfortable as possible. In addition to the help we provide the animals of the community that have owners, ARF has a highly successful adoption program for dogs and cats. ARF takes in unwanted pets, stray animals, and dogs and cats from euthanizing shelters and gives them a second chance at life.  Currently, we have a house full of truly wonderful animals. Take for instance Leonard, who at 4 months found himself facing euthanasia at a shelter. Keep in mind this puppy committed no crime- in his short life he had not bit anyone or  attacked another animal, yet he was facing a fate of death simply for being born. The day that was to be his last day, turned out to be his lucky day. An ARF staff member was at the shelter pulling animals to take back to ARF to be put up for adoption when he saw Leonard and the rest as they say is history. Leonard is now almost 6 months, and after 3 weeks in foster care where he was treated for kennel cough, Leonard was healthy enough to be put up for adoption where he now waits for his forever family to find him and take him home. Then there is Connie, who came into ARF with her older sister Penny. Penny and Connie are full blooded yellow labrador retrievers who foudn themselves homeless when their owner lost his job and couldn’t afford to feed them. Skinny and hungry, Penny and Connie quickly put on a much needed 10 pounds, were spayed,checked for heartworms, microchipped, and vaccinated and put up for adoption. Penny found her forever home with a nice family who had recently lost their dog they adopted from ARF over 10 years ago and were ready to open their hearts and homes to another rescue dog. Connie still awaits her forever home, and her profile can be viewed on www.petfinder.com . I am excited to see what this new year brings for ARF and to see how we can make a difference for the animals of our community. I am also anxious to see which animals will be added to the list of animals adopted from ARF in 2009, a list that already includes Penny, the aforementioned yellow lab; Sparrow, a fun little jack russell terrier; and Lesley, the first cat to be adopted in 2009.