ARF NEWS: January2010

Greetings!

Nothing is as special as having a home with a family and lots of love, unfortunately in this new year there are many abandoned animals that need a home and love. If you thought $25 could help one of these animals, would you be willing to help? In 2009 ARF was able to help almost 800 of these abandoned animals find homes and our goal in 2010 is to meet or exceed that number while we also develop a program that can provide assistance to families that are considering surrendering their family pet due to the tough economic times we are all facing.

Please take a few minutes to read about these success stories and then we hope you can find the time and dollars in your budget to help us meet our goals and help these animals that are all deserving of a second chance to find love. The end of this newsletter gives instructions for donating securely via PayPal or an option to mail your donation.

Annie's Story

Imagine that the family you had known your whole life decided one day to abandon you. To lock you away to die, leaving you with no food or water. You sit, scared, confused and alone, waiting for them to come back for you...and they never do. Well, that's exactly what happened to Annie. Her story is a testament to love, the will to live and the impact ordinary people like you can have on the life of one precious animal. Annie was discovered in August, 2009 near the brink of death. Her family had abandoned her and left her to die in the home they foreclosed on. For over a month, Annie survived by drinking all the water out of the toilet bowl. When she was finally discovered, she was severely emaciated and dehydrated; every bone in her body was visible. She was brought to the local animal care and control facility, then stuffed into a small wire cage at a sub-standard boarding facility. Somehow, through it all, Annie continued to show her sweet, gentle nature and her will to live. Then, the powers that be decided her time was up. Annie was scheduled to die on a Thursday. Annie was rescued on Wednesday and ARF was asked to help. ARF provided the full medical for Annie and all the shots she desperately needed. After only a few days, Annie began to put on weight, and her overall heath improved. She had more energy, her eyes began to sparkle, and she was finally able to take a deep breath and relax. Annie found her forever family two weeks after I rescued her, and now has the loving family she always deserved. She has siblings, both furry and human, and a yard to explore. She is treasured, like she deserves. And she has safety and security, knowing that finally...she is home.

Meet Squeakers 

Squeakers came to ARF with her three siblings and like many kittens we save, she came to us very ill.  Our volunteer foster parents and the veterinarians jumped in and provided Squeakers and her siblings with the attention they needed and with a little medicine, a lot of food and even more TLC, the kittens recovered well and went on to find homes where they could continue to grow and receive the love they all deserve.