"1971"
Being a homeless cat or dog in 1971 was much harder than it is today. In, 1971 stray dogs and cats were unjustly considered expendable. Dog pounds in general were considered a necessary burden and harshly dealt with its occupants for years upon years. Animal lovers always went to the dog pound to save a dog from "Skid Row" but unfortunately we all know the truth. Luckily, ARF was formed that year and stood up and spoke for the speechless. They didn't just complain about it; rather did something about it. In 1971 the Animal Rescue Foundation was formed. The animals had a voice and it's been heard since.
ARF is now going on our 40th year. Back in 1971, rescue groups only numbered a handful in Connecticut. There wasn't a Petfinder.com or friendly animal shelters. There were the local dog pounds, animals outside struggling, and our small band of rescue groups. Let's all be thankful that things have improved since ARF opened those 40 years ago. During our tenure, ARF has been a pioneer in the Bristol and Waterbury area in animal rescue. We were there when heartbreak and cruelty were much more common on a daily basis. Through the efforts of ARF and the other groups people began to become aware of the tragedy taking place right in our own backyards. It was a tragedy that a few local people said was unacceptable, and did something to help. Help stop the abuse. ARF was created and has been going strong for decades. All of the work done by so many people was finally paying off. ARF was a success. What started off as an idea to save animals has become a reality. ARF really helped the area. Animals were being rescued and awareness was on the rise. Then came November 23rd 2008.
What started as a small fire suddenly ripped through the building in minutes. All of the animals secured in their cages awaited an awful fate. Usually, smoke will cause death in an animal faster than the flames. It didn't take long for the ARF shelter to fill with smoke. Almost 30 cats and dogs were in the shelter when the fire broke out during an Animal Rescue Foundation bake sale. The fire started in the Dog Area of the building. Our old shelter was like a torch waiting to take the lives of all of our animals. Let's all take a second and think of how lucky ARF was that we had volunteers and people at the shelter when it ignited. As I write this, it's hard to imagine what could have happened. The lives of all those animals could have been lost. Our supporters and the Fire Department saved every single animal. There is a silver lining in every dark cloud.
Going on our 40th year, we no longer have a shelter to call home. The dog pound can no longer rely on us to take in the animals whose time is up, and the homeless animals are struggling outside again. All of our animals have been placed in homes since the fire, but what about the animals that need to come in? That's who we have to help now. We have plans to build a new larger and safer shelter. We plan on tripling our cat population, and increasing our dog population by almost 50 percent. ARF will rebuild and go on for decades more to come. The same passion that started ARF in 1971 is stronger than ever. Through ARF, the animals will have a voice again. They will also have an experienced team waiting to save them. Only one thing stands in our way now: Money. We still need donations to fully rebuild and continue for decades to come. You have read our story and heard our plea. ARF is yours. ARF is the animals'. Don't let it struggle like our homeless pets. Get us up on our feet so we can get the animals back on theirs. Let's be a team.
Thank you,
Joe Ouimet
Send donations to:
Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 538
Thomaston, CT 06787
