Friends and Volunteers

A very special thank you goes to Erin Ward, Mr. & Mrs. Ward, Erin’s four aunts, Pat Towle, and our own Fund Raising Chairperson Joe Ouimet for the best Bake Sale I have ever been to in my whole life. The countless hours of baking the Ward family put into this event surpasses anything any of us have ever seen before. Bunny Cakes, Cheese Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Pumpkin Pies, Coconut Pies, Breads, Brownies, Truffles, Rugula, Dog Treats to name a few delectable goods. Also on hand were beautiful handmade dog bandanas.

We at ARF are truly blessed to have Miss Erin Ward part of our team! Thank you!

Two weeks before he died in the Middletown power plant explosion, Peter C. Chepulis, 48, told his family about an odd dream involving his dog, Zeke, who had died a few years before, and a $100 bill. The dream had such an impact that, the next day, he made a $100 pledge to the Animal Rescue Foundation.

He didn't live long enough to deliver on the promise, but his family is fulfiling the wish posthumously - and twentyfold. Instead of flowers, his family requested donations to ARF, which is raising money to rebuild its dog and cat shelter in Terryville that burned down in November 2008.

As of a week and a half ago, $1,975 had been donated to ARF in Chepulis' name, said his stepdaughter, Alicia Beveridge of Southington. The total amount raised is expected to far exceed that amount.

Two weeks before his death, he told his wife, Dyann "De" Chepulis, about a dream in which his late springer spaniel, Zeke, came to him with a $100 bill in its mouth.

"He told my mom when he woke up that Zeke came to him and said, 'We gotta take this down to ARF,'" Beveridge said.

Peter Chepulis had been donating money and supplies to ARF since as long as Beveridge, 28, can remember. Although he never adopted from the organization, his affinty for dogs inspired him to help the cause, especially after the fire.

"He was upset (about the fire) because these puppies had no home in first place, and then the home they had was destroyed," Beveridge said.

One of the Animal Rescue Foundation's best friends died unexpectedly on April 19, 2009. Larry Palmieri, a twenty-year volunteer veteran of ARF was a fixture of the shelter and rescue community.

Larry became involved with ARF after successfully surviving cancer. He wanted to stay busy and help others in need. Working with animals became his passion and it lasted until the day he died.

Larry was a leader at the Animal Rescue Foundation. He was popular with the animals and volunteers alike; it was common to see him rolling around on the ground playing with a dog that was just rescued. Volunteers often sought Larry's advice. If you asked him for help with anything, you could be assured that nothing was beyond his reach and he would help you find a solution to your problem. Larry always based his decisions on one thing: the welfare of the animals. He led by example and was never afraid to get his hands dirty. We all admired Larry and looked up to him as a rescue role model.

Larry took on the responsibility and maintenance of the aging shelter and grounds. Armed with duct tape, bungee cords, and plastic zip-ties, Larry made repairs so volunteers could continue their mission of saving cats and dogs. Looking forward, it's hard to imagine being at the shelter without Larry tackling his next project.

Recently, Larry was asked to join the ARF Building Committee to share his vision of the new shelter that will soon be rebuilt. It is indeed a loss for this organization to move on without him, as his input and criticism are now needed more than ever.

On behalf of all the animals and friends of ARF who knew and loved Larry, we want to say: Thank you, "Larry ARF", for spending what brief time you had on this planet loving us as much as we loved you.