On November 23rd, 2008 a fire severely damaged our shelter. Volunteers were starting their day when they smelled smoke and discovered the fire in a back storage area. Without hesitation, the shelter volunteers and the Terryville Fire Department safely removed all 9 dogs and 16 cats from the building. The shelter sustained extensive fire and water damage and the building was declared uninhabitable. We have received an outpouring of support from the community and long-time volunteers and donors.
We can't express how grateful we are for the support of everyone who has donated their time, words of encouragement, and hard-earned money to get our shelter back up and running. For years, ARF has leased the property it operates on and we are finally going to be able to call it our own. Of course, it will take a lot more fundraising to rebuild but our volunteers are working around-the-clock to insure we can continue our mission of rescuing cats and dogs in our community.
Please visit our donation page and help make a difference in the lives of homeless animals.
It is with tremendous pride that I have the honor of making the announcement that on February 11, 2010 the Animal Rescue Foundation was given final approval by the Plymouth Planning and Zoning Department for the new ARF Shelter site plans.
Plans for the shelter were underway immediately following the fire that occurred November 23, 2008. An ARF building committee was quickly formed and we were fortunate enough to be chaired by ARF's longtime legal attorney, Rene Martineau. The committee consisted of Joyce Corr, Jonathan Gilbode, Harry Schofield, Joe Ouimet, and me.I know that many people were anxious to find out what was going on during this long design process. I'd like to thank everyone for being so patient. As you see, it was worth the wait. Special thanks go to Bob Green, Al Kuncas, Jimmy Zappone, Clarence Atkinson, Khara Dobbs, ARF's #1 hometown supporter, Mayor Vincent Festa Jr., and to everyone that has donated, volunteered, and supported ARF during the rebuilding process.
Because of you, ARF will be leading the way in the Connecticut area with a state of the art shelter. There is nothing more valuable than the knowledge of 30 plus years of experience, a devoted staff of volunteers with never ending drive, and you, our ARF supporters. For this I am humbly grateful.
Kathy Johnson
