People rescuing animals...Animals rescuing people® ◆ 925.256.1ARF ◆ www.arf.net ◆ Spring 2012 ANIMALS ON BROADWAY PET WALK Sunday, May 20, Broadway Plaza Walnut Creek arly in the morning the air is thick with excitement as the Ecrowd gathers. Families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and their four- legged companions are all together waiting for the start of ARF’s Pet Walk. THE RACE IS ON! JOIN ARF’S PET WALK TO RAISE $75,000 TO RESCUE MORE ANIMALS! The anticipation is seen in their faces, and Walk as an individual or in a forget to email and Facebook your their furry pals seem to sense something Pack of three or more. Start collecting friends a link to your page. Can’t join big is going to happen. In costumes or pledges today with your own easy-to- the celebration in person? You can happily strolling on leashes, hundreds create fundraising webpage and earn still help — create your personalized of dogs and even a few kitties join their “treats” while raising money to help webpage for a virtual walk! human families for a one mile fundraising abandoned animals. Make your page REGISTER TODAY AT ARF.NET walk around Broadway Plaza to raise fun and unique by adding photos, HAVE QUESTIONS? money for ARF to save more lives. videos and your personal story. Don’t EMAIL [email protected] STAY AND PLAY AT ANIMALS ON BROADWAY Pet Walk 10:30 a.m. sharp Community Event 11-4 p.m. Follow your passion for pets to the 12th annual Animals on Broadway! Join ARF and for the ultimate celebration of the special bond we share with our furry friends at this spectacular free community event immediately after the Pet Walk. Best Dressed Pet Contest Pet Wellness Fair Adoptions Rescue Groups Vendor Booths Dog Wash Live Music - Fun for all Rain or shine! Gather up the family and don’t forget to bring your “best friend!” CHECK OUT DETAILS AT ARF.NET COMMUNITY INTEREST MADDIE’S LEGACY SAVES COUNTLESS LIVES Visitors to ARF enter through the Maddie’s Animal Care Center doors. Maddie’s Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation, (www.maddiesfund.org) is a family foundation funded by Workday and PeopleSoft Founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl. Maddie’s Fund® is 2890 Mitchell Drive helping to create a no-kill nation where Walnut Creek, CA 94598 all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and 925.256.1ARF cats are guaranteed a loving home. ARF strives to create a world To achieve this goal, Maddie’s where every loving dog or cat has ® a home, where every lonely person Fund is investing its resources in build- has a companion animal, and ing community collaborations where mentation of a national strategy to pro- where children learn to care. animal welfare organizations come to- mote accountability and transparency BOARD OF DIRECTORS gether to develop successful models of in animal shelter operations. Maddie’s Tony La Russa, Chairman lifesaving; in veterinary colleges to help Fund® is named after the family’s be- Gregory L. McCoy, Esq., President Brenda de la Ossa, Secretary shelter medicine become part of the loved Miniature Schnauzer who passed Bradley N. Blake veterinary curriculum; and in the imple- away in 1997. William A. Blase, Jr. Sandy Block, DVM Maria Brunner Glenn Colacurci MEET W. Roger Haughton Timothy Krisch YOUR MATCH Neal Mitchell Steven C. Parrish AT THE John Schiavo Marsha Servetnick MADDIE’S® Amy Trask ARF EXECUTIVE STAFF MATCHMAKER Elena Bicker, Executive Director Mary Jo Bernardo, Chief Operations Officer ADOPTATHON Bobbe Bartlett, Development Director Juliet Blake, Clinic Director JUNE 9-10 Jill Cooney, Animal Programs Director Elaine Durkin, Finance Director ARF is thrilled to participate Gaye McDuff, Volunteer Services Director again this year in this special www.arf.net adoption event! Visit us on June 9th and 10th and take home your Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, which receives new forever friend. Puppies, no local, state or federal funding. Life-saving kittens, dogs and cats will have services and programs are made possible through the generosity of caring people. their adoption fees waived and ARF receives a grant of $500 or Dinah McFarlane, Scoop Editor April Weeks, Art and Production more from Maddie’s Fund® for each qualifying adoption which Your input is appreciated! If you have an idea about how ARF will help rescue even more! can improve The Scoop, please contact [email protected]. Who will you take home? Limit of two adoptions per arf.net/facebook twitter.com/ARFtweets youtube.com/tlrarf household; standard adoption criteria apply. Visit arf.net for more information. Page 2 www.arf.net Spring 2012 LETTER FROM ARF’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR hen I began volunteering Each spring, public shelters are with ARF more than 19 bursting with litters simply because Wyears ago, I would help there are no homes for them. Even solicit items for auctions, assist if your pet has a litter and you find in events and open my home up to homes for all of them, each of those puppies in need. As a foster parent, pets takes a potential home away it was my responsibility to ensure from other homeless pets waiting these tender souls would become in a shelter. Some feel altering comfortable with home life, learn a pet seems cruel and gentlemen basic obedience, and begin to often have “sympathy pains” when experience the outside world. One discussing the issue of neutering. In evening, while the puppies were the big picture it is both necessary frolicking in my front yard with my and important. own dog, a distant neighbor passed Aside from this responsibility, by on her daily stroll. She yelled at there are also significant health me “For god’s sake, get your dog benefits for your pet. fixed and you wouldn’t have all these We all have a responsibility BENEFITS OF SPAYING puppies all the time!” to prevent unwanted animals from AND NEUTERING The foster experience requires being euthanized. It is estimated that a great deal of commitment, time, 6-8 MILLION animals enter animal ◆ Reduces the urge to roam. This energy, and focus. It’s an unforgettable shelters each year in the United States makes it less likely that you will lose and rewarding experience, and most alone; roughly 3-4 million of those your pet, which in turn makes your choose to participate again and will be euthanized because they will pet less likely to contract a disease, again. One of the hardest parts of the be unable to find a new home. Please get in a fight, get injured, or become program is saying goodbye, however spay or neuter your pet and prevent a victim to cruelty, poison, or traffic. it allows you to say hello to more unwanted pets. furbabies who need the help. ◆ Eliminates sexual discomfort, distress, or distraction, making your pet happier and more content. ◆ Reduces or eliminates the possibility of disease in the reproductive system, testicular tumors and prostate gland problems. ◆ Eliminates the heat cycle–you won’t have to listen to the sounds of your female in heat and prevent unwelcome males from trying to seek out your female. ◆ Reduces the distracting and destructive behavior associated with the male’s efforts to get out and find a mate. ◆ In cats, neutering stops or reduces marking behavior (territorial spraying of urine). ◆ Reduces the urge to fight in males. Page 3 www.arf.net Spring 2012 Saint’S STORY PROMISE OF A BETTER TOMORROW Walking on the street late one ing fortitude while doctors exam- night, a cold, skinny little pup sud- ined her leg and treated injuries. A denly heard a horrible screeching wagging tail seemed to be the one noise then … nothing. spot not hurt or in bandages, but Early the next morning, the that did not stop her from seeking small bundle of white, brown and a cuddle from anyone passing by. tan was brought to a public animal Surgery would fix her leg, but she shelter. At barely five months old, it needed extra tender care and thera- was obvious this hound had a rough py to make her whole. life, starving and living on the One of ARF’s foster families streets as a stray. She was scared, offered a quiet, safe haven and dai- shivering and in shock from being ly care enabling Saint’s wounds to hit by a car—and her very survival heal and to frolic with other dogs, was at risk. as if she never had a worry in life. Saint is learning to be a pup again That same morning ARF’s This once shy pup regained her joie rescue team arrived at the shelter de vivre and charmed her newly for our weekly rescue run and met found family on adoption day. F ollow ARF’s this Tree-walking Coonhound with Every dog, cat, and litter of long ears and sad eyes. Even when puppies or kittens a foster provides disaster relief team surrounded by scary humans and a temporary home for enables ARF every movement causing pain, the to save many more lives. They are a as they travel brave dog laid her head into their critical part of our efforts to rescue hands and sighed. There was no more animals from overcrowded across the U.S. doubt that she would be coming shelters and find them loving for- home to ARF with the other dogs ever homes. We need them… and and cats rescued that day. we need you. Give cats and dogs Saint was the perfect name for like Saint a second chance of life at Follow @ARFTweets the young dog who showed amaz- arf.net.