Animal Refuge Center Inc

Season’s Greetings to All!

webmaster — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:27:45 +0000

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Vine Grove shelter’s party encourages pet adoptions

webmaster — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:17:55 +0000

By Amber Coulter

Monday, December 12, 2011 at 3:00 am (Updated: December 12, 3:58 am)

Some Vine Grove residents celebrated Christmas early Sunday by knocking against visitors’ legs and collapsing into their laps.

Jill Pickett: Marilyn Williams pets one of the many cats that reside at the Animal Refuge Center in Vine Grove on Sunday during a Christmas party for the animals. Williams has adopted two animals from the shelter and sponsors two others still at the shelter. Buy this photo 2 of 2

The 10 dogs, three goats, donkey and estimated 140 cats at the Animal Refuge Center were the guests of honor at the shelter’s annual Christmas party for the animals.

The party has been a tradition for the shelter on Basham Trail since the mid-1990s in an effort to further the mission there and offer a festive occasion for the animals.

The event has gained some fame among community members and tends to draw new people into the shelter, increasing the chance animals there will be adopted, manager Penny Edwards said.

The animals and snacks also draw in people who have existing relationships with the shelter, such as pet sponsors.

A sponsor is a person who pays $10 each month to support a specific animal living at the shelter. The event allows them and others to visit with the animals and give them treats, toys and attention.

Edwards said animals can tell the day is different than most, and they seem to enjoy all the people petting and playing with them.

Van LenGen, of Elizabethtown, and her husband donate to the shelter.

She said caring for animals is important, and she stopped by to spend time with the furry partygoers at the shelter to receive affection from them.

A new holiday tradition beginning at the shelter this year is a program that allows people to take dogs from the shelter home for Christmas.

The trial will allow prospective adopters to take animals home and see whether the situation is good with no agreement to keep the animals if things don’t work out, encouraging well-matched adoptions.

The agreement also will allow some dogs to have homes for Christmas with all the individual attention that comes with that arrangement, Edwards said.

“Every animal deserves its own home because it deserves its own family,” she said.

Amber Coulter can be reached at (270) 505-1746.

Read the article with all the photos here!

For more local news articles on the Animal Refuge Center, visit

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Santa Claws is Coming To Town!

webmaster — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:38:13 +0000

Santa Claws is Coming to Town!

Louisville, here’s your chance to attend one of our events! The Animal Refuge Center will be taking pics of your pets with Santa! Come join us for this special event and celebrate the holidays with us while we’re in your neighborhood!
Saturday, December 17th
from 11 am – 4 pm
PetSmart on Hurstborne Lane,
Louisville, KY.

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Take A Dog Home For Christmas

webmaster — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:18:27 +0000

Been thinking about a new member for the family? Want to do something special this holiday season?

Open your home and heart to a homeless dog this Christmas! If it turns out to be a great move for you, contact ARC to adopt! Or return the dog on December 26 at no obligation to you. And look!!! Petfinder.com liked our idea so much, they’re doing it, too!! Now, no matter where you are, you can give a homeless dog a Happy Christmas! Or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Ramadan–we don’t care! It’s happy homes that really matter.

VINE GROVE, KY, (12/13/2011) – Animal Refuge Center and Petfinder.com are participating in the national “Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays” pet fostering program. Across the country, over 13,000 pet rescue organizations are trying to empty their kennels for Christmas, encouraging members of the public to invite a pet home for the holidays.

People interested in making this Christmas a happy holiday for a pet in need or who want more information should contact ARC at 270-877-6064.

The Animal Refuge Center will provide all needed supplies. The organization has an average population of 10 adoptable dogs and 125 adoptable cats. They can be viewed online at www.petfinder.com. The goal for the “Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays” program is to have each of these pets into a home by noon on December 20.

###

For further information, contact

Kim Saunders, Vice President, Petfinder.com

908-810-1976

Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays

Check out your fellow Petfinder members’ pets in the Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays Gallery. Then, stop by our Foster a Lonely pet page to find helpful articles for your foster caregivers.

Athena: Athena is a 4 year old Black Lab, who thinks she’s something of a local celebrity here at the shelter. She is high energy and loves to play. She’s had a couple of leg operations, so she gets her arthritis medication every day to help her keep moving. The World According To Athena, she’s forgotten she ever had any operations. This silly personality has a great sense of humor for a dog! Toy in mouth and with a doggy smile, she’ll do her best to win your heart.

Dudley: Dudley is an 8 year old Cocker Spaniel/Chow mix. Dudley’s former owner had to go into a nursing home and needed to find her dogs a new home. After his arrival at ARC, Dudley was very shy here but now he comes to us and is very inquisitive. He’s a big teddy bear, afraid of his own shadow. He needs to go to a home that has lots of time to socialize him and give all the love and time he needs. Please open your heart for Dudley.

Ferguson: He is a 3 year old Schnoodle! That’s a Schnauzer-Poodle for the rest of you. He is cute, has a wonderful temperament with children, but would probably be best suited where he is the only dog in the home. Ferguson does play nice with SOME dogs, but he meshes best with calmer female dogs.
He needs to go to a home where the focus is on him, so his intelligence really gets a chance to shine. He is longing for his own people, and wants to give his very best.

Inca: Inca is a 1-1/2 year old Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua-somethin’ mix…? Energetic, but no spitfire, Inca is very intelligent. She sits on command, has nice manners, doesn’t jump all over you, and is really easygoing. She is about 22 pounds. She loves other dogs as well. She is going to make someone a wonderful little dog.

Lassie: Lassie is a 12 month old Shepherd/Sheltie mix. She was featured as one of the three neglected puppies in our Spring newsletter. Lassie is a high-energy girl. We have a dog trainer working to direct her energy in a positive way. Lassie is intelligent and learning her manners, but for now a home with older children would be best until she calms down. Once Lassie settles in she’s eager to learn and has a sweet temperament. She needs plenty of interaction and exercise, because dynamite does come in small packages.

Maya: Also a 1-1/2 year old Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua-somethin’ mix…? She is sister to Inca. But this one is a high-energy little spitfire! Maya can jump a couple feet straight in the air to take a treat from your hand!! She is also 22 pounds, and is easy grooming because she’s also a shorthair.

She’d love the chance to entertain your family for the holidays!

Mo: Mo is a 1 year old Lab/Chow mix. Very sweet and eager to learn, Mo is high energy! Children would be fine, but he might be too rambunctious for little bitty kids. Children would certainly be ideal because he has a lot of energy to burn.

He loves to play with other dogs, so a multi-dog household would be perfect!

Nash: Nash is a 14 year old Miniature Schnauzer. He’s blind and partially deaf, but very enthusiastic about food! We always said he has selective hearing, and only hears what he wants to–like a food package or a can opener.
Even though this sweetie has his senior moments, he more than makes up for it in the attention he gives you. Give this little old man a chance at a home for the holidays.

Pepper: A 5 year old Black Lab mix, Pepper is very loving and wants to be your shadow. She wants to follow you everywhere! She’s a wonderful dog: housebroken, calm, not super-high-energy. If you’re looking for a dog to adore you, then Pepper needs to be your pick!

Ricky: Ricky is a 1-1/2 – 2 year old Chocolate Labrador mixed with…? This guy is a sweetheart. He was brought to us after he was found on the streets in Elizabethtown. He loves playing with his canine friends but sometimes they run all over him.
Ricky is very tolerant with other dogs and would love a home where there is another pooch. Ricky tries to jump up on us, but mostly to give us hugs. He’s just trying to show us that he’s the “pooch to smooch”!

For more information on how YOU can take a dog home for Christmas, please call the Animal Refuge Center at 270-877-6064.

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ARC Newsletter December 2011

webmaster — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:55:22 +0000

Our latest newsletter is now available online! Download and print what you like or read from your browser.

Don’t forget our Christmas Party is on December 11th, so check that bulletin out ASAP! Click the image at left to download your PDF newsletter courtesy of ARC!

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The Shelter Pet Project

webmaster — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:28:51 +0000

Some great PSA videos from the Shelter Pet Project.
The Shelter Pet Project is the result of a collaborative effort between two leading animal welfare groups, The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, and the leading producer of public service advertising (PSA) campaigns, The Ad Council. Our goal is to make shelters the first place potential adopters turn when looking to get a new pet, ensuring that all healthy and treatable pets find loving homes. We do this by breaking down misconceptions surrounding shelter pets and communicating that “A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. Be that person. Adopt.”

Read more about The Shelter Pet Project at this link.

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Oskars New Toys

webmaster — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:11:23 +0000

November 22, 2011 11:46 AM

Blind kitty gets his first toy

By

Bailey Johnson

Shared by CBS News

(CBS) – Meet Oskar. Oskar was born completely blind, his eyeballs never formed. But his loving owners haven’t let that stop them from providing Oskar with a good life. He’s also become a bit of a celebrity cat, with a thriving YouTube channel and thousands of admirers. It’s easy to see why. Watch this adorable feline get his first toy, and just try not to smile.

As his owners explain in the YouTube description:

I took this video the day after we adopted him. Since he is completely blind (born without formed eyeballs) we gave him some balls with bells inside. As you can tell, he can “see” them by using his ears! He is such a happy and inspiring cat — we are blessed to have him with us.

Here’s another video of Oskar playing. This time he’s got a hold of a hairdryer.

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November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month!

webmaster — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:00:40 +0000

Penny Edwards, Shelter Manager
270-877-6064

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November Is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month

The Animal Refuge Center and Petfinder.com are celebrating November as Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month.

“Think of a pet that is already trained and doesn’t chew or scratch everything in sight — a pet who will love you unconditionally,” said Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com’s Vice President of Shelter Outreach and Public Relations. “That’s what you get when you adopt a senior pet.”

Some people worry that a senior pet comes with problems, but according to Hazel Blumberg-McKee of Tallahassee, FL, there are no disadvantages. “In most cases they’ve had a home and they want one again.” She adopted eight-and-a-half-year old Sadie, and has never regretted it. “An older animal is easier to deal with. And Sadie is still playful. She plays fetch and gallops all over the place.”

At animal shelters and rescue groups everywhere, there are loving, healthy senior pets like Sadie, looking for that one special home to cherish them for the rest of their life, and they don’t ask for much: just a warm place to sleep, good meals and plenty of love.

During Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month, take the opportunity to get acquainted with the older pets available at The Animal Refuge Center! Visit the shelter online at www.petfinder.com.

Your Local Shelter Wants You!

You don’t have to be an animal expert to help out at your community’s shelter. You just need to have the time and desire to lend a helping hand. And it doesn’t have to be a lot of time, either.

Read more on how to volunteer at an animal shelter.

Ten Reasons Senior Cats Rule
The Special Needs of the Senior Cat
Marketing Cat Adoption: Senior Cat Adoptions
The First Days with Your Senior Dog
Taking a Bite out of Canine Arthritis

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LOST-ELIZABETHTOWN-REWARD

webmaster — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:05:19 +0000

Dear Friends,

Our cat we love so much has not been seen since Monday night, Oct. 17th, 2011. We wanted to pass this information about him along to you. HE IS ON HEART MEDICATION and needs to come home now!

Here are photos of Dodger, if you want to pass it along on your Facebook and/or email. We really thank you for posting these.

Here is the info:

“Dodger” If seen, call at any hour at (270) 766-9031, (270) 765-6111, (270) 735-7458

Siamese-looking, blue-eyed cat with red collar and red tag. Last seen Monday night, October 17th, 2011, at 80 Santana Drive in Elizabethtown, KY, across from the new Severns Valley Baptist Church (on corner of Hwy 1600 and Ring Road). LARGE REWARD! Has micro-chip and is male, neutered.

Thank you,

Julie and Neff Jenkins

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Unsung Heroes of 9-11

webmaster — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:12:57 +0000

The 12 9/11 search dogs who are still alive:

Their eyes say everything you need to know about them. Just amazing creatures.

True heroes of 9/11 still with us today…

Moxie, 13, from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrived with her handler, Mark Aliberti, at the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11 and searched the site for eight days

Tara, 16, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, arrived at the World Trade Center on the night of the 11th. The dog and her handler Lee Prentiss were there for eight days

Kaiser, 12, pictured at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, was deployed to the World Trade Center on September 11 and searched tirelessly for people in the rubble

Bretagne and his owner Denise Corliss from Cypress, Texas, arrived at the site in New York on September 17, remaining there for ten days

Guinness, 15, from Highland, California, started work at the site with Sheila McKee on the morning of September 13 and was deployed at the site for 11 days

Merlyn and his handler Matt Claussen were deployed to Ground Zero on September 24, working the night shift for five days

Red, 11, from Annapolis, Maryland, went with Heather Roche to the Pentagon from September 16 until the 27 as part of the Bay Area Recovery Canines

Abigail, above, was deployed on the evening of September 17, searching for 10 days while Tuff arrived in New York at 11:00 pm on the day of attack to start working early the next day

Handler Julie Noyes and Hoke were deployed to the World Trade Center from their home in Denver on September 24 and searched for five days

Scout and another unknown dog lie among the rubble at Ground Zero, just two of nearly 100 search and rescue animals who helped to search for survivors

During the chaos of the 9/11 attacks, where almost 3,000 people died, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their brave owners scoured Ground Zero for survivors.

[ ] Now, ten years on, just 12 of these heroic canines survive, and they have been commemorated in a touching series of portraits entitled ‘Retrieved’.

The dogs worked tirelessly to search for anyone trapped alive in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers and members of the public.

Traveling across nine states in the U.S. from Texas to Maryland, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade on from 9/11.

Their stories have now been compiled in a book, called Retrieved, which is published on Friday, the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

Noted for her touching portraits of animals, especially dogs, Charlotte wanted ‘Retrieved’ to mark not only the anniversary of the September 2001 attacks, but also as recognition for some of the first responders and their dogs.

‘I felt this was a turning point, especially for the dogs, who although are not forgotten, are not as prominent as the human stories involved,’ explained Charlotte, who splits her time between New York and Amsterdam.

‘They speak to us as a different species and animals are greatly important for our sense of empathy and to put things into perspective.’

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