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The History of Animal Rescue & Care FundAnimal Rescue and Care Fund, Inc. began in 1974, when a few intrepid individuals decided to leave the Animal Defenders League (ADL), a large, well-known rescue organization they had volunteered with for many years, because of philosophical differences. These individuals decided to form a new nonprofit organization to rescue animals in need. The new group wrote their articles of incorporation and bylaws, and were approved to be an incorporated, nonprofit group in January of 1975. The first official board meeting was held on January 20, 1975. The group talked about adoption procedures, how to pay their bills, and the trapping they were doing in Washington County. They also discussed the newsletter that ADL had always published, and whether they wanted to start their own. They decided to write their own, and the first issue came out in the Winter of 1977. Several more board meetings were held in 1975. There were many problems facing the new organization, the most critical of which was the lack of funds. As the group continued to help homeless animals, the veterinary and kennel bills mounted. It was imperative that they raise funds, so they held paper drives. In those days [what type of paper -- newspaper?] sold for $35 per ton). They delivered paper by the car load. They also collected Santiam food labels and redeemed them at two cents each, and they held bake sales at the Far West Federal Savings Bank. In 1976 they started holding garage sales where they sold donated goods. They continued to have two or three garage sales per year for more than 10 years, and those sales turned out to be major fund raisers. In 1983, ARCF, in cooperation with the Pet Samaritan Clinic, started conducting annual "free vet" clinics for the animals of the homeless. ARCF paid for the supplies and had many volunteers helping at the clinic. To this day, ARCF and Pet Samaritan continue to offer year-round vet care for the animals of the homeless. This work is done at the Pet Samaritan Clinic and paid for by ARCF. As ARCF became more widely known, their reputation for good work brought in more donations, but they also got more and more requests for help and the donations were still not covering ARCF's bills. Fortunately, in 1983, the State of Oregon dissolved ADL and divided its assets among qualifying animal welfare groups, one of which was ARCF. The very welcome $8,000 was sufficient to pay all of the outstanding bills. In the years since, ARCF has received many generous donations and legacies from wills, which have made it possible to expand its animal welfare activities and remain mostly debt-free. ARCF volunteers have ventured into many hair-raising situations, always with iron determination to rescue an animal in need. Entries into evil-smelling crawl spaces, vermin-infested basements, drug houses, and bramble thickets have been all in a day's work. In 1996, the Grand Oak apartments burned down, and ARCF volunteers helped search for animals that survived the fire. All of the residents' animals were removed alive, but some of the animals (as well as some of the volunteers) suffered from smoke inhalation. ARCF provided vet care and foster care for these animals. Their biggest single undertaking was the removal of over 100 cats from the deserted Columbia Villa housing project in 2003. Their volunteers were instrumental in removing these animals and taking them to various shelters (they also took in a few themselves). In the past 30 years, ARCF has rescued thousands of animals and dispensed valuable advice to thousands of people who needed help. They remain a small, all-volunteer organization (usually 10-12 volunteers) working from their homes, never straying from their mission of serving animals in need. They have an excellent reputation within the veterinary community, and a solid following of loyal supporters. They are proud of their accomplishments and expect to continue for a very long time. Of course, they wouldn't be anywhere if it weren't for the kindness, caring, and support from the people who volunteer with them and those who donate to ARCF. -- Lorraine Jones, vice president and member since 1974 |
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