Community in Action: Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation

This March we donated our time to Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation to help them open their new facility in Waynesville NC. They are an amazing organization, and one that we respect immensely. Please check them out on facebook www.facebook.com/#!/sarges or on their website www.sargeandfriends.org/

Check out more photos HERE

Sarge’s Animal Adoption Center is a work-in-progress. Sarge was a dog who had been remanded over to the Haywood County Animal Shelter last year by his owner. A Breed Rescue volunteer identified him as a young, healthy, purebred German Shepherd and marked him for rescue. Despite best efforts, Sarge was euthanized just one hour before rescue transport arrived. It was not an isolated event.

The county's purpose is public safety and animal control, not animal welfare. Clearly there is an urgent need for action by other entities focused on animal welfare. Sarge's has a 3-step plan to achieve our long-term goal, which is is for all healthy and adoptable HCAC animals to be placed in homes.

1. Short Term: Do whatever we can to increase successful animal adoptions.
   • Adoption days are held weekly in our office at 256B Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville.
   • Sarge’s transfers many animals to respected, trusted rescue groups in other states who will find permanent homes for them.
   • Some animals are placed in foster homes or in boarding kennels to give us more time to transport or find homes for them.
   • In 2009, for the first time ever, more than half the animals admitted to HCAC were reclaimed, adopted at the shelter, or rescued by Sarges. More cats and kittens were saved than in any prior year.
   
   
2. Medium Term: Reduce the number of animals needing rescue.
   • We subsidize the cost of cat adoptions at the HCAC facility.
   • We offer senior cats to senior citizens at no cost.
   • Sarge volunteers assist adoptions at the HCAC facility seven days a week.
   • Sarge and HAWA are working together with Haywood County to define and encourage the enactment of effective spay/neuter laws, targeting only those animals that are contributing to the over-population problem. We believe the enforcement of selective but effective spay/neuter laws by our towns and county must be a key part of an effective solution.
   
   
3. Long Term: All adoptable animals placed in homes.
   • We are confident the combined efforts of our towns and County, HCAC, HAWA, and Sarges can and will reduce the number of animals needing rescue from HCAC to a level where all healthy, adoptable animals needing rescue will find homes.
   • Medically treatable and can be behaviorally rehabilitated.

“Sarge’s Animal Adoption Center” is business entity of Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. SARF is a 501(c)3 non profit organization registered in North Carolina, and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Community in Action: Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation