The A.R.F. Shack
ORLANDO, FL 32832
Needs Foster   |  Special Needs   |  Recent Arrivals   |  Dogs: 16

  Search Successes
 
Apache 
 The ARF Shack is excited to announce that in 2012 we have changed our home base to the FL Keys and we are going to focus our efforts on providing funds and grants to rescue efforts across the state of FL and beyond. We will be accepting donations to: sponsor dogs in need of medical care; assist reputable rescues in caring for and transporting animals; help families provide heart worm prevention and food and so much more. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation and or you are aware of a rescue or a homeless dog in need please contact us at
321-377-4522!!!
 
The ARF Shack
Is taking a new direction in 2012
In an effort to help as many dogs and as many responsible rescue efforts as possible we are going to direct our efforts towards fundraising so that we can provide grants to rescue efforts across the state of Florida and beyond. We will provide funds for rescues seeking to train their volunteers; seeking to expand facilities; or those simply looking to fund their daily expenses. Our board will review all reasonable requests. If you would like to help us help please make a tax deductible donation via paypal arfshack@ yahoo or at our new address
PO box 421164
Summerland Key Fl 33042
 
 
The ARF Shack and Apache would like to thank
The Onyx and Breezy Foundation
For making his surgery possible
In addition, Thank all of you that donated
He has had the surgery and is doing well 
 
 
 
 
Magoo n baby
 
Today we Lost a long time pack member
Magoo Hewlings
Rescued 8 years ago
A key part of the Hewlings Family and
Familiar to
Mary Kate Hewlings
Chuck, Delaney, Avery, Brandy and Sanka Hewlings
Blessed Be Magoo...Blessed Be
You will be missed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A great Article about ARF Shack from Insight Magazine:
A New Best Friend for Man's Best Friend
 
Alone, Scared. Malnourished. Left to fend for themselves, or worse. These are just some of the ways The ARF Shack, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Lake Nona, finds some of the dogs they take in to rescue. The small, 100 percent volunteer based organization has one goal in mind: rescue dogs in need of loving homes.

With nothing more than a shoestring budget and hearts of gold, The ARF Shack doesn’t have a central shelter to offer their rescues. Instead they rely on generous volunteers who offer a piece of their homes to become what ARF refers to as “fosters.”

“A lot of our fosters wind up being what we call ‘foster failures’ because they fall in love with the dogs they take in and wind up adopting them,” says Susan Hewlings, founder and director of The ARF Shack. A UCF College of Medicine professor by day, Hewlings runs The ARF Shack completely based on donations and funds from her own pocket because of her passion for dogs.

arf-shack

Susan Hewlings, founder and director of The ARF Shack, with three of the dogs the group has recently rescued.

Each foster home typically accepts one or two dogs until they’re adopted. “Our idea is not about numbers, we’re all about quality,” says Hewlings. “We want to give each dog we take in the best possible life we can give them, and part of that is making sure they get the attention they deserve.”

Even though the organization has limited capability, they save and place between 100-200 dogs every year into households around Central Florida. “There’s a huge rescue effort for Central Florida and we still have a hard time making a dent, but we do everything we can,” she says.

Many of the dogs come from local animal shelters that would otherwise put the animals to sleep. A smaller margin of animals comes from owner surrenders and dogs that volunteers find roaming on the streets of their neighborhoods.

“We don’t turn any dogs away because of medical condition, age or breed; we take everyone we possibly can,” says Hewlings. “We’ve had dogs with broken legs, one that had got shot in the feet, we’ve had multiples that are heartworm positive - we have great veterinarians that work with us, but we still have to pay them something and that’s why donations mean so much.”

That’s been the largest challenge for The ARF Shack - finding the necessary funds to pay for the expenses that each rescue brings along with it, not that Hewlings is complaining. “The largest expense is on the medical side, but there’s also food because we provide each dog with high-end food to help with skin issues that a lot of them have,” she says. “It’s like the old saying, ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul,’ - we say ‘ok we got this puppy adopted, so now we can pay for that dog’s heartworm treatment.’”

Even with all of the demands the position creates, Hewlings wouldn’t have it any other way. A dog person all her life, she takes on as many as she currently can herself - five. “My first dog was the center of my life for 14 years. Since then I’ve raised three seeing eye dogs and I started rescuing dogs before ARF, it’s been like a lifetime evolution for me,” she says.

Part of the reason she loves dogs so much is the indescribable bond she feels dogs share with their caretakers. “Dogs are a mirror. They tell me what I’m projecting, what I’m feeling. They’re so connected to us that if I am sort of stressed out, my dog will let me know,” she says. “It’s hard to put human language behind because dogs communicate through body language and energy, so they tell me how I feel and it makes me strive to return back to normal and be more balanced. I’ve just always felt more ‘right’ when I have a dog with me.”

That’s why she has made it the number one goal of The ARF Shack to match the dog with the right person upon adoption. Knowing that certain dogs require specific energy levels, she chooses which applicants adopt which dogs very carefully, for the best interest of both the dog and the caretaker. “I know a lot of people get put off when they apply and we don’t grant them adoption,” she says. “But because we’re so small we get to know our dogs very well so we can factor that into whoever we match them with.”

Even though The ARF Shack continues to grow throughout Lake Nona and the Central Florida community, the one principle that the organization started on will always hold true for Hewlings and her volunteers. “Every dog counts, and we’re here to make sure they find the perfect place to call home,” she says.

Article by Corey Gehrold

  

 

FOSTER HOMES NEEDED

  

     FostersNeeded       FostersPups      FostersAdults

If you are willing to open your heart and your home to foster, please complete a Foster Application (which can be found under the 'Forms' Section on the left hand side of this screen).

 

Please keep in mind, that we must ask that an ARF Shack foster commits from the time of his/her intake until your specified animal of interest has been adopted.  Additionally, dependent on the particulars of the dog (breed, age, disposition) some dogs may take longer than others to place. 
 
The reason for the above is that ARF is a rather small rescue organization absent an abundance of foster homes; therefore, prior to committing to take on this task, please be certain ~ for the animal's sake ~ that you are able to fulfill this obligation
 
At present our public exposure for the animals are both the internet with this site uploading to PetFinder and a multitude of other pet adoption portals AND a local adoption event on the second Saturday of each month.  It is dependent on an animal's individual foster as to whether he/she attends public exposure events.
 
It is the goal of The ARF Shack and each member of its present foster team to make the next transition for each of these dogs their final transition into a forever homes. To make donations the paypal account is arfshack@yahoo.com
 


 

Why Collect Adoption Donation Fees??

 

The adoption donation fees requested by a not-for-profit rescue organization are for both the animal of interest of which you are looking to provide a forever home for ~ and ~ to assist the rescue organization itself to continue its mission.

 

Adoption donation fees to and through The ARF Shack are tax deductible since ARF is a 501(c)(3) corporation.  All animals rescued through ARF are spayed/neutered, vaccinated including rabies, heartworm tested (some treated if positive upon intake) and behaviorally evaluated.

 

Adoption donation fees are collected upon the placement of an ARF Shack rescue pet in order for ARF Shack to actually use the funds for the greater good of ‘other’ animals.

 

So often it seems as if one thinks a rescue’s adoption donation fee may be high; however, what many fail to realize is that it is purely by the collection of these donation fees that a rescue organization is even given the opportunity to exist and continue its mission.

 

Keeping all of the above in mind, we do ask for a $200 tax deductible adoption donation in relation to any animal rescued through The ARF Shack.  All animals, even those whose vet expenditures exceed the above, are given the same opportunity as everyone else to find his/her forever home.

 

 

ADOPTING THROUGH A RESCUE ORGANIZATION ALLOWS YOU

TO HELP MORE THAN ONE ANIMAL AT ONE TIME

 

Support Rescues

Help Us ~ Help Them

  

 

 

 

We have got to stop cutting down trees!

This is getting serious!!

 

 

TreeFunny