Hey everyone! We have a special treat for you today! We’re getting our “Featured Rescue” & “Featured Organization” sections going again, beginning with this great interview with HOT Lab Rescue! This is a great organization that not only saves labs in and around Austin, Texas, but also does great work in helping to network other animals in need. I highly recommend following their twitter account @HOTLabRescue for super cute lab pictures, great news from the animal world & Austin, and the occasional cheering on of a certain local football team (Go Horns!). If you like what HOT Lab is doing and would like to help but are not in the area, you can always donate to support them. A direct link to their donate page can be found on our front page underneath their Featured Rescue banner. I’m sure you’ll make more than a few labs smile. ^_^

What’s the name of your rescue?
Heart of Texas Labrador Rescue

Where is your group located?
Central Texas, Servicing an area of approximately 150 miles around Austin. Thus we cover Austin to San Antonio up to Waco West towards Fredericksburg and East to Bryan/College Station. And of course all points in between.

When was your rescue established?
1998

What types of animals does your rescue help?
Labrador Retrievers

What is the mission of your rescue?
The Heart of Texas Labrador Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization based in Central, TX. Our mission is to rescue Labrador Retrievers and place them in loving forever homes.

How is your rescue run? Is it all volunteers?
Heart of Texas Labrador Rescue is an all volunteer and all foster organization.

Do you have a building or is your rescue work done all through foster homes?
HOTLab Rescue works primarily through foster homes, with dogs placed in local kennels should foster home not be available when a Lab is taken into the program.

Where do you get your funding?
Funding comes from donations to our organization. Being a 501c(3) organization all donations are Tax Deductable.

Tell us more about your group. What makes it unique?
HOTLab Rescue has been characterized as more of an eHarmoney style of matching families with their forever Labs. During our application and interview process we learn more about what a family is looking for. That information combined with the information that we know about the Labs in our program from the foster families allows us to present better matches when a family comes to a private meet and greet. At the meet and greet the family will meet 3-5 Labs that match what they are looking for.

Often times HOTLab is brought in to rescue Labs that shelters would have a hard time placing in their current state. Such as dogs that need heartworm treatments, surgeries and other special needs. Prior to any adoption each Lab is treated for whatever ailments they may have and brought current on their shots.

Do you have a favorite adoption story you’d like to share?
Sophie a young female Labrador whose rescue prompted the formation of Heart of Texas Lab Rescue. Sophie was part of a puppy mill, and as a result, was comfortable around other dogs, but at-tempted to escape all human contact. After several months of slow pro-gress, Sophie encountered a setback and became even more fearful of hu-mans. Seemingly there were no options left for Sophie to live a content, peaceful life and euthanasia was considered. However, before good-byes could be said, we received a call from the person who adopted her “cell-mate” from the puppy mill, Rusty. The adoptive family opened their homes to Sophie as well. Sophie and Rusty were reunited. Sophie and Rusty have both since passed over the Rainbow Bridge.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
You can learn more about Heart of Texas Lab Rescue at our website www.hotlabrescue.org additionally you can follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/HOTLAB and on Twitter as @HotLabRescue where we are the most followed Labrador site on Twitter.

Filed under: Interview, Rescue/Shelter on February 15th, 2010 | No Comments »

Hey everyone! I know, I know, we’re finally getting our butts in gear and getting this site going again. The whole one computer thing kinda killed things last month but we’re back and rearing to go! I am very excited to announce our new Rescue of the Month: The Funny Farm. I’m sure lots of you have at least heard something about them from their twitter account @gafunnyfarm. If you haven’t and you’re on twitter then they are a MUST to follow. There are always the cutest pictures of the sanctuary’s cats and other gems such as a puppy & a deer making friends. There are also cute tales from the Farm such as Colleen falling asleep alone and waking up with 16 kittens on the bed! Seriously, follow them and there will always be something to cheer you up when you need it.

Of course, what really matters most is not what they can offer you but what they are doing for animals in Georgia. The Funny Farm rescues animals of all sorts but their main passion is kitties. I believe they have something nearing 70 cats now after the last rescue (one time not long ago they rescued ALL of the cats due to be euthanized at one shelter that day – no lives lost!) The reason this is so important is that while there are animals dying in shelters every day, cats have the worst of it. I’ve seen statistics saying only 1 in 12 cats will ever find a home. That staggering statistic is incredibly sad but rather than scare people off from trying to rescue them it should get them highly motivated to help great people like those at The Funny Farm. Our philosophy here at ILRA is “The Starfish Effect“: every ONE counts. That being the case, just look at how incredible what the Farm has done is!

Now here’s the part where you can help: they are currently trying hard to raise funds to build a fence around an entire TWO ACRES of their farm. This will be an open area for all of the cats to live & play in and once completed will allow for even more cats to be saved. They’ve currently raised just over $2000 of the $6000 they need to get it all done. Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated both by them & the rescue kitties! Visit their main page to donate (at the bottom). And now (finally!) I present you with the interview!

What’s the name of your sanctuary?
The farm is called The Funny Farm, and if you have ever been here you understand why. The cat sanctuary is going to be called The Heaven On Earth Rescue Cat Sanctuary. It is being built in honor of all of the kitties who never made it out of the shelter and for those that did.

Where are you located?
We are in Wilkes County, GA. If you draw a line between Athens & Augusta we are right in the middle.

When was your sanctuary established?
The non-profit was established in 2006. That is the year we moved to Georgia.

What types of animals do you help?
We mainly focus on cats, but we have dogs, goats, pigs, ducks, rabbits, 1 rescue horse, a ferret & a guinea pig. There are about 100 animals at the farm.

What is the mission of your sanctuary?
Our mission is to help as many animals as possible. We started PALS (official name of the non-profit) to try and make people aware that they need to provide for their animals if something should happen to them. Most people never even consider that their animals may outlive them. This results in many once loved animals being put in shelters due to no other option.

How is your sanctuary run? Is it all volunteers?
At the moment my husband and I run the sanctuary with the help of my brother-in-law, Marco, and my mother Sharon. We have friends who come over to spend time with the animals, which to me is much more important than picking up poo.

Where do you get your funding?
We have no outside funding aside from donations. When you first open a non-profit it is very difficult to survive because it takes time to qualify for your 501©3 status which makes you unable to apply for grants. A lot of people think that being a 501©3 is what makes a legitimate non-profit. This is just not the case . Luckily our 501©3 is in the works which means soon we will be able to give tax forms for donations.

Tell us more about your sanctuary. What makes it unique?
The Funny Farm is a free-roam sanctuary. We think of our animals more like family than rescues. They, for most part all get along regardless of species. Of course there are a few that need their own space. People are always surprised to see things like a rabbit & cat hanging out together.
We have also set up a program called PALS that allows people to will us their cats so that if something should happen to them, their cat will come to The Funny Farm.

Do you have a favorite story you’d like to share?
I do but it’s not a kitty story. One day I was talking to my brother-in-law on the cell phone and I went outside. Cody, our rescue horse was standing next to the lean-2 we had built for him & the goats. One of the baby goats had somehow jumped up on the doghouse and onto the top of the lean-2 next to Cody, or so I thought. Cody took a step sideways and I realized that the baby goat was standing on Cody’s back! Of course I could not get a camera fast enough, what else is new.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
We are truly grateful for everyone who supports what we do. We would probably not have survived the first year if it weren’t for wonderful people who love the critters as much as we do. Thank you all for your continued support.

Colleen & John Palladini
www.gafunnyfarm.org

Filed under: Interview, Rescue/Shelter on August 1st, 2009 | 3 Comments »

Hey everyone! Sorry we haven’t posted in awhile but we’ve been super busy driving all over the country! Hopefully there’ll be pics and stories to follow soon. But now I’m very happy to give you our very first organization interview!

What is the name of your organization?
Tails Of Aloha – An all Volunteer Animal Assisted Therapy Organization.

Where is your group located?
Located on Oahu in the state of Hawaii, with animals on all of the major Hawaiian Islands.

When was your organization established?
Tails of Aloha was established in 1994 and received its Non-Profit designation in October 2008. We were fully funded by our founder from 1994-2007.

What is the mission of your organization?
We send Animal Therapy teams to hospitals, nursing homes, Hospices and even private homes for Animal assisted Therapy (where we have animals go to individuals or groups) or Animal Assisted Activities (Where we have an animal involved with the actual therapy of an individual that is observed and documented by a Health/Human service professional.) We also do foster homes for misplaced pets and pets whose owners have been placed into nursing homes, long term hospital care or hospice. We also find permanent placement for animals that cannot go back to the original owners. We also assist the homeless population with the care and feeding of their pets by educating them on the requirements for inoculations and treatments they can give their pets. Our group donates shampoos and flea treatments to those in need.

How is your organization run? Are you an all-volunteer group?
Our organization is made up of entirely volunteer groups that donate time and money for the benefit of the patients.

How do you get your funding?
Most of our funding currently comes from our Board of Directors or from a few Fundraisers we run every few months. We are working on some grants to assist in the purchase of a few items for our online store. http://printfection.com/tailsofaloha and http://www.zazzle.com/tailsofaloha

Do you get support from your surrounding area?
Most of our support comes from local people and stores.

What are some of the challenges you face?
We try and have pet therapy teams available to all who call us for them but are unable to keep up with the demands. We would like to establish ourselves in every hospital and nursing home in the state but are short of people and animals to do that.

Tell us more about your group. What makes it unique?
Our group started as 1 individual (Gayle Igarashi) hoping to make a difference in the lives of the elderly and has prospered from there. We now have animals certified on all 4 major islands of Hawaii and are trying to do more. Our animals range from a small pet rat to miniature horses. (Our Great Dane team is actually larger in size than our miniature horse team…LOL)

Do you have a favorite story you’d like to share?
WOW what an amazing day Al and I had today with our pet therapy visit! It was our first time at Kulana Malama. This is a children’s hospital in Ewa Beach. For the longest time I wanted to get the courage to go and do a pet visit.
But the truth is I was scared that emotionally it would throw me into a deep heart break. I didn’t want to imagine a place where tiny children lived on heavy medical equipment hanging on to life every moment.
Well finally after all the procrastination and my heart tugging at me countless times over to just do it. At least try, is what I kept telling myself.
NO REGRETS!!
When we arrived we had a warm wonderful greeting from the patients and the staff. The place looked like a miniature Disney Land. Every place in it was bright and colorful. It seemed very animated. It was bursting with love and care. U can instantly feel this warmth. Nothing of what I had envisioned in my head came close to what the reality was. The staff was incredible. They treated each child with such amazing tender love and care. I don’t know how they found such a perfect staff. All of them filled with smiles and ALOHA. There was so much excitement and joy to see us.
The children were more than amazing. None of them could really talk, many hooked up to several machines, tubes etc. You could hear many of the machines making all kinds of noises. These children were the most beautiful children I had ever seen in my life. They were smiling and excited to see this big furry dog come to visit them. For many it was the first time they ever saw a real dog or even touched one. It was absolutely magical. There was no sadness. I expected a gloomy place. It wasn’t anything gloomy at all. It was a miracle of life. A blessing of time. Smiles everywhere. Love that u could feel the moment u walk in the door.
Polo seemed perfectly at home. He loved them all especially this one lil tiny baby boy. His tiny lil toes and fingers gave his best effort to connect with Polo. I could see him move his fingers and even wiggle his toes. They were both so comfortable with each other. The baby rested his tiny feet on Polo’s nose and face. His lil hand slowly and gently moved across Polo’s fur. Polo laid his head on the baby. They were like best friends. I was so amazed of the comfort of each other they shared.

What is the accomplishment your organization is most proud of?
Please See Here

What is the one thing that people could do to help your organization the most?
People with animals are asked to join and spend some of their time sharing their wonderful pets with others less fortunate to have or not allowed to have a pet of their own.
We also can use donations to assist us in the insurance of our animals and the upkeep of our store/websites. All of our donations are returned into Tails of Aloha, nothing is spent outside of what we do at Tails of Aloha. 100% return back to Tails of Aloha a 501 (C ) (3) IRS approved company.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
Our volunteer group will visit any home that has elderly, terminally sick, nursing home, hospital or hospice in Hawaiian Islands. If we have a team available in the area you request then we will try our best to get there for you. If we don’t have a team at that time we will work with you to get someone there as soon as possible! We are also looking to certify teams on all islands of Hawaii! If you make a donation to us you can be assured that it will go into the Tails of Aloha program and not anywhere else! Mahalo Nui Loa for your time and we look forward to seeing you out in the community!

Filed under: Interview on May 29th, 2009 | 1 Comment »