One Week Challenge to Save Lives

We are 18 days away from closing on the new AARF Central facility. So far, we have received wonderful feedback about our new pet center. Everyone who hears about AARF Central is excited about the programs and services that we'll be able to offer to Atlanta's pets, both those waiting for homes and those that have already found their families.

But how can we translate those good wishes into help? For the last 8 1/2 years, I have never had to ask more directly for your help. Without you, and I mean all of you, we can't open AARF Central. We can't help more pets escape the euthanasia rooms in shelters. We can't help more dogs come in from the backyard chains and into the house. We can't help more cats find the comforts of a window ledge and a comfy pillow instead of the dangers of dodging cars and having three litters of kittens a year.

I know every one of you cares about the pets in Atlanta that need help. You wouldn't even take the time to read this if you didn't. But now I need you to translate that care and compassion into action. Here's my challenge to you.

For the next week, from today (September 26) to next Sunday (October 3), I am asking you to think about how much a life is worth. Is it worth the $5 fancy coffee? Is it worth the $12 pizza? Is it worth the $40 shoes? In one week, how much can you save to save a life?

• If we can get at least 75 people to think that giving up $100 of take-out food and convenience store soda this week is worth it to save lives for years to come, then we will be able to sign the closing papers and give Atlanta's pets a new place to feel safe.

• If we can find 150 people who think that the life is a pet is worth more than a new pair of shoes or a new fall jacket, we can move in and start renovations.

• And if we can find 400 people who think that pet overpopulation is a problem we can fix, then we can be open by the end of the year, helping pets and their people.

On Sunday, October 3, visit the AARF website to download a pledge form or tile form, write out a check for the amount that you saved this week or donate online, and help us. And if you don't need a full week to decide that a life is worth something to you, there is no need to wait until next week.

I am asking you today to give us one week of coffee, fast food and trips to the mall. Please don't assume that you don't need to donate because someone else will. Because if everyone assumes that, then no one helps. And so far, most people are assuming that someone else will help, so very few have. In return, for that one week, I pledge that we will save pets for weeks, months and years to come. I think it's a fair trade. I hope you do, too.

**I want to say thank you so much to the people pledged their support before we announced the launch of AARF Central. Please visit the AARF Central page to see the people who have already decided that saving lives is worth their investment.**

Inspections complete! Now we need you!

I spent Tuesday morning at our new AARF facility, walking the building several times with all of our inspectors. First up - the Department of Agriculture inspector. Great news from him, as we got a preliminary approval of our plans for the building. Next in - the electrician. The foundation of the electric system is good, but over the years, the folks in the building have spliced, rewired and extended in a haphazard way, so we have a lot of bad wiring to remove and redo. Third in - HVAC. The building has two air conditioners, and both seem to be in good working order. Unfortunately, the heating system is a different story. Since this building has been used mostly as a warehouse, the middle of the building is inefficiently heated, and the back isn't heated at all (or air conditioned). So, HVAC renovations will be a bit more than we anticipated. Finally, plumbing. The existing plumbing is in good working order, and the renovations we need to do for the dog wash stations should be straightforward. So, all in all, not bad news on the inspections.

Now, we need YOU to move forward.

We have had so much positive feedback about our new AARF Central facility. But we need your help to make it a reality. Since announcing the building, we have received less than $200 in new pledges and donations. To finish the renovations and be open by the holidays, we need 400 people to sign up for the smallest donor tile. (If we can get a combination of larger tiles and corporate tiles, we'll need fewer tiles.) Let's start with a goal of 25 donor tiles by October 1. Learn about our donor tiles and download your donor tile form here. What a great way to honor a family member or pet! Give a tile as a birthday or anniversary present. Let us know if the tile is a gift, and we'll send the honoree a card letting him or her know about your generous and lasting gift. Do you have a business? You can help AARF Central get started and have a permanent legacy of your business' generosity for less than the cost of a newspaper ad.

So, please, help us by sending a donor tile form today. If you don't want a tile, you can make a donation online or download a general pledge form here. Every dollar will make a difference in the lives of pets for years to come.

AARF Central is Coming to Stone Mountain!

Just last week, we announced our plans to open an AARF facility. Now, that dream is a reality! We signed the paperwork on Friday to purchase a building in Stone Mountain, just a few blocks from historic Stone Mountain Village. We will close on the building on October 15, and we plan to be open by the holidays. Our new address will be 6570 James B. Rivers Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083.

The city of Stone Mountain is going through a huge face lift. Buildings in the historic district are being restored, and the city is putting in in new brick sidewalks, medians and landscaping. Stone Mountain is being restored to its historic splendor.

AARF Central will be just two blocks from Main Street. For years, the building has been used as a shop and retail center for restored Coca-Cola products. The big glass windows will help us showcase the new AARF pet supply and resource center, where we'll offer a wide variety of pet supplies and advice to pet owners. The AARF cats in the adoption center will have lots of space to climb, stretch and watch the birds in the tree outside the window. The sealed brick floors in a large open room in the middle of the building will offer a wonderful space for training, indoor adoption days and AARF events. We'll also be able to develop our grooming center, Kids N Kritters Clubhouse and self dog wash tubs. This building is absolutely perfect for our new community pet resource center! We will be bringing services to an area that really needs what we will be able to offer.

Now, we need you to help us make AARF Central a reality. With your help, we can help more pets get adopted, help more pets stay in their homes, and help educate pet owners about more humane, healthy and compassionate ways to care for their 4-legged family members. Your pledge of support or tile donation will mean that more pets will find their forever homes and escape the sadness of dying in shelters or on the street. We are tracking our donations on the dog bone on the right. As you can see, we have raised 1/3 of what we need so far, but we need YOU to help us hit our goal.

Read about the new AARF Central facility here. Consider a donation or a tile to honor a family member, friend or beloved pet. We cannot do this without your support.

Meet AARF Central!

Our vision of the AARF Central community pet resource center is a progressive design created to address the full life of a pet. Homeless dogs and cats will begin their second chance in our cat adoption center and at adoption days. They’ll transition to their new homes with help from our training and education programs. We'll offer vaccine and microchip clinics for the pets in the community. The pets' caretakers will consult us for quality pet food and products. Our grooming center will help owners keep their dogs and cats healthy and clean.

We consider our facility as a “pets for life” design. By providing inviting adoption spaces and ongoing post-adoption services, we will help families adopt pets for life, helping to take homeless pets permanently out of the rescue cycle.

Our new facility will include:

Cat Adoption Center: The AARF Central facility will accommodate 10-12 cats at any one time who will be available for adoption. Unlike shelters of the past that “warehoused” as many animals as possible in metal cages and chain-link kennels, our facility will provide a comfortable and home-like setting. The cats in the adoption program will be in behaviors of playing, climbing and socializing. The adoption environment will not only keep the cats healthy and happy during transition into permanent homes less stressful.

Kids N Kritters Clubhouse: The key to changing the way our society treats animals is in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of the next generation of pet owners. We will dedicate an area in AARF Central to be the Kids N Kritters Clubhouse. The Kids N Kritters space will be a fun, interactive, educational space with games, books, and videos for children. We will also utilize this space for presentations on dog bite prevention, humane education, pet care, etc.

Community Adoption Center:We recognize that any pet that finds a home brings us one step closer to our mission of ending pet overpopulation. In the spirit of collaboration, AARF Central will include a community dog adoption center, with 4 permanent kennels and 10-15 mobile crates for use adoption days. AARF will invite other rescue groups to bring dogs for Saturday and Sunday adoption events, providing a safe, indoor, climate controlled location. We will also utilize the space to host vaccine and microchip clinics on a regular basis.

Training: The main reason dogs get returned to rescue groups or abandoned at shelters is because of behavioral issues. Many of these behavioral problems can be easily addressed and corrected through proper, positive training. In cooperation with established trainers, we will offer training classes based on positive training methods to help newly adopted dogs settle in to new homes and address behavior issues that could cause abandonment or surrender.

Retail: It’s no surprise that high-quality food and treats can make a significant impact on the quality and longevity of a pet’s life. AARF Central will include a retail space that offers high-quality pet products at an affordable price. As an additional service to the community, the retail section will include “gently used” pet supplies (crates, cat carriers, bowls, collars, etc.) at discounted prices.

Pet Grooming and Dog Self-Wash: A clean pet is generally a healthier pet. Attention to grooming issues like coat maintenance and flea control are small steps that can greatly improve a pet’s quality of life. We will offer both full-service grooming and self-dog wash tubs at AARF Central.

It's Time for AARF Central!

AARF was founded in April 2002. For the past 8.5 years, we have saved the lives of hundreds of dogs and cats. We have subsidized spay and neuter surgeries through Casper's Fund. We have educated the next generation of pet owners with our Kids N Kritters Program. Through our Silver Paws Program we have made connections between senior pets and senior pet lovers. And have done it all as volunteers.

All of us on the AARF team do the work we do because we care so much about the animals that need us. We would continue to do this work as volunteers forever, if we had to.

But what if we didn't have to? What if, instead of working 40 hours a week at another job and then trying to squeeze our work with AARF in on evenings and weekends, we could devote our entire energy and time to saving the lives of pets who are dying in Atlanta's shelters and streets? What if our mission of creating a world where every pet matters could be our top priority, not something we try to do in our spare time?

The time has come for AARF to move forward. We are launching the AARF Central Campaign to help us secure and renovate a new community pet center. We hope you will join us!