Helping a community care for its animals
February 6th, 2014
Last week, RedRover Responders volunteers answered a call for help to care for 190 cats, 11 dogs and various livestock at a shelter in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Our team was invited by American Humane Association to provide the loving animal care we’re known for – plus some much-needed elbow grease to clean, disinfect and repair the shelter so it could continue to be a resource for the community’s animals.
Read a report from the field by RedRover communications volunteer Marcia Goodman:
Every animal rescue is different, but our deployment to Hunterdon County, New Jersey, was especially unique: A local shelter had lost its way and needed structural repairs, a deep cleaning and some TLC to house the community’s homeless animals. At the request of American Humane Association (AHA), we sent a team of 24 RedRover Responders volunteers to give this shelter and its animals a boost.
When American Humane Association was called in by the New Jersey SPCA to help revive the shelter for the community’s homeless pets, AHA assessed the situation and called on RedRover to join them. Every animal was examined by a veterinarian and protocols were established for cleaning and caring for the animals. Food and supplies were donated by PetSmart Charities.
Working side-by-side with AHA and shelter staff and volunteers, RedRover provided daily care for the group of 200+ animals, comprising of mostly cats and also some dogs, goats, horses and one pig. A few of the cats were especially eager for human attention. Of course, RedRover volunteers would never disappoint kitties, so between cleanings and feedings, there was an abundance of snuggling (be sure to watch the video above). Our volunteers also walked dogs and tended to the livestock on the property – the type of one-on-one interaction with the animals our team was happy to provide.
RedRover Responders volunteers traveled from Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and other parts of New Jersey to offer their time to give the animals the care and attention they deserved. A few volunteers were newly entering the field of animal rescue through RedRover, while others had extensive animal experience.
Many RedRover Responders volunteers also offer their time to help animals in their own communities, in shelters, through rescue groups and other settings:
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Suzyn manages an animal shelter back in her hometown. She took the RedRover Responders volunteer training and volunteered for this deployment for two purposes: to help the Hunterdon County animals and to gain new perspectives in managing her shelter back home.
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Barbara, another volunteer, is a licensed wildlife trapper and transporter and also volunteers with her county’s emergency animal rescue team. The RedRover Responders volunteer training and this deployment enabled her to gain more knowledge and experience to develop her own animal rescue skills.
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Pennye owns a number of pet health foods stores.
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Debbie, another RedRover Responders volunteer, teaches animal massage therapy.
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RedRover Responders volunteer Melissa volunteered at a baboon sanctuary during two different trips to South Africa.
Each of these wonderful people had different levels of experience and knowledge, and the diversity of the group was so vital to the success of this RedRover deployment. It was hard work for everyone involved, but well worth it to show love and compassion to these helpless animals.
Thanks to our supporters and our team of RedRover volunteers, we can all share in the joy of knowing that these deserving animals can move on the next piece of their journey – onto a new lives with loving families.
Learn more about RedRover and the Hunterdon County animal sheltering deployment here
