Guardians of Florida animal rescue

As we move into the season of gratitude, Webspark Media is excited to give back!

In the spirit of the season, we’re collecting donations to support this rescue—whether it’s monetary contributions or physical items (both used and new). Fall is a time for reflection, and we’re thankful for the chance to help these wonderful animals find their forever homes!

If you’d like to donate, you may do so with this donation link for monetary funds. Or should you prefer to donate physical items (both used and new), please mail them to our office - 14564 Aeries Way Dr, Fort Myers, FL 33912

Suggested items include:

Every donation, big or small, makes a difference!

Let’s come together this fall and show our gratitude by making a positive impact! Thank you for your support!

GUARDIANS OF FLORIDA ANIMAL RESCUE, A NO KILL ANIMAL RESCUE IN FORT MYERS, FL, IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A TRANSPORT VEHICLE - WE HAVE A FOUNDATION THAT HAS COMMITTED TO MATCH $15,000 IN FUNDS RAISED FOR A VEHICLE! BUT FIRST WE NEED YOUR HELP TO RAISE FUNDS. PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN-EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS ADD UP-AND SHARE TO YOUR ANIMAL LOVING FRIENDS! DONATIONS ARE FEDERALLY TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Our volunteers and staff have been using personal vehicles for all of our rescue needs since we started our rescue 3.5 years ago. We have grown to caring for around 200 animals on a daily basis - think of all of the vet exams, spay/neuter appointments, supplies pick up, transporting to trap or pickup strays, driving to county shelters all over SW Florida to save animals from euthanasia and driving adoptable animals to events to give them a chance for a home! It has become no longer feasible for us to continue to ask our staff and volunteers to put all of that wear and tear on their personal vehicles. Additionally, a climate controlled transport vehicle will allow us to transport adoptable animals up north where demand is high and supply is low, saving not only those animals, but also creating space to save more animals in their place. Saving 1 means saving 2! Please consider donating even a small amount so we can earn this foundation's match and obtain a vehicle suitable for a rescue operation of our size!

Continue reading below for additional information ---

Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue, Inc (“GOFAR”). was founded on April 27, 2021, in Southwest Florida by a group of professional women who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of animals who have no voice, no hope and no GUARDIAN.

In July of 2022, only our second year of operation, we were able to realize our dream of having a physical location by leasing 3 buildings with kennels of various different sizes. The addition of the kennel facility to our existing foster network is a step change in our ability to rescue more homeless animals in desperate need of care, love and homes. This is evidenced by the growth in our intake from 136 animals in 2021 to 668 animals in 2023. YTD June 2024 our intake already stands at 574 animals thru August. Yet the flow of homeless, abused and neglected animals in South Florida never seems to slow down. This enormous step change in activity for our operations has been challenging to keep up with, but we are making it happen.

We are in desperate need of a climate controlled cargo van or large vehicle retrofitted for the transportation of rescue animals. Acquiring this type of vehicle will satisfy several critical operational needs and provide us another tool to increase our lifesaving impact.

Although we are located in Ft Myers, a high majority of our intakes come from all over Central and South Florida where the need is greatest due to the high number of abandoned and neglected animals. The municipal shelters in south and central Florida are continually operating at or above capacity and are turning animals away and euthanizing at a high rate. As mentioned, GOFAR was able to secure a facility to expand our ability to rescue more animals; however, our facility and most fosters in our network are a 1-2 hour drive away from these areas in critical need. Since inception, we have used personal vehicles (cars) to transport animals to/from our facility for every need: trapping stray and abandoned animals, pulling from shelters, vet appointments, adoption appointments, adoption and other events, supplies pickup, grooming and emergency medical treatment as examples. With the step change in our life-saving impact in the community, it has been increasingly difficult to ask our volunteers and staff to continue to use their personal vehicles on top of all of the time they already dedicate to helping our animals. A cargo van or similar that is retrofitted to hold crates would allow us to provide transportation for more animals at a time to help mitigate the overcrowding in the area shelters without asking our volunteers and staff to continue the wear and tear on the personal vehicles. The cargo van will also assist in daily operations of the rescue for trapping abandoned animals, vet appointments, adoption events, fundraising events, picking up pallets of food and other supplies and at the ready to obtain emergency medical treatment.

Additionally, to increase our impact on the overcapacity and out of control situation with homeless, neglected and abused animals in South Florida, we are looking to move animals to areas where the supply is low and the demand is high. Every animal we can move to an area such as this not only gets them in a loving home quicker, it allows us to save another animal from a kill shelter or from life on the streets. GOFAR's President has a very large network of rescue advocates and supporters in Canada due to her rescue work over decades in that area before moving to Florida. We consistently get requests to transport dogs to Canada where the adoption success rate is very high and fast. To further increase our lifesaving impact, we are looking to transport animals from Florida to the safe and loving arms of Canadian families utilizing partnerships and networks through our President's connections. In May, 2023, we partnered with Paw2Love in Ontario to transfer 10 small dogs to them where they are currently being adopted into loving homes. Paw2Love indicated the #1 barrier in being able to conduct more transports like this is cost. With an owned transport vehicle, we can execute transports with our volunteers to eliminate that #1 barrier. We also plan to partner with other rescues such as Project Paws in Barrie, Ontario and Royal Canadian Pooch Rescue. Rescues such as these organizations will be key partners for managing the transport and arrival of animals in Canada, sheltering them while pending adoption, networking them for forever homes and assisting with any necessary vetting prior to adoption. Royal Canadian Pooch Rescue has over 2,000 followers on Facebook and many years of rescue success in the area. They will be our primary advocate for creating exposure to the program and managing the adoption process for the animals.

MAXINE – LEFT BEHIND WHEN FAMILY EVACUATED

Her “family” cared enough for themselves to evacuate when Hurricane Milton came, but she apparently wasn’t worth saving. They put her in the street and when a bystander asked about the dog, they said we are leaving, you can have her. Just like that, she was discarded like trash. This good Samaritan didn’t want a dog, but took her in and sheltered her from the storm, then called us. Great example of the evil and the good in humans. She will be better off now that she is safe. She appears to have been overbred and has what appears to be urine burns all over her belly and legs, likely confined for long periods of time in her own waste. We will do all that is needed to heal her and find her a home where she will be loved for the rest of her life.

Please donate toward's Maxine's medical and general care! Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

ANOTHER INNOCENT, SWEET DOG DUMPED IN MIAMI

This boy was abandoned in a park in Miami. He sat there for days in the rain waiting for his family to come back for him. A kind soul fed him and networked him all over social media for help. We (Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Fort Myers) have our hands full like many rescues after Milton roared through, but a foster stepped up and we couldn’t let him sit there sad, alone, soaked and heartbroken for one more day. He was taken to our vet in Miami this afternoon and his name is Taiger. He will never have his heart broken again. Donations will provide medical and general care, including neuter, to Taiger so he can be adopted into a loving home. No donation is too small and we appreciate every hard earned dollar!

STRAY MAMA & PUP ON THE STREETS IN MIAMI - THEY WOULD NOT SURVIVE MILTON

These two, mama and her pup, were found roaming the streets in Miami this afternoon, already sick and starving. We are here in Fort Myers, overcapacity and already overwhelmed caring for roughly 200 animals safe as the storm got ready to release its wrath, but we knew these two would not survive this beast of a storm and time was of the essence. Pup's eyes are infected, mama is skin and bones and so tired - see her give in to her exhaustion as soon as they are safe in the crate. They were rushed to Town and Country Animal Hospital in Miami and after 3 days, mama had to have emergency surgery to Pyometra. That surgery alone is $1800. Add vaccines, deworming, dealing with eye infection, sterilization for puppy, boarding until we have space, preventatives, etc and that will run at least another $2,000. Any small donation helps and we appreciate every hard earned dollar.