WOFAR Kennel Fund
Tax deductible
I have been trying to gather my thoughts to be able to sit down and tell our story. Who are we? What do we do? Why do we do it? Why should anyone help us? What success stories should be highlighted (we have many). I haven’t really had that AH HA moment of what to say. So I am just going to speak from my heart.
Wings of Freedom Animal Rescue (WOFAR) was formed in April of 2014. Four dedicated women were involved with another rescue but they didn’t like how things were done so they decided to start their own rescue. They spent many hours researching what had to be done to create the structure, secure licensing and create the governing body. WOFAR owes our existence to those ladies. As a side note, I am not one of those 4.
What makes WOFAR different from most other rescues? We think this is important. We are a CT-based rescue. This means we have developed relationships with local Animal Control Officers and ALWAYS try our hardest to help when they ask. We believe we should help locally first. As of today, 60% of the animals currently in the rescue are from local owner surrenders.
In two and a half years we have rescued 549 animals (mostly dogs, some cats, a ferret, a bunny and a lamb). Of those 502 have been adopted. That is a lot for a small start-up rescue! Its is especially amazing because we are a 100% volunteer foster-based 501c3 rescue! We are not a big group – around 50 members with 10-12 currently fostering for us. Every animal we rescue is spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, on heartworm and flea/tick preventative and under a vet’s care. Many come to us with medical or other problems and we always take care of any need they have.
As you can imagine we are continually walking that tightrope – wanting to rescue every animal that needs us without falling off the rope because of the financial aspect. We exist solely on the donations we receive and the funds we raise. We work very hard to raise money (tag sales, toy sales, dinners, golf and pool tournaments, etc.) to support the rescue and we are now in a stable financial situation where we are not wondering how we will pay the next month’s vet bills. This has taken a great deal of time and effort and we are thankful to have such a wonderful fundraising coordinator. We also have a few dedicated donors who amaze each time they send in another donation.
So that’s a bit of who we are and what we have done. Now I would like to tell you why we do what we do. It’s simple – we speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. The reality of our world is that there are thousands of animals who are abandoned, neglected and abused every day. Some of the things we see are just horrific. You look at their eyes and see the hurt or despair and know you need to help. There are some dogs that just steal your heart and you know you must act. Sometimes it is to get them out of bad situations. Sometimes they have medical needs that can’t be met in a shelter. Sometimes they are scheduled to be euthanized simply because there is no space and they have been there the longest (black and dark dogs are always in this situation). Sometimes dogs are so scared in a shelter situation they are literally paralyzed with fear – these dogs don’t stand a chance to be adopted – they need to be rescued and worked with to overcome those fears. Whatever the reason, WOFAR works very hard to help them. I have attached a few stories for you to read. These dogs who had special needs who we helped.
So why am I writing today? We have an amazing opportunity. This chance could change our world and allow us to rescue 10 times more dogs. In the town of Eastford, CT there is a boarding kennel for sale. The situation could not more perfect for WOFAR! There is a 3 bedroom house on the property, the kennel also has a grooming facility, a cat boarding room, and there are about 32 runs for boarding. There is an agility yard (fenced in) and another fenced in areas for dogs to exercise. Our plan is to offer boarding, grooming and training to the general public and to use all proceeds to grow the rescue. We would also use some of the space for rescues when needed. And finally we would offer reduced rates for any sister rescues who find themselves in need of temporary boarding. We have a family who would live on-site and manage the kennel as well as run the grooming facility. We also have a trainer who would offer training classes and work with our rescues when needed. The one thing we (the Board of Directors) all agreed upon was that if this was to happen we needed to raise the money up front – we were not comfortable carrying debt as part of the process.
So, this is why we are writing. We are hoping to raise the money necessary to purchase the kennel (kennel, house and 11 acres) and do the renovations necessary. The kennel has not been well-maintained and needs some updating – the house is in very good condition. We believe we will need $550,000 to purchase and renovate.
That number seems very large! Recently a card game company raised $100,000 to dig a pointless hole. We think we can attain our worthy goal. There are many animal lovers who are willing to help.
PLEASE PLEASE consider helping us – it would make a difference to thousands of animals in just a few years.
If we do not make our goal or if the kennel is sold before we can purchase all donations will be returned.
Noelle’s Story
In December 2014, Noelle and her pup Merry were finally trapped. Attempts to trap feral Noelle had been made for almost 2 years. In that time she had 3 litters of puppies. To trap her they needed to dart her. When she was at the vet we got a call and the vet actually tried to talk us into euthanizing her – he felt she could not be tamed. We would not do that – we had to try. We have a foster who is simply amazing with dogs like this. Noelle’s foster mom set up a large penned area in her kitchen where Noelle lived for months. She was in a house with other dogs but she was not introduced for a very long time. Noelle’s story is one of patience and perseverance. Her foster parents didn’t give up on her and gave her as much time as she needed. When she was picked up she refused to leave her crate to relieve herself – she went 36 hours! Over time little steps were achieved – such things as even coming out of her crate on a regular basis – being able to be with the other dogs in the house – letting visitors interact with her. It took about a year but she finally has been integrated into her foster home – which became her permanent home. She was such a flight risk that she had her own pen in the fenced in yard. She was so scared to go in the car it was an hour long process to get her out the door.
Groceries' Story
Yes his name is Groceries… He is by far the worst example of animal cruelty we have been involved with. Groceries was just a pup when his owner’s ex-boyfriend decided to starve him to death to get back at her. The culprit was brought to justice and served prison time for this act. Groceries spent 11 months at the vet – he refused to give up on him. When he came to us he was physically healed but needed to catch up on all the skills he should have learned as a puppy. He is a smart boy who learned quickly. He loves to play fetch and be with his humans. He has been adopted and lives with a wonderful young couple. He walks, hikes and runs with them and spends hours playing in the yard.
Dobby’s Story
For those of us in rescue there are dogs that just eat at your heart. Dobby was that boy for a few of us. He was found on the side of the road in a crate too small for him. Based on the condition of his legs we believe we was not let out very often. He is a basset / pit mix - a basset body and a pit head! His back legs were malformed and he was severely bow-legged. His front legs were also malformed. Even though his legs were bad he was not in pain and was a happy boy!
When he was found he was emaciated – complete skin and bones. He had infections which were first taken care of. When he came to us he was very sick and we almost lost him. Once he was better he had an orthopedic consult for his legs. His back legs might be able to be surgically corrected but there was a 50/50 chance of success. Each leg would require a 6 month recovery and if the first was not successful the second would not be done. Our wonderful vet asked if he was in pain and he was not. The recommendation was to continue with joint supplements and see how he progressed.
Dobby was never going to be a hiker or a runner but he sure was a great lap dog who loved to take slow walks and play with toys.
Healing Hunter – A Rescue Story – Desperation to Love and Joy
In January of 2015 we received a plea to help a young abandoned American Bulldog. He was in a rural shelter with no available vet care. He had such severe demodex mange that he had no hair. His feet were so swollen and red from a secondary infection that his very long nails didn’t even reach the floor.
We rescued him and immediately determined he was blind. Our initial vet determined he had been over-medicated and was in an ivermectin toxicity situation . Once we got that taken care of he was on his way to his foster home.
He came to us on January 22, 2015. He was skin and bones, no hair and his feet so bad he had trouble walking.
Wings of Freedom Animal Rescue (WOFAR) was formed in April of 2014. Four dedicated women were involved with another rescue but they didn’t like how things were done so they decided to start their own rescue. They spent many hours researching what had to be done to create the structure, secure licensing and create the governing body. WOFAR owes our existence to those ladies. As a side note, I am not one of those 4.
What makes WOFAR different from most other rescues? We think this is important. We are a CT-based rescue. This means we have developed relationships with local Animal Control Officers and ALWAYS try our hardest to help when they ask. We believe we should help locally first. As of today, 60% of the animals currently in the rescue are from local owner surrenders.
In two and a half years we have rescued 549 animals (mostly dogs, some cats, a ferret, a bunny and a lamb). Of those 502 have been adopted. That is a lot for a small start-up rescue! Its is especially amazing because we are a 100% volunteer foster-based 501c3 rescue! We are not a big group – around 50 members with 10-12 currently fostering for us. Every animal we rescue is spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, on heartworm and flea/tick preventative and under a vet’s care. Many come to us with medical or other problems and we always take care of any need they have.
As you can imagine we are continually walking that tightrope – wanting to rescue every animal that needs us without falling off the rope because of the financial aspect. We exist solely on the donations we receive and the funds we raise. We work very hard to raise money (tag sales, toy sales, dinners, golf and pool tournaments, etc.) to support the rescue and we are now in a stable financial situation where we are not wondering how we will pay the next month’s vet bills. This has taken a great deal of time and effort and we are thankful to have such a wonderful fundraising coordinator. We also have a few dedicated donors who amaze each time they send in another donation.
So that’s a bit of who we are and what we have done. Now I would like to tell you why we do what we do. It’s simple – we speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. The reality of our world is that there are thousands of animals who are abandoned, neglected and abused every day. Some of the things we see are just horrific. You look at their eyes and see the hurt or despair and know you need to help. There are some dogs that just steal your heart and you know you must act. Sometimes it is to get them out of bad situations. Sometimes they have medical needs that can’t be met in a shelter. Sometimes they are scheduled to be euthanized simply because there is no space and they have been there the longest (black and dark dogs are always in this situation). Sometimes dogs are so scared in a shelter situation they are literally paralyzed with fear – these dogs don’t stand a chance to be adopted – they need to be rescued and worked with to overcome those fears. Whatever the reason, WOFAR works very hard to help them. I have attached a few stories for you to read. These dogs who had special needs who we helped.
So why am I writing today? We have an amazing opportunity. This chance could change our world and allow us to rescue 10 times more dogs. In the town of Eastford, CT there is a boarding kennel for sale. The situation could not more perfect for WOFAR! There is a 3 bedroom house on the property, the kennel also has a grooming facility, a cat boarding room, and there are about 32 runs for boarding. There is an agility yard (fenced in) and another fenced in areas for dogs to exercise. Our plan is to offer boarding, grooming and training to the general public and to use all proceeds to grow the rescue. We would also use some of the space for rescues when needed. And finally we would offer reduced rates for any sister rescues who find themselves in need of temporary boarding. We have a family who would live on-site and manage the kennel as well as run the grooming facility. We also have a trainer who would offer training classes and work with our rescues when needed. The one thing we (the Board of Directors) all agreed upon was that if this was to happen we needed to raise the money up front – we were not comfortable carrying debt as part of the process.
So, this is why we are writing. We are hoping to raise the money necessary to purchase the kennel (kennel, house and 11 acres) and do the renovations necessary. The kennel has not been well-maintained and needs some updating – the house is in very good condition. We believe we will need $550,000 to purchase and renovate.
That number seems very large! Recently a card game company raised $100,000 to dig a pointless hole. We think we can attain our worthy goal. There are many animal lovers who are willing to help.
PLEASE PLEASE consider helping us – it would make a difference to thousands of animals in just a few years.
If we do not make our goal or if the kennel is sold before we can purchase all donations will be returned.
Noelle’s Story
In December 2014, Noelle and her pup Merry were finally trapped. Attempts to trap feral Noelle had been made for almost 2 years. In that time she had 3 litters of puppies. To trap her they needed to dart her. When she was at the vet we got a call and the vet actually tried to talk us into euthanizing her – he felt she could not be tamed. We would not do that – we had to try. We have a foster who is simply amazing with dogs like this. Noelle’s foster mom set up a large penned area in her kitchen where Noelle lived for months. She was in a house with other dogs but she was not introduced for a very long time. Noelle’s story is one of patience and perseverance. Her foster parents didn’t give up on her and gave her as much time as she needed. When she was picked up she refused to leave her crate to relieve herself – she went 36 hours! Over time little steps were achieved – such things as even coming out of her crate on a regular basis – being able to be with the other dogs in the house – letting visitors interact with her. It took about a year but she finally has been integrated into her foster home – which became her permanent home. She was such a flight risk that she had her own pen in the fenced in yard. She was so scared to go in the car it was an hour long process to get her out the door.
Groceries' Story
Yes his name is Groceries… He is by far the worst example of animal cruelty we have been involved with. Groceries was just a pup when his owner’s ex-boyfriend decided to starve him to death to get back at her. The culprit was brought to justice and served prison time for this act. Groceries spent 11 months at the vet – he refused to give up on him. When he came to us he was physically healed but needed to catch up on all the skills he should have learned as a puppy. He is a smart boy who learned quickly. He loves to play fetch and be with his humans. He has been adopted and lives with a wonderful young couple. He walks, hikes and runs with them and spends hours playing in the yard.
Dobby’s Story
For those of us in rescue there are dogs that just eat at your heart. Dobby was that boy for a few of us. He was found on the side of the road in a crate too small for him. Based on the condition of his legs we believe we was not let out very often. He is a basset / pit mix - a basset body and a pit head! His back legs were malformed and he was severely bow-legged. His front legs were also malformed. Even though his legs were bad he was not in pain and was a happy boy!
When he was found he was emaciated – complete skin and bones. He had infections which were first taken care of. When he came to us he was very sick and we almost lost him. Once he was better he had an orthopedic consult for his legs. His back legs might be able to be surgically corrected but there was a 50/50 chance of success. Each leg would require a 6 month recovery and if the first was not successful the second would not be done. Our wonderful vet asked if he was in pain and he was not. The recommendation was to continue with joint supplements and see how he progressed.
Dobby was never going to be a hiker or a runner but he sure was a great lap dog who loved to take slow walks and play with toys.
Healing Hunter – A Rescue Story – Desperation to Love and Joy
In January of 2015 we received a plea to help a young abandoned American Bulldog. He was in a rural shelter with no available vet care. He had such severe demodex mange that he had no hair. His feet were so swollen and red from a secondary infection that his very long nails didn’t even reach the floor.
We rescued him and immediately determined he was blind. Our initial vet determined he had been over-medicated and was in an ivermectin toxicity situation . Once we got that taken care of he was on his way to his foster home.
He came to us on January 22, 2015. He was skin and bones, no hair and his feet so bad he had trouble walking.
Organizer
Kathy Crowley Williamson
Organizer
Griswold, CT
Wings Of Freedom Animal Rescue Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
