What a fantastic year we’ve had here at KARE!
We’ve adopted over 42 pooches to wonderful families! We’ve met some amazing people in our community while doing adoption events, having a litter reunion party, and working with other local rescue organizations all with the same mission of saving and rescuing dogs. KARE’s motivation for rescuing relinquished or abandoned dogs aids the larger rescue community in achieving an end goal where all dogs truly find their forever homes. We’ve also established a facility to host educational programs intended to improve communication and relationships with pets and their owners to keep them in their loving homes.
Many animal rescue organizations like KARE exist to rescue, protect, care and re-home dogs from unnecessary euthanasia. Many rescue dogs are rehomed quickly, but some wait longer for a home. This may be relevant when the dog is older. We may provide ongoing health care and support for older dogs, even after they have been placed in a home. When adopting from KARE, you can rest assured that your rescue will be microchipped, spayed/neutered, and vaccinated.
Adoption fees are used to offset costs and provide extra help to some of our needier rescues—such as those that may require surgery, medical treatment, extended care and more. Like most non-profit organizations, we do not receive Federal or State funding. It is in donations and fundraising opportunities, such as the Kitsap Great Give (as well as the generosity of dedicated volunteers and foster families), that cover costs of regular day-to-day operations and keep our little organization afloat when a rescue needs extra TLC.
Missouri
There are a large number of stray, unspayed/unneutered dogs living in rural parts of Missouri, many of whom were abandoned by their owners. Most spend their days roaming around or end up in high-kill shelters, leading to countless litters. There are also “backyard breeders” and hoarding situations, with dogs oftentimes confined to unkempt, overcrowded cages with minimal shelter from extreme. Most of these animals suffer from malnutrition or starvation due to inadequate or unsanitary food and water, and receive little or no veterinary care. Adult animals are continuously bred until they can no longer produce, then are destroyed or discarded. Sadly, only about 15 percent of people with pets in the U.S. adopted them from a shelter or rescue group, leaving so many deserving pets left behind[.
KARE seeks to rescue these dogs that are left behind, and works closely with volunteers local to Missouri. These volunteers evaluate and transport these dogs to the airport for travel to Washington State, and choose Washington state (and KARE) because of the many responsible owners living here, ready to provide a second chance at a loving, forever home for these rescues. Once they arrive, KARE fosters help them transition into their new lives.
Community
Thanks to our new partnership with Camp Bow Wow (Silverdale), we have been able to add to our roster of available fosters, giving dogs like Griffey a unique “home” where they get to play with other Campers, and receive love and attention from Camp Bow Wow’s Camp Counselors™ until their forever home is found.
This year, many of our dogs have come from owner surrenders within our own community. We pride ourselves in creating a safe, judgement-free place for people to turn to when they need to rehome their dogs. Some of these dogs have been relinquished because the owner cannot afford the vet services required for their dogs. We have also had a few seniors come through our doors – Griffey, an older shar-pei mix; JD, a 14-year-old GSP; and, of course, there was the one and only, Jackson!
Jackson
Jackson had been in foster care and in two separate foster homes over a 6-month period before finally finding his forever home. Unfortunately, senior dogs tend to have longer stays in rescues/shelters, and Jackson was no different. When KARE got the call about Jackson, he was in a home that was going through many changes, and his environment was causing him seizures. Additionally, he had become reactive to the other dogs. KARE was able to place him into a quiet foster home and found the right medication to control his seizures. Both of his fosters were absolutely smitten with him, as he is always up for an adventure and is the best snuggler around.
After a long 6 months in the rescue, a wonderful woman reached out to KARE. She had shared with us that she recently lost one of her dogs. Her other dog, Charlie, had been wailing and crying when left alone. Although we were unsure on how Jackson would do living with another dog, we decided Jackson deserved to try. Jackson and Charlie’s initial “meet and greet” went splendidly, and are still enjoying each other’s company. His forever mom says they are perfect little companions and do everything together! Jackson won’t even eat unless Charlie gets to eat as well, which is saying a lot because Jackson sure does love his meal time!
Bailey
Bailey was another one of our rescues this year that has tugged at our heart strings and made a big impact on our little organization. The moment KARE met Bailey we knew she was a special soul. She happily bounded towards us with a carefree, “live in the moment” attitude. She was full of smiles and completely stole our hearts. Her owner (at the time) had rescued Bailey from an abusive home and had the best of intentions but knew, ultimately, that she could no longer care for her. She called KARE, in tears, as she knew that Bailey’s medical needs were going to be too costly for her. Bailey had an obvious limp in her hind area and needed medical attention.
The vet diagnosed her with a UTI and a rare disease called D.I.S.H. syndrome, or Diffuse Ideopathic Spinal Hypertosis (D.I.S.H.), a degenerative spinal disease that causes a fusion of the spine resulting in reduced spinal flexibility and limited range of motion of the spine, and gave her a limited life expectancy. We knew that finding her a permanent home would be difficult given her medical needs and limited time she had left. We reached out to a long-time foster, who also happens to also be a Veterinarian Assistant, and asked if he would be willing to care for Bailey as a “forever foster”. A forever foster is what our KARE family considers a special dog whose care our organization would be responsible for throughout its lifetime. KARE covers all costs associated with the care, including medical costs, food, training, etc. With time and a conscientious caretaker, Bailey just got stronger and stronger.
KARE could not have rescued this special girl, or the 42 dogs this past year alone, without the loving help of our fosters or the generosity of our donors.
We look forward to rescuing more dogs in our community and providing much needed help for other regions. We hope you can join us in our mission, and help save a life. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for pupdates, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter!