Category: News

Dog & Cat Adoption Event @ Petco!

This Saturday, February 17th we will be hosting a dog and cat adoption event at the Petco store in Cookeville, TN from 1-4 pm. The address is 377 W. Jackson St#11 Cookeville, TN 38501. We will have marked all the pets who will be in attendance on their listings found here at aarf-tn.com/adopt/ and always need volunteers, you can sign-up here at aarf-tn.com/volunteer/  – We hope to see you there! ! ! !

Petco Adoption Event *RESCHEDULED*

Won’t you join us on Saturday, January 27th, for a dog and cat adoption event at Petco in Cookeville? (see address in the image below). We will be there from 1-4 pm, and the dogs and cats who will be in attendance will be marked prior on our website here: aarf-tn.com/adopt

*(This event was originally scheduled for Jan 20th)*

See you there!

2019 AARF Rescue Statistics

All About Rescue and Fixin Inc.
Annual Statistics for Year 2019

Total Rescued         2019             2007-2019
Dogs                        1,479                    14,497
Cats                            776                      4,980
Totals                      2,255                    19,477

Euthanized*
Dogs                               6                          32
Cats                                 8                         64
Totals                            14                         96

Passed Away
Dogs                                 5                        77
Cats                                 23                     250
Totals                              28                     327

Reclaimed Dogs              2                       24

Adoptions
Dogs                                375                  3,784
Cats                                 396                  2,215
Totals                               771                  5,999

Escaped                              0                          4
TNR                                      5                        13
Sponsorship                      13                       28

Transfer to Partner Organizations
Dogs                                  1,104             10,372
Cats                                      320                2,194
Totals                                 1,424             12,566

# of Transports Conducted
35                   289
Average # Transported per month
119                   127

* Euthanasia must be recommended as the only humane solution by a licensed Veterinarian before an
AARF Board Member is allowed to authorize such a procedure.

 

2018 Statistics

All About Rescue and Fixin Inc.
Annual Statistics for Year  2018
Total Rescued 2018 2007-2018
  Dogs 1,715 13,017
  Cats 852 4,203
2,567 17,220
Euthanized*
  Dogs 9 26
  Cats 14 56
23 82
Dogs: Public Safety Concerns (1), Parvo (2), Megaesophagus (1), Dementia/Quality of Life/Hospice (1),
Cleft Pallet (1), Hit By Car Injuries/Complications from (3)
Cats: FIP (4), Fading Kitten (5), Bobcat Fever (1), DIC/Clotting Disorder (1), Complications from FIV+ (1),
Cancer/Mass in Chest (1), Lung Disease (1)
Passed Away
  Dogs 8 72
  Cats 65 227
73 299
Reclaimed 4 22
2 Dogs, 2 Cats
Adoptions
  Dogs 361 3,408
  Cats 304 1,819
665 5,227
Escaped 0 4
TNR 2 8
Sponsorship 15 15
Sponsored 15 Dogs from CCAS – PBT and mixes to promote breed awareness
Transfer to Partner Organizations
  Dogs 1,303 9,268
  Cats 481 1,874
1,784 11,142
# of Transports Conducted
42 250
Average # Transported per month
145 128
* Euthanasia must be recommended as the only humane solution by a licensed Veterinarian before an
AARF Board Memberis allowed to authorize such a procedure.

‘THE BIG GAME SHOW’ comes to Crossville in 3rd annual AARF fundraiser

Funds will go towards the purchase of new rescue transport vehicle

AARF (All About Rescue and Fixin’ Inc.) is excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for their 3rd annual fundraiser. Funds raised go toward a new rescue transport vehicle for AARF. This year’s festivities feature the fun and entertaining “The Big Game Show” – who host corporate events for huge companies such as: Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Delta Airlines and more. They have even been on ESPN hosting competitions before college games.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 24 at the Convention & Events Center of the Cumberlands, located at 5429 Peavine Rd in Crossville. Doors will open at 5:00PM with dinner and the show from 6PM – 9PM. The evening will also feature fun games, awesome door prizes, fun drawings, and live and silent auctions.

The Big Game ShowAARF (All About Rescue and Fixin’ Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed by a small group of volunteers with a passion for animals. They are a foster based animal rescue organization based in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. They pull animals from high risk situations, such as local animal shelters, and strays from counties who do not have the luxury of having an animal shelter. In addition to their adoption program, they work closely with many local animal shelters to ensure that animals are not euthanized for space. In 2012, they started the AARF ‘freedom ride’ transport program, which relocates homeless animals directly from our local animal shelters to guaranteed adoption facilities in the north. This program has proven successful in reducing euthanasia of dogs and cats in our local shelters from around 80% to nearly 10%.

Founded in 2007, 2017 marks the 10th year as an organization for AARF – and they are hoping to make this year’s event bigger than the last, which raised $10,000 to fund the rescue transport program. Since 2007, AARF has saved the lives of nearly 10,000 pets. The rescue transport program moves animals from our overcrowded shelters to their no-kill shelter partners in the North, where these unwanted dogs and cats will be quickly adopted. Volunteers drive the brightly wrapped rescue transport vehicle on their ‘freedom rides’ and deliver these animals to facilities where they are guaranteed to find homes. The transport vehicle currently has 260,000 miles on the odometer, and raising funds to replace it is the goal of this fundraiser.

If you have a heart for animals, and are looking to help, this is an outstanding way to do so while also enjoying a fun-filled evening at “The Big Game Show.” Tickets are $30 each and limited seats are still available – you can reserve tables of 8 for your group today. Dinner will be catered by Scarlett Catering and will include an entree, salad, rolls, dessert and refreshments, also B.Y.O.B! To get your tickets, call 931-210-3606 or 931-200-6313. Tickets may also be picked up at Bean, Smith & Burnett, which is at 300 Thurman Ave in Crossville, or at Timeless Treasures & Gifts next to the Stonehaus Winery. In Cookeville, tickets can be picked up at First National Bank (details to follow).

2016 Statistics

Stellar Year thanks to the dedication and determination of a lot of hardworking volunteers!

2016
Total Rescued: 2,469
Dogs: 1,644
Cats: 825

Rescued Through Adoption Program 867
Dogs: 480
Cats: 387

Rescued Through Transport Program 1,602
Dogs: 1,164
Cats: 438

Euthanized (A.A.R.F. Only Euthanizes when our Veterinarians determine this to be the most humane course of action) 16
Dogs: 5
Cats: 11

Passed Away: 14
Dogs: 1
Cats: 13

Reclaimed: 2
Dogs: 0
Cats: 2

Adoptions: 487
Dogs: 334
Cats: 153

TNR: 1
Cats: 1

Transported: 1,602
Dogs: 1,164
Cats: 438

Program to Date Statistics

Total Rescued: 12,135
Dogs: 9,568
Cats: 2,567
Adoption Program: 4,535
Transport Program: 7,600

Euthanized: 31
Dogs: 11
Cats: 20

Passed Away: 172
Dogs: 61
Cats: 111

Reclaimed: 11
Dogs: 7
Cats: 4

Adoptions: 3,405
Dogs: 2,262
Cats: 1,143

Escaped: 4
Dogs: 3
Cats: 1

TNR: 5
Cats: 5

2014 Adoptions and Stats

We are thrilled to report our 2014 Statistics! Looking forward to an even bigger 2015!

ADOPTION PROGRAM
TOTAL RESCUED: 753
Dogs: 525
Cats: 228

Euthanized: 6 Felines
Reason for Euthansia: FIP – Un-treatable – Veterinary Directed

PASSED AWAY IN OUR CARE: 16
Puppies – Failure to Thrive/Fading Puppy Syndrome: 6
Felines – FIP: 10

RECLAIMED: 7
Dogs – 4
Cats – 3

ADOPTIONS: 698
Dogs: 506
Cats: 192

TRANSPORT PROGRAM: 1,343

Dogs: 1,332
Cats: 11

Adoption Rate of Transported Dogs: 98%
Euthanasia Rate of Transported Dogs: 0%
Total Number of Transports Conducted 2012-Current: 98
Average Cost per Transport: $509

TOTAL ANIMALS RESCUED BY AARF 2014: 2,096
Dogs: 1,857
Cats: 239

To our Volunteers, Donors, Veterinarians, Drivers and Rescue Partners – THANK YOU!

Think you are ready to adopt a dog? Read this Top 10 List to find out.

By Maggie B.

Most of my time spent writing about animals is telling you reasons why you should adopt an animal, but sometimes, we also need to remember the situations in which it is better NOT to get a pet. Below I have written about some situations you might find yourself in where it is a better choice not to get the pet, or at least, consider the situation heavily before you do get the pet. And the reason I am writing about it is because these are the people who wind up surrendering their animals back to the shelters, which takes away valuable time it could have spent looking for its true forever home (especially when people adopt tiny puppies and surrender them as grown dogs!). Not all animal surrenders are made by people who hate animals and had malicious intent–sometimes, you find yourself in an unpredictable, unavoidable situation, and we understand this, but sometimes, of course, the entire situation could have been avoided with a little forethought. So take a look if you are considering getting a pet; it is a huge decision and definitely not one that should be made lightly!

1. If you are allergic to animals, do not adopt one. You might be able to deal with itchy, watery eyes once in a while, but when it’s a day-in, day-out, 24/7 for the rest of the dog’s life thing, it will be unbearable, no matter how much you love animals. Stick to living vicariously through a friend’s dog, and get a fish.

2. If you live with a roommate that you do not intend to live with forever, do not adopt a dog together. You might think that in this situation, people parting ways would both want the dog, but unfortunately what happens more often than not is that neither person wants the dog and had counted on the other person to take it. If you live with a roommate and definitely want a dog, make sure you have a definite plan for which one will take the dog if your living situation changes.

3. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, heavily consider how a new dog will fit in with a new baby. If you think you might feel like the dog will threaten the baby in any way, do not get one.

4. For that matter, if you think you might have kids at any point during this dog’s lifetime, really think about what dog you are getting. If the dog is not good with kids, you might think that since you don’t have kids right now, it will be okay. But if you are planning on having kids 10 years from now, what could likely happen is that you will wind up surrendering a senior dog. Dogs that are not kid-friendly are best for people who do not have kids and never plan on it, or whose kids are already grown (and who do not have grandkids, either!).

5. If you are in any kind of sketchy situation financially, it is not a good time to adopt a dog. First of all, dogs are not free to feed. But secondly, even if you can afford to feed it, are you going to be able to afford emergency medical care in the case of an accident? Unfortunately, dogs are much more likely to be in life-threatening accidents than people are. Are you financially able to see to it that your dog is not in pain, and what’s more, to see to it that your animal does not get the death sentence from a simple broken leg because your financial situation forces you to pick euthanasia over routine medical care? And even if you choose to provide medical care for your animal, is that choice going to force your family to do without things they need? If so, it is not a good time to adopt a dog. The first clue is always the adoption fee. If you feel like you cannot afford the adoption fee, unfortunately, you probably cannot afford to have the dog.

6. If you are planning on moving at any point during the dog’s lifetime, are you prepared to find a home that will allow your pet to come with you? The NUMBER ONE reason we hear for people surrendering their animals is that they are moving and cannot take the animal along.

7. And on that note, before you adopt an animal, you must be certain that your landlord allows animals! (This is why we always ask for their phone number). We cannot tell you how many times we have heard, “Well, technically animals aren’t allowed, but the landlord won’t care.” Well, even if he doesn’t care right now, he could, at any point, decide to care, and if your lease says that you are not allowed to have animals, he is well within his legal rights to force you to either give up your pet or give up your home. This is not a choice you want to have to make.

8. If you are ill or elderly, or both, you will want to heavily consider whether or not adopting an animal is the right choice for you. We understand that if you are sick, you might find comfort in having a pet. Just make sure that if the time comes that you are unable to care for your pet, you have already made other arrangements for it, such as by ensuring that a friend or family member will take on the responsibility of caring for your pet (for the rest of its life). It is heartbreaking for an elderly or sick person to have to surrender their animal to a shelter, not because they don’t love the dog, but because they cannot take care of it any longer, but no one in their family will step up to do it either (And yes, it happens more than you would think).

9. Pets should never be gifts, unless the pet is for your child, AND you will personally be the one who is responsible for the pet. Now, this is not to say that you cannot pay the adoption fee for someone as a gift; however, whoever is getting the animal absolutely needs to be the one to pick it out and pick it up! Choosing an animal to care for for its entire life is a personal choice that should only be made by the person who will keep the pet. If you pick out someone else’s pet, what if you pick one they would not have picked personally? And, pets should NEVER EVER be a surprise! If you are planning on surprising someone with a pet, what if they did not want one?! Don’t do it. Finally, even if the pet is a gift for your child, avoid it as a holiday present. Why? Because it is easy to get in the spirit of giving during the holidays, and while this in and of itself is noble and good, it also means that you might make hasty purchases that were ultimately unnecessary, and those gifts wind up being returned. This is fine if it’s a sweater, not fine if it’s an animal. That said, we love for our pets to go home for the holidays, and we are certainly not saying that you shouldn’t adopt just because it’s the holiday season. But just make sure that this decision is made carefully, with plenty of time and thought put into it. (As a matter of fact, this should always be the case, no matter what time of year it is!).

10. Finally, do not adopt a pet just because you feel sorry for it. It’s a very sweet sentiment, but ultimately the wrong decision if you do not really, really want the pet. Unless you are truly prepared to care for the pet for the rest of its life, it is better to leave it for someone else. You do not want to make a decision you will soon regret just because the animal tugged on your heartstrings. If the animal is in a no-kill shelter, it will find someone. If the animal is in a kill-shelter, you might want to consider fostering it until it can find a permanent home. Also consider donating to or volunteering for an animal shelter if you really want to help out but are not fully prepared to adopt. Now, of course, if you feel sorry for the animal, but you also think you will feel a connection and love for it and absolutely want to care for it for the rest of its life, then go right ahead! Go you! But don’t make a hasty decision–because those wind up being bad decisions.

One Year Rescue Transport Statistics

Since we started our rescue transport program, we have had 1,599 animals transported in 12 months. Of these, 1,485 were dogs and 114 were cats. There has been a 95% TOTAL Adoption Rate from receiving groups (that means that only 5% of the pets are still waiting for homes!).
Here’s a video from one of our transports: