We should first start with explaining that the term “humane society” is one that is used by many different types of organizations that are not necessarily associated with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). If you do a trademark search on the term, you’ll see that no one organization controls the use of those two words. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the term with a British origin and one that doesn’t exclusively point to helping animals. Yet there is a perception in the U.S. that any organization that calls itself a “Humane Society” is a no-kill facility, and […] Read more »
May 25 – National Towel Day If you’re a fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, then this day is not a new day for you. But for the rest of us, here’s a great infographic from our friends at Lemon.ly that gives you an idea of what the rest of them are doing carrying towels around. At the ARPA, we’d like to remind you of a different way to celebrate National Towel Day, by donating towels to your local animal shelter. Animal shelters across the country are always in need of towels. They have many different uses […] Read more »
This one is clearly a myth right? I mean nothing could be further from the truth. Pet stores get their animals from puppy mills and breeders and have nothing to do with rescues. Well the truth on this one is somewhat hazy as the lines have been blurred over the years. Fact: The concept of the typical pet store has changed over the years. Let’s start out by stating that there are no absolutes in this. Certainly there are pet stores that source their animals from puppy mills and we do not endorse puppy mills or any business that supports […] Read more »
May is National Military Appreciation Month In the U.S. we celebrate Memorial Day during May so it’s fitting that May is also National Military Appreciation Month. This is your opportunity to show your appreciation for all of the men and women in the U.S. armed forces both past and present. We also think it’s a great time to show our appreciation for the animals of the military that often go unnoticed and unappreciated for their dedication to their country and comrades in the armed forces as well. There are many animal rescue professional organizations dedicated to supporting the working dogs […] Read more »
At the Animal Rescue Professionals Association, we celebrate and support animal rescue professionals from all walks of life. Animals of all kinds need our help and today we bring attention to horses with an animal rescue day dedicated entirely to them. Founded by the RSPCA of Australia, National Horse Rescue Day seeks to raise awareness to the mis-treatment of horses and the challenges that running a horse rescue organization can bring. These majestic creatures can live to 25 or 30 years and they are expensive to own. Unfortunately many people are not able to afford proper care for the horse […] Read more »
You oughta be in pictures The entire month of May is Photo Month so that means it’s time to get out your camera or put your iPhone into camera mode and snap some pictures of your favorite rescue animal. Photo month should serve as your reminder that a picture truly does capture the moment. We know that true animal rescue professionals understand the importance of a quality photograph to capture the true essence and spirit of the rescue animals and we want to highlight and emphasize the importance of quality photos this month. There are a number of amazing organizations […] Read more »
Ah the gold standard of animal rescue and apparently the way to tell the good animal rescues from the bad. Checking to see if they are a 501(c)(3) approved IRS Public Charity. You’ll see this stated on many a rescue site, shelter site and all sorts of other non-profit entities looking to garner your generous contributions. “IRS approved 501(c)(3).” But before you open your wallet thinking that those are the only ‘good’ animal rescue organizations, let us provide you with some additional perspective. Fact: 501(c)(3) defines taxability, not reputability. Somewhere along the way, the 501(c)(3) moniker became the seal of approval […] Read more »
Today you can donate 1/365th of your salary to an animal rescue There’s not a lot going on between Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day so that’s why we’re excited to give a big shout out and celebration to National Donate A Day’s Wages to Charity Day. That’s right, today is the day you calculate your daily wage and then pay-it-forward by donating 1/365th of your salary to your favorite charity. Whether that’s your local animal shelter, or the rescue group where you adopted your forever companion, they can surely use your support and will be very appreciative of anything […] Read more »
On National No Pants Day we salute our pets who wear pants! At the ARPA, we are very excited. Today, May 4 is National No Pants Day and tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. Two awesome holidays right in a row (though it’s likely they would both benefit from No Pants day coming after Cinco de Mayo…but that’s just our opinion.) On national no pants day, we celebrate again celebrate our four-legged friends. After all every day of the year is no pants day for them and they get to enjoy airing out their legs while showing the world everything that […] Read more »
One of the most interesting and perplexing myths we have heard is that certain rescues are perceived as making money for themselves adopting out animals. This myth usually originates with comments made about a particular person or rescue, that perpetuate over the course of sharing and become more legend than fact. Usually the person or rescue charges hefty adoption fees that others perceive as making money off the animals without truly understanding the investment that they made in the animal. The truth is that most rescue organizations struggle year over year and often inject thousands of dollars of their own […] Read more »