General Blog
What is PACFA?
There’s lots of conversation going on in the rescue world these days about some of the most stringent laws implemented by Colorado governing many aspects of animal rescue including establishing the strictest animal transport regulations in the U.S. Like other regulations, things are changing fast, and there is a TON of mis-information being spread so it is important to be informed and do your homework so you remain in compliance. Part of being an animal rescue professional means ensuring you and your team are following the laws, regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Let’s try and break […] Read more »
Hotel for dogs? 6 things you need to know
Are you hosting a dog overnight that is on an animal rescue relay transport? It is an amazing thing you are doing and rescue transport coordinators are always looking for overnight fosters to give the animals a place to crash until the next morning. Here’s a few things to keep in mind though so your guests and you can enjoy their stay. 1) Play keep away It’s often tempting when you’re hosting a rescue animal to introduce them to your own family pets. But for sure this is a bad idea. Remember that animals on a rescue relay transport […] Read more »
What It Means to be an Animal Rescue Professional
As you would guess from our organization title, we have an opinion and perspective on what it means to be someone that is called a professional in the world of animal rescue and we’re happy to share it. Please know though, that our goal is to start a conversation and not to pass judgment. We welcome YOUR perspective on the subject so please talk back to us. Here’s our take to get the conversation started: At ARPA we believe that there are 4 criteria that differentiate whether someone can be called an Animal Rescue Professional or not. In our opinion, […] Read more »
What it Means to be a Non-profit
There seems to be a common misunderstanding particularly in the animal rescue world that operating as a charity or non-profit means you cannot carry a bank balance from year to year and that you cannot make more money on a transaction than your costs were (i.e. you must break even). So let’s set the record straight once and for all. This is a false misconception. When you file the paperwork for your IRS 501(c)(3) designation you have to first be setup as a legal business in your state and have an FEIN (Federal Employee Identification Number). States vary regarding the […] Read more »
What to do if you see an animal in a car on a hot day?
With Summer almost here and temperatures rising, it is important to know how they heat can affect your pets. People often leave their pets in the car while they run in a store and it may not cross your mind that this could be life threatening to your pet. According to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, in just 10 minutes the temperature of your car can increase 20 degrees, and the longer you leave your pet unattended, the temperature will continue to rise. It seems that at the start of every summer, there are reminders and stories about not leaving […] Read more »
The 5 ‘W’s of No Paws on Ground
Have you heard the term “No Paws on Ground” or perhaps seen the NPOG acronym and wondered what it meant? Generally used when transporting puppies, No Paws on Ground refers to not…well…allowing the puppies paws to touch the ground. But let’s dive in a little deeper to better understand the Ws behind this. Who does NPOG generally apply to? The No Paws on Ground is most commonly used for puppies that are on a rescue relay transport. Often these puppies may not have had their complete set of vaccinations and being exposed to many different environments during the […] Read more »
Laws are Changing to Help Animals
There is so much noise and negativity in the world and in the news today that sometimes some good news and trends get lost in the shuffle. So we want to highlight some positive news that affects animals because we know how many have fought for these rights over the years and we celebrate their success in making these laws possible. Back in January, Alaska became the first state to consider the welfare of the animal in divorce cases. Through an amendment to Alaska’s divorce statutes, Alaska is the first state in the country to require courts to take “into […] Read more »
6 Tips to be Successful at Coordinating Transports
We know that animal transport is a hot topic in animal rescue. So here’s 6 must know tips if you want to be successful at coordinating transports: 1) Know the rules Many volunteers love the idea of transporting animals to safety and they are quick to sign-up to help not realizing that like many other things in our society, there are rules, and laws that have to be followed in order to avoid fines. These rules are designed to keep the animals and the volunteers safe and exist at both the federal and state levels. From a federal perspective, the […] Read more »