Many tales for many tails

LAHARPE — Frank Weiner needed a friend. The rural Humboldt resident lost his wife to complications from diabetes last November and since then has relied more on his pets to give him love and somebody to talk to.
“Companionship — that’s what I look for in a dog,” Weiner said.
Alfred needed a home. The brown and white Australian cattle dog-mix puppy had a rough start in his young life, being rescued from abuse and neglect, he was riddled with fleas and parasites when he arrived at ACARF and was frighteningly ill and underweight. He almost died twice, but pulled through and now looks like a normal, healthy puppy.
Turns out, he just needed a home and somebody to love.
At ACARF, Weiner and Alfred found each other.

A STORY with a happy ending is what the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility strives for, and it has succeeded 1,013 times.
Unfortunately, this has not stemmed the flow of pets abandoned by families who can no longer provide for them, or for strays born on the streets where they are exposed to the harsh seasonal weather, disease, starvation and conflicts with other animals.
ACARF’s facility in LaHarpe is full with 46 dogs and 36 cats waiting for adoption.
“We’ve pretty much saturated the market around here,” said ACARF director Janice Porter.
ACARF prides itself on being a humane, no-kill shelter, so they have looked into alternative ways to find homes for their furry friends in need. Lately, they have enjoyed success through online adoptions. They post pictures on their website and Facebook page, as well as use adoption programs like petfinder.com. This has helped them find homes for pets in cities farther away, like Wichita, and even as far away as Colorado and Illinois.
“I guess it’s like online dating. They fall in love with the pictures,” Porter speculated.

WALK through ACARF and each tenant has a story to tell, a story  still waiting for a happy ending.
Lilly is a large cat with a pink collar. She lived her whole life alone with her owner, until they had to move into an assisted living home. When she came to ACARF, Lilly had never seen another cat. Now, she’s surrounded by them.
“She’s having a hard time adjusting,” Porter said.
If she were not so scared of the other animals, perhaps she would find kinship with a small black dog named Buddy. He was also surrendered by his owner, after they got married and the new spouse did not want a dog.
While most of the dogs at ACARF bark loudly when a new person walks into the room, Buddy was silent during this reporter’s recent visit, his eyes following every move. Delicate silver fur frosted his eyes and muzzle.
“Nobody wants him because he’s old,” Porter explained, reaching her fingers through the bars of the cage to stroke his nose.

TAKING care of so many animals requires a lot of resources. ACARF is fortunate in that they have a dedicated staff and volunteers who help with the day-to-day operations.
“We have some long-term volunteers who are just truly amazing,” Porter said. “We could always use volunteers, especially to walk the dogs and socialize with them.”
Fundraising is also constantly on the to-do list. ACARF receives no funding from the county and relies on donations to pay for food, medical care, toys, utilities and more.
“If you make a donation here, it stays here,” she said, not some national foundation.
There are a number of fundraisers held throughout the year to help, most recently a fireworks stand during the Fourth of July holiday. The Second Chance thrift store has quadrupled sales since it moved to a new location in Iola.
“Without them, we’d be hurting,” Porter said.
Their website, www.ACARF.org, also allows people to donate via PayPal, or sign up for AmazonSmile, which donates a small percentage of all purchases made through Amazon to the charity of your choice. AmazonSmile does not cost anything extra to the shopper — the donations are paid by Amazon.
Julie Payne, ACARF treasurer, said they are always running on a shoestring budget because of the demands of caring for the animals, and their decision not to terminate any animals for space.
“I realize we’re a farming community, but I’d like to think we’re past the days of taking them out back and shooting them,” Payne said. “To me, an animal shelter is a sign of a thriving community. People who move to a new community don’t just look at schools and hospitals, they look at the whole community. The county ought to be proud of us.”

AFTER cheating death twice, Alfred the puppy is ready to settle into the good life. Weiner said his home includes two dogs, two cats and a rabbit, so Alfred will have plenty of new friends and 13 acres of land on which to roam. Perhaps he’ll get a new name, too.
Weiner said he’s had many dogs over the years, mostly dachshunds and other small dogs. Each was different, but all were close to his heart.
“I like cats, too. We’ve had lots of good cats over the years,” he said.
For Porter, seeing animals like Alfred find a new home is the best part of the job. “We just want people to care.”