Animal Rights & Rescue Group - Far North Coast
We speak for those that can't speak for themselves
LATEST NEWS & EVENTS
MONTY our beloved deaf 5-year-old Red Stumpy tail cattle dog has found his home at last.
Monty was rescued from the Casino pound deathrow in 2006 and has been in care with ARRG for 3 years and lived with several foster carers during this time. More info »
SHOP AT RICHIES IGA STORES
When you shop at Richies IGA Stores you help raise money for ARRG. MUCH NEEDED FUNDS can be raised to help the animals by shopping at RITCHIES SUPERMARKETS & LIQUOR STORES in Ballina/Kyogle and in other NSW areas. More info »
Animal Rights & Rescue Group (ARRG) Northern Rivers is urging anyone that has an undesexed female cat or kitten over 4 month of age in their care NOW, to be responsible and do the right thing, desex your cat before the dreaded cat breeding season starts again. More info »
Adoption Day
Dogs and Kittens - all types and ages.
Many homeless animals now in care waiting for a second chance please come along and meet them.
Adoption fee: Cats $150 | Dogs $180 More info »
Tragically all around Australia many lovely healthy but unwanted and dumped companion animals end up at local council pounds every week through no fault of their own,thousands die unwanted and unheard each year. More info »
ARRG WILL BE FORCED TO CLOSE VERY SOON DUE TO LACK OF VOLUNTEERS
AN EMERGENCY MEETING WAS HELD ON THE 23RD AUGUST TO NOTIFY OUR MEMBERS.
The committee spent several hours discussing options to prevent the closure of our group.
A dramatic drop in volunteers during the last year, available to work for Not for Profit charities due to their centre link obligations has left many charities and ARRG without sufficient volunteers to keep the doors open unless wages can be paid to keep key people.
After 15 years of hard work firstly operating from a private home for 8 years and then 5 years of renting Op shop space in Lismore, we raised the money to build a permanent office on land leased from Lismore council in 2007. This also took a mammoth effort by ARRG to meet all the conditions of our DA.
We moved our rescue operation into our newly built office sheds in September 2007 & proceeded as planned to operate as a full time charity opening daily from 9am – 3pm and the demands & workload grew.
Temporary pens for rescued cats and dogs at the centre increased the need for volunteers to care for them.
The final blow hit ARRG in February 2009 when one of our key volunteers Suzanne Lavis was required to take paid work or lose her pension. Suzanne has been our fulltime admin/secretary for 8 years and is fully trained in all areas of this work and with founder Barbara Steffensen they managed the core work at ARRG.
Since February Suzanne has tried to work one day a week to help with the admin work but the overload on Barbara is not sustainable for much longer. Administration of charity work is very complex and Animal welfare work also involves knowledge of the legislation and law, veterinary care, marketing/funding.
ARRG is the only rescue group of its kind in the Northern Rivers region, we are a No-Kill, Foster care organisation & cover a vast area the size of Tasmania & there is no RSPCA branch or shelter in this region.
For many years ARRG has rescued unclaimed animals every week from deathrow from Lismore, Casino, Kyogle pounds that would otherwise be killed. A saving of thousands of dollars to these councils.
For many years ARRG has provided a service to local Government Agencies eg: Richmond mental health clinic, Lismore base hospital, Women’s & child refuge, Mission Australia and many case workers. We have provided temporary in house or boarding pet care while patients receive treatment or safe rehoming of pets.
ARRG has responded to neglect /cruelty cases when RSPCA is not available & the police need assistance.
SINCE 1995 ARRG HAS RESCUED & REHOMED OVER 10,000 UNWANTED ANIMALS FROM DEATH/NEGLECT/SUFFERING. PROVIDED THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS INJURED & ABUSED ANIMALS WITH URGENT VET TREATMENT & SAFELY REHOMED 99%.. OUR DESEXING PROGRAM HAS PREVENTED THE BIRTH OF MANY THOUSANDS OF UNWANTED LITTERS.
WHO WILL CARE FOR THEM AND DO THIS WORK WHEN WE CLOSE?
OUTCOME OF OPTIONS FROM OUR MEETING:
ARRG to meet with local councils Lismore & Casino in September to announce our closure and to provide them with current statistics of animals processed through ARRG and the savings to council.
Our closure will mean all local councils have to deal with a huge increase intake & killing of animals.
ARRG has asked all members/supporters to contact anyone they know in media, philanthropists, celebrities etc. to give us a go.
ARRG will produce a 2 minute DVD featuring a reality day at the centre, animals, phones calls all the action and the main volunteers speaking and making a desperate appeal to save ARRG from closing.
WHAT DO WE NEED? ARRG needs to raise $50,000 to secure a wage for get our fulltime admin manager back and get all our other goals back on track.
Future goals to build our already approved vet clinic at the centre so we can save on vet bills and expand our desexing program for the many genuine people who need help. Approximate minimal cost to fit out our vet room with good 2nd hand equipment $20,000.
The Animal Rights and Rescue Group (ARRG) is a non-profit volunteer organisation based in the Northern Rivers region of Northern NSW. ARRG rescues homeless and unwanted companion animals and provides them with care and sanctuary in foster homes until a suitable home can be found.
Our foster carers and volunteers are all unpaid and all money donated or fund raised is used directly to help the animals. Many rescue animals require immediate treatment for ongoing neglect and injuries and all our animals are vaccinated, wormed, desexed and microchipped.
The group has been operating since 1995 as a No-Kill organisation – this means, no ARRG animal has been euthanased, unless due to illness or injury where the animal could not be saved.
ARRG has saved over ten thousand animals since founded and have treated the ill, injured, severely abused, old and orphaned, some who need long term care.
In 2006 after years of operating out of private homes and rented Op shops ARRG raised sufficient funds through our ‘Buy a Brick’ program, fund raising and local sponsors to build Stage 1 of our office centre in Lismore on rented council land to provide greater security for the future for our rescue operation.
ARRG does not have a shelter and is an advocate of the Foster care system that provides individual care, rehabilitation and socialisation for each and every animal.
ARRG urgently needs to raise further funds for Stage 2 of the centre to build a small number of emergency pens for both cats and dogs to enable us to act swiftly to rescue a greater number of animals and also take the burden off our wonderful foster carers during holidays and breaks.
ARRG is the only group of its kind operating in an area as large as Tasmania, between Coffs Harbour in the South to Tweed Heads in the North and West to Casino and Tenterfield.
We give a deserved second chance to these animals — we believe that NO animal should have to endure neglect or abuse.
If you would like to support ARRG’s work and our vision consider a donation or sponsor an animal.
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Registered Charity No. CFN 14802