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What AARCS Has to Say

Ah, our fearless leader, what can we say? Deanna is the glue that holds us together, she is the diplomat and negotiator that keeps us on track and she is the heart and soul behind AARCS.
We are all a part of AARCS because of the dogs and Deanna is no exception – she is driven by the ‘next one’ that needs to be rescued, but she does so much more. She oversees our network of foster homes, offering support and encouragement when necessary, always answering those phone calls no matter what time of day. She provides direction and leadership to the organization, the board and the various volunteer sub-boards – finding that balance between allowing people room to work and providing direction. She is always thinking ahead, planning the future of AARCS and coming up with new ideas on how to fundraise and grow and ultimately rescue more animals.
With the amount of hours and energy that Deanna puts into AARCS you would think it’s all she does. Actually she’s married (to a very supportive guy), works full-time, goes to school part-time, has a house and 3 dogs of her own!!
Deanna pours herself into this organization and we are very, very appreciative.
Thanks for all you do Deanna, it does not go unnoticed!

A Few Words from the Volunteer

As a child my parents taught me many lessons about volunteering, giving back to your community, being a good neighbor, and helping others in need without getting anything in return. I learned early on that volunteering could be fun, that I could meet new friends, broaden my scope of learning and that it didn’t have to be a chore or something just for your resume. After high school, I left and went off to college, traveled the world, eventually got married and got my first dog! Wow did this change my life. My husband and I now have three fur-kids, Daisy, Winston & Kane.

As young and naive as I was, I didn’t know that this beautiful country we live in needed “rescue group” to manage the large scale of unwanted animals. It wasn’t until I got my first dog and learned more about caring for my four-legged friend that I found in my internet searches so many wonderful organizations rescuing dogs, here in Alberta. I put my name out to every single one of them. I wanted to help and AARCS called me the very next day. By 7 pm I had my first foster dog, Maddox! We almost lost him to parvo, but he pulled through and spent many months recovering in our home. I had worked myself up for the day he was to be adopted, but AARCS did such a wonderful job finding him the “perfect” home that it was easy to let him go and in doing so I made room for the next needy dog.

During this time, I realized how busy the few volunteers were trying to run the organization and offered to help in other areas, including recruiting more foster homes, pre-screening adoptions, helping with fundraising, etc. After a few months I was invited to join them on a rescue. I remember it like it was yesterday, I pulled two 4 week old puppies out from under an abandoned porch in the middle of winter. From then on, I was hooked, what we call “lifers” in the rescue world.

I had finally found something in my life that I was passionate about. I have worked day in and day out since this time to help each and every one of these precious lives survive and find the perfect forever home. In 2008, I was voted in as President and I haven’t looked back. I work with an AMAZING group of people, who I now consider my close friends. We laugh together and we cry together. There are parts of this job that can be very tough, but the good times out way the bad and with every experience I learned something new and for this have become a better, more rounded person.