Why we care
CARE for Animals: Rescue. Rehome. Spay/Neuter.
Created in 1998, CARE has grown from an initial group of four volunteers into an organization with three employees and hundreds of volunteers who devote thousands of hours to its rescue/adoption and spay/neuter efforts and to recruit the necessary financial support. CARE is a 501(c)(3) Arkansas nonprofit corporation and a charitable organization fully funded by donations. All donations are tax-deductible. CARE's headquarters/gift shop is located at 5516 Kavanaugh Boulevard, Little Rock (in the Heights Business District).
CARE does not have a physical animal shelter and operates out of our office in Little Rock's Heights neighborhood. We use this website as a virtual shelter, where you can view the available pets for adoption and submit your online Adoption Application. To date, CARE's rescue/adoption effort has saved over 4,800 animals---once homeless or unwanted, these pets have now been placed into loving homes. Also, because we have no shelter, CARE relies upon volunteers to "foster" adoptable pets until permanent homes are found. In December 2011, CARE found a way to expand its rescue/adoption effort by partnering with the Arkansas Department of Correction's Arkansas Paws in Prison program, which places adoptable CARE dogs temporarily into state prisons for housing, socialization, and training by professionally-supervised inmate trainers--- this remarkable program is a win-win for CARE, the Department, the dogs, and the inmates! Bottom-line: the number of adoptable pets that CARE can accept into its rescue/adoption program at any time is determined by the number of available spaces for them---either in volunteer foster homes or Paws in Prison.
CARE firmly believes in giving companion animals every reasonable opportunity to live a long and happy life. To ensure no animal in our program ever ends up in a shelter we require that all adopted animals be returned to our organization so that they will never again see the inside of a shelter. We invest in obedience and behavioral training for our volunteers, fosters, staff, and new adopters so that problem behaviors can be corrected or prevented where possible. Our mission statement may be simple but our approach is complex, targeting as many variables as possible to set our CARE pets up for success in their new homes.
We at CARE believe the key to reducing pet overpopulation is through lowering barriers to access sterilization procedures. Our spay/neuter effort has helped nearly 14,000 pets! CARE's vouchers are available for use in obtaining discounted spay/neuter services at designated veterinary clinics across the state. Another important factor in preventing pet homelessness is to assist pet owners in keeping their fur-babies through assistance programs. The CARE pet food pantry is a donation-based service we offer for pet owners in our community who are temporarily unable to afford food for their fur-babies.
CARE relies heavily upon volunteer assistance to operate. Volunteer support is essential to accomplishing CARE's mission. Many different volunteer jobs are available including fostering, case working, showing, transporting adoptable animals, staffing the CARE gift shop, assisting with office work, and planning/working each fundraising event.
Volunteer Board of Directors
Heather Martin-Herron, President
Meaghan Ferneau, Vice President
Harry Light, Founder and Treasurer
Alexis Nisbit, Secretary
Amy Turpen
Abigail Reaves
Angela Strauss
Heather High
Amelia Fuller
Justin Harris
Stephen Rowell
Dr. Emily Stewart