Great Canadian Giving Challenge

Dear Animal Supporter,

For every dollar you donate in the month of June to ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals, ORA will be automatically entered to win $10,000 in the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. This is a program instituted by Canadahelps.org to promote charitable giving during this off-season time when charitable giving is at its lowest.

Animals need your support and your help every time of the year, they eat every day also during off-giving season and they require veterinarian care even when donations are not at the forefront in the minds of people.

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is a laudable initiative to promote giving in this time of the year when nice weather, outings and holidays may distract even animal supporters from the everyday need of animals to be rescued, to be saved, healed and nurtured.

Please consider donating to ORA in the month of June through

https://www.canadahelps.org/gcgc/81603 
(Great Canadian Giving Challenge)

The more you donate to ORA during the month of June, the more chances ORA has to win!

Thanks from Sophie, (hereunder), one of our longtime residents, as ORA’s “spokescat” in name of all the cats and dogs presently in the care of ORA.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals (CRN# 855809448RR0001) is a grassroots animal rescue charitable organization entirely run by volunteers. ORA does not receive any public funding and is funded uniquely on private donations: 100% of all donated money goes to the animals. ORA adheres to a strict No-Kill principle. Unadoptable animals are allowed to live until the end of their natural lives in the residences of ORA’s volunteers. For more information, please call 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895, or email VecchioCT@aol.com.

Tax receipts are issued upon request for all donations

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Great Canadian Giving Challenge 2017

Dear Animal Supporter,

For every dollar you donate in the month of June to ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals, ORA will be automatically entered to win $10,000 in the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. This is a program instituted by Canadahelps.org to promote charitable giving during this “off-season” time when charitable giving is at its lowest.

Animals need your support and your help every time of the year, they eat every day also during “off giving season” and they require veterinarian care even when donations are not at the forefront in the minds of people.

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is certainly a laudable initiative to promote giving in this time of the year when nice weather, outings and holidays may distract even animal supporters from the everyday need of animals to be rescued, to be saved, healed and nurtured.

Please consider donating to ORA in the month of June through

https://www.canadahelps.org/gcgc/81603 
(Great Canadian Giving Challenge)

The more you donate to ORA during the month of June, the more chances ORA has to win!

Thanks from Jazzy, (hereunder), one of our latest rescues, as ORA’s “spokesdog” in name of all the cats and dogs presently in the care of ORA.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals (CRN# 855809448RR0001) is a grassroots animal rescue charitable organization entirely run by volunteers. ORA does not receive any public funding and is funded uniquely on private donations: 100% of all donated money goes to the animals. ORA adheres to a strict No-Kill principle. Unadoptable animals are allowed to live until the end of their natural lives in the residences of ORA’s volunteers. For more information, please call 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895, or email VecchioCT@aol.com.

Tax receipts are issued for all donations

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

ORA RESCUES THE FIVE CATS OF A DYING WOMAN

Our cats and dogs share our fortunes and misfortunes. Often the death of their caregiver marks also the end of their lives. But it should not be that way. Arrangements should be made in advance for our companion animals in case we predecease them. We are mortals, and we do not know the time of our demise. Therefore it is important to be ready and provide for our dear companion animals.

Throughout the years, we have rescued countless animals from horrible situations following the death of their caregivers. Some were sent to the pound and they were waiting to be put down when we were informed and went to the municipal pounds to save their lives. Some were just thrown outside either by the landlord or by an unconsidered close family member eager to enter in possession of house, apartment or valuable of the deceased relative. We have witnessed the most disconcerting cases of animal cruelty by hand of the children and relatives of deceased who thought those same children and relatives would have taken over the care of their pets. At times, we succeeded to intervene and saving the animals’ lives, but other times we found out too late. That brings us to the last five adorable cats (all cats are adorable) we just rescued last week from a dying woman. All special needs animals,

 

Sherry, a 16 year old tiny female on thyroid medication needing regular vet visits and blood tests and Ebony, Booth, Rocky and Suzie, four feral cats ranging from 4 to 7 years of age. The deceased was well aware that those cats could not be adopted out and she was arranging to put them down. We could not let that happen: these poor animals deserve to live. We offered to house them in our residential sanctuary , that the deceased had visited and defined a “little piece of heaven” for the animals. She surrendered the five kitties to ORA just six days before passing away. She died comforted by the thought that her dear cats were going to be well cared for. The five are adjusting pretty well to the life in our Sanctuary. The 16 year old is extremely affectionate and she does not raise any issue even when it comes to take her thyroid medications twice a day. The ferals, intrigued by typical feline curiosity, start approaching us more and more and they have already made friends with some of the old residents (it is amazing how cats we call “feral” are in fact incredibly sociable towards other cats).

The only major issue is with the financial situation of the organization. We have not received any funds for the support of those cats and we hope that you will help us to care for them. A cat costs to ORA an average of $1.9 a day, that is $57 a month, plus vet bills. We are feeding the animals good quality food and even vet prescription diet food when necessary. All is included in the above budget. Prices for pet food, litter and other supplies continue to go up (without even talking about the vet bills) but we constantly work to reduce or at least contain price increases, purchasing in large stocks, changing suppliers etc.). We have a large number of animals in our care, 79 cats and 12 dogs as of today, with a large number of special need animals and over 70% of the cats over 12 years of age. It is a large operation with a very low budget. Yet, we do not feed the animals inferior, expired or donated food of questionable origins. In other terms, our animals are fed appropriate food not the one some manufacturers donate to rescue groups after signing a disclaimer of no responsibility for any health issue the food might cause. We believe in rescuing animals and keeping them healthy. They were in distressed circumstances in the first place for no fault of their own: they deserve to be treated and cared with respect and concern. We do not receive ANY government funding and are only funded through private donations, donations from people like yourself.

Could you please help us out to continue in our endeavour? Would you like to sponsor one of the last five rescued or in any case contribute with your monthly donation toward his or her cost for pet food and medical care? Anything from $15 a month on, will help. Or would you prefer to contribute with one time donation? On behalf of our new residents, Cherry, Ebony, Booth, Suzie and Rocky we thank you in advance for any help you will give.

For more information, please contact us at 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895 or VecchioCT@aol.com.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Spencer

ORA's gentle big boy loved everybody

On June 20th, 2012, at 4:40 pm, Spencer, ORA’s spokedog, succumbed to Cushing's Disease complications. He was over 12 years old.

Spencer came to us when he was still a puppy. Bought at a pet store, product of a backyard breeder, he was given up soon after by his original owners who found out that a dog was more work than they had anticipated.

Spencer immediately adjusted to his life with us. He had no issues, just an immense joy of life. As a puppy, Spencer used to run up to anybody he encountered in his long daily off-leash walks in the York Regional Forests. The forest with the ponds where he could swim in and fetch wooden sticks was Spencer’s heaven. His puppy cuteness and gentle social manners procured him great popularity amongst the forest hikers and horseback riders. Spencer, on his part, made sure that nobody ignored him. He was constantly in search of attention and affection. He would wait to be patted and complimented by passersby, and then, filled with happiness in his eyes, he would calmly return to us, visibly showing disappointment if anybody would ignore him.

Spencer grew up to be a medium large dog, but he still maintained his way to “greet” all passersby. However, as an adult dog, his rather imposing appearance occasionally scared some people and those were the only distressing moments in Spencer’s life. Spencer liked dogs, too, and he showed curiosity for horses (were they just oversized dogs?), but he was not too fond of cats, although he tolerated them.

Undoubtedly, humans were Spencer’s passion, the ones he knew as well as any strangers. This salient characteristic made him the perfect candidate to participate in all of ORA’s events: he joyfully accompanied ORA’s volunteers to fundraising events, participated in seminars and he was admired for his impeccable behaviour. Spencer was also the designated dog for ORA’s animal educational programs in schools as he loved children and he enjoyed to be hugged by them.

In his 12 years with us, Spencer saw many dozens of dogs, coming and going, of all breeds, small and large, with all kind of different temperaments. He befriended some, while he would just ignore the newcomers at other times. He was never aggressive towards any dog; he never felt that he had to affirm his leadership. He was Spencer, the “Star” behind any possible competition. He was right. Of all the dogs that passed through ORA, although some stayed with us for a long while, volunteers and supporters usually remembered only one name: Spencer. Just a week ago, a horseback rider stopped Corinne Thaw, the co-founder of ORA, and our main caregiver for ORA’s dogs, as she was walking the usual pack of dogs in the forest, and asked whatever happened to that cute puppy named Spencer. The rider had lived out of the country for a number of years, but she still remembered him. Spencer was a memorable dog.

ORA’s gentle big boy loved everybody, but recognized only one master: Corinne Thaw, who was Spencer‘s trainer and caregiver for 12 years. Corinne identified and developed his potential and Spencer dearly loved and followed her.

Although we are mourning Spencer’s death, and memories of him are all around us, we are comforted by the certainty that Spencer was a happy dog and that he had a wonderful, happy life. We just hope that wherever he is now, he can run in a forest and go up to people for a pat or a hug.

Claudia Vecchio, Founder

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals

"For the love and respect of all animals"

http://orarescue.org

URGENT, URGENT: Please give Ari a home!

Claudia Vecchio, 19/05/2012
Founder of ORA

ARI was rescued in 2005 thanks to the Neighbourhood Cat Watch Program. This program provides logistic support to people who have stray and feral cats in their neighbourhood and are willing to cooperate with ORA to help them. The cats are sterilized and vaccinated and if tamable are placed in foster homes, otherwise they are returned to where they were originally picked up and the neighbours take care of feeding and looking after the released cats.

TNR (Trap Neuter and Return) is a practice universally used to provide a better life to the strays, ensuring regular checks and feeding - and no procreating. Feral cats are happier living outdoors rather than being taken indoors and having to live in strict contact with the humans whom they fear and mistrust.

Obviously released cats are still exposed to the risk of being killed in traffic or by dogs and wildlife and sometimes they may suffer abuse from people intolerant of animals.

Ari was part of a group of stray cats TNRed in Toronto's West end in a cat-unfriendly area. A neighbourhood leader with rescue experience took charge of deciding which cat, deemed tamable, should be housed in a foster home or await adoption, and which cat, being untamable, should be released back.

Ari, an older, large black cat, was going to be released. He was vaccinated and neutered; a tip of his left ear was cut off to indicate that he had been sterilized prior to release.

But he was not in the best of shape. He had spent many years already on the streets in an hostile neighbourhood. I had never seen him, but as I became acquainted with his story, I intuitively felt that Ari should not be released back to the streets, that he deserved a quiet, protected place to live out the last part of his life.

With all the ORA’s foster homes being full as always, and having to find a place for Ari on a minute's notice, I e-mailed and called anybody I could think of and finally found a place with a rescuer in Bayfield on Lake Huron. Ari spent one full year there, but he was not happy and over time he developed acute kidney issues.

We needed to take Ari back to Toronto right away to get him proper diagnostics and treatment. Again we did not have a single space in any of our foster homes, but we had Bev Smith, one of our best foster moms ever, who was always prepared to find a way to house a cat in need. When Ari arrived at Bev's home, his prognosis was not good, and it took quite a few months for Ari to reacquire his health under Bev’s vigilant eye.

This period gave Bev and Ari a chance to bond and Bev eventually decided to adopt Ari. Although she had quite a few cats in her lifetime and she had quite a few already at home when Ari came into the picture, she considered Ari her best cat - “My Big Boy,” as she used to call him. Ari spent plenty of time in Bev‘s lap and at nights, he would follow her upstairs and lie in bed close to her. Ari finally found happiness.

Unfortunately, Bev passed away, on June 23, 2011, and for Ari, there has been no peace since. We at ORA have taken in all of Bev’s cats, but due, as always, to lack of space, Ari has ended up at a foster home in Stratford. The new fostering woman is trying to do her best, but she has large dogs and Ari is afraid of dogs (probably due to some bad encounters during his previous life on the streets). To avoid the dogs, Ari spends all of his time in an unfinished and unhealthy basement sitting at the windowsill, looking outside, probably wondering what happened to his loving mom.

Ari is an old cat, probably 13 or older. It breaks our hearts that he is spending the last part of his life in such an unhappy situation and we are also upset that we cannot provide a proper home to Bev’s favourite cat. “Ari is very undemanding," his new foster home says, but we know he just wants a quiet home with someone to love him. If you do not have large dogs, please consider fostering or adopting Ari. He has had such a tumultuous life, please help him; Bev will smile to you from heaven.

ORA's Cats in Need Series: Tilley

"Please sponsor me and my buddy, Mungo!"

Claudia Vecchio, 5/11/12
Founder of ORA

Taking care of many special needs animals is not an easy task for a small organization like ORA. In strict compliance with the No-Kill principle, we provide all of the animals in our care with any needed medical treatment. Even though we have over 130 animals under ORA at any given time, each of them is treated like he or she was just an only pet, as every life is unique and each of them deserves to live life to the fullest. Obviously this implies high vet bills and as ORA does not receive any public funding we need the financial support of animal caring people who share our vision and our beliefs.

In the last few weeks we have been burdened by several medical emergencies and in just one week, after Mungo's sickness and long hospitalization, we have also had to deal with the inexplicable sickness of our darling Tilley. Mungo is recovering quite well, while Tilley is still struggling too, although he has considerably improved during the week-end.

Financial toll: last week, we paid over $1,500 to the vet and now we have been told that both Mungo and Tilley will again need urgent dentistry to be done within the next two to three weeks. This means another huge vet bill for both of them. Please consider donating to ORA and sponsoring Mungo or Tilley or any of the special needs cats and dogs in our care with a monthly donation. For more information, please email us or contact us at 416-726-5762 or 416-726-8895.

Let me introduce you to Tilley: 
Tillley is a little more than 8 years old. He was abandoned at just a few days old in a box with Mom and two siblings in front of a vet clinic in Mississauga. ORA was called and one of our volunteers promptly left work to pick up the abandoned family and house them. Tilley and siblings grew up into beautiful, healthy kittens. Tilley's young Mom and siblings were adopted out, but Tilley stayed behind, nobody ever applied to adopt him. All the same, Tilley has had, up to now, a great life under our care. He has bonded with some of the other cats his age, he is easy going and he pretty well loves everybody: cats, dogs and people. Tilley has never had any health issues until last week, when he suddenly stopped eating, became lethargic and developed a high fever. Tilley's temperature is now back to normal and he has started eating on his own. 

Tilley, the kitten nobody wanted to adopt, would be very proud to know that someone out there is sponsoring him.

Donate online with PayPal, or call 416-726-5762 or 416-726-8895 to find out how you can help special needs cats like Tilley. 

ORA will be running our Cats in Need series all month long this May! Although the objective of ORA is to work for the benefit of all animals, given the compelling need, ORA is heavily involved in the rescue of companion animals. The animals who, throughout the years, have not been adopted out (for reasons of age, health or behavioural issues), live in ORA's foster homes or in ORA's residential sanctuary until the ends of their natural lives. If you would like to help ORA's Cats in Need with a donation, please click here to give. If you would like to volunteer your time and talents to help ORA, please click here to learn more and to apply.

ORA's Cats in Need Series: Mungo

I've had a rough week!

orarescue.org | Mungo and Gizmo were given up just before the holidays in 2008 by their owner, a lawyer who had them since kittenhood. He was planning a move to his mother's home with his wife and their newborn child, he said, and they could no longer keep the cats. He signed a contract with ORA to pay a boarding fee of $3.00 a day for each cat until we could have them adopted out. The lawyer delivered the cats to us in cardboard boxes loosely tied up with rope. In the 8 years he has had the cats, he could not even buy a proper carrier for them! We managed to take them to our car somehow without them escaping.

Their health was not good. We noticed right away that Mungo had crusts all over his skin. At first we thought that this was possibly due to an allergic reaction to fleas. "No," said his owner, "just dermatitis." But in fact, the two cats were fed the cheapest of dry foods, which caused and continually exacerbated Mungo's severe skin allergies. He has greatly improved on a healthier and cleaner diet since then.

Soon after his arrival, Gizmo experienced severe diarrhea and had to be put on an IV in the hospital for several days. He made it through, but he still suffers from mild bouts of it every now and then.

Mungo and Gizmo have been with ORA now for almost three and a half years. They are not adoption material. They are older, in precarious health and do not have consistently proper toilet habits (to this day, Gizmo occasionally likes to defecate in front of the litterbox).

The lawyer stopped paying their meager boarding fees after only four months.

Last Tuesday, we noticed that Mungo was unusually quiet in a basket and that he was not going to his food. We took his temperature: 40.4, and nursed him with loving care overnight. The following morning, however, Mungo's temperature went up to 41.2, so we immediately arranged for his hospitalization. Mungo was put on an IV and a series of antibiotics until last Sunday when he was released. Total tab on Sunday: $1,500.

Can you help my big bro, Mungo?

Today, he finally began eating on his own. He moves around actively again and constantly asks for attention - sure signs of a healthier cat! We hope that everything will continue well for Mungo.

At ORA, we spend an average of $2,000 to $2,500 a month in vet bills, but lately we have had several surplus vet emergencies on top of the usual - and this latest one with Mungo has proved too much for us to handle.

Gizmo, in particular, has been very worried about his big brother Mungo, and would be very appreciative of any contribution you would like to give towards Mungo's vet bill, if you can help.

Donate online with PayPal (works best for Internet Explorer users), or call 416-726-5762 or 416-726-8895 to find out how you can help cats like Mungo and Gizmo.

ORA will be running our Cats in Need series all month long this May! Although the objective of ORA is to work for the benefit of all animals, given the compelling need, ORA is heavily involved in the rescue of companion animals. The animals who, throughout the years, have not been adopted out (for reasons of age, health or behavioural issues), live in ORA's foster homes or in ORA's residential sanctuary until the ends of their natural lives. If you would like to help ORA's Cats in Need with a donation, please click here to give. If you would like to volunteer your time and talents to help ORA, please click here to learn more and to apply.

Special Thanks from ORA and Jackson to Moore Park Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Lindsay Paterson of Moore Park Veterinary Clinic in Rosedale recently performed a pro-bono dentistry on ORA’s Jackson, a sweet nine-year-old kitty. Jackson needed teeth cleaning to remove tartar accumulation and prevent periodontal disease.

Dental work is needed more than once in the life of a cat or dog and is very important as it helps to prevent bacterial infections that can lead to liver, kidney and even heart disease. ORA is sheltering a number of special needs and older animals and therefore, we have several animals needing dental procedures every year.

We really appreciate Dr. Paterson’s help to our organization and we hope that more vets will join in performing pro-bono dentistry on rescued cats. Dentistry is an expensive procedure that can range from several hundred dollars to $1,500-$2,000 or more if dental extractions are required. Any vet who performs just one free dental procedure a year helps us tremendously in our efforts to preserve the good health of the animals under our care, so ask your vet if he/she is doing any community work and let us know if he/she is prepared to help rescued animals in need by donating one hour of their time and expertise.

Jackson’s Story: Jackson was rescued from the notorious Hamilton Animal Control (HAC) by ORA volunteers in 2003. The HAC was then, and sadly still is, a high–kill shelter (see ORA's Volunteer Blog for the HAC-STK http://hac-stk.blogspot.com). Jackson, just two days old, was rescued along with his Mom and two siblings. Just born, they were marked to be killed. Jackson, his mom, Dodi, and siblings grew into wonderful, healthy cats under the care of ORA’s foster Mom and they all found great adoptive homes. Unfortunately, two years ago, Jackson’s adopter suddenly became very sick and returned Jackson to ORA. Jackson has not found a new adopter, but he has adjusted very well in our “sanctuary”: he is a sweet cat who gets along great with everybody, be they cats, residents or volunteers.

To sponsor Jackson with a monthly donation, please call 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895 or e-mail VecchioCT@aol.com.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

ORA on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/ORArescue

ORA on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/ORA_rescue

Join the No-Kill Revolution: Nathan Winograd in Toronto, April 14, 2012! Event proudly hosted by ORA.

In our vision of a Toronto Model inspired by care, compassion and respect for animals, we have invited the North American champion of the No Kill Movement to Toronto.

At ORA, we do not have the power alone to change what is happening in pounds and shelters in Ontario, but we hope that this event, along with the recent Bill Bruce’s event, will demonstrate to the public and to the people vested with decision making power that killing companion animals is morally unacceptable, costly and unnecessary. Animals have the right to live! No more killing!

About Nathan Winograd:

Nathan J. Winograd is the director of the national No Kill Advocacy Center. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a former criminal prosecutor and attorney who has held a variety of leadership positions including director of operations for the San Francisco SPCA and executive director of the Tompkins County SPCA, two of the most successful shelters in the nation. He has spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, has written animal protection legislation at the state and national level, has created successful No Kill programs in both urban and rural communities, and has consulted with a wide range of animal protection groups including some of the largest and best known in the nation. Nathan is the author of three books, Redemption, Irreconcilable Differences, and All American Vegan (co-written with his wife, Jennifer). Redemption won five national book awards and redefined the animal protection movement in the United States.

"Bow WOW! This extraordinary pet-loving former attorney is out to make the world safe for homeless animals—one region at a time.” – Best of the Best, Metropolitan Home

“Millions of healthy animals are [killed] in shelters every year. Nathan Winograd wants that reduced to zero… Winograd is helping to save thousands, even millions.” –Reader’s Digest

“ ‘In 2003, the Tompkins County SPCA saved 100% of all healthy, friendly dogs and cats, 100% of treatable sick and injured animals, and 100% of feral cats. Overall, 93% of dogs and cats were saved’…. This amazing result was accomplished by an “open-door” agency that also contracts to perform animal control. Credit for saving so many cat and dog lives rests squarely on the shoulders of Nathan Winograd.” – The No Kill Nation

“The world owes much to those rare individuals who see things differently – and who then devote themselves to vindicating their maverick conclusions.” – The Bark

Nathan Winograd's will autograph his acclaimed books “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation & The No Kill Revolution in America“ and “Irreconcilable Differences: The Battle for the Heart and Soul of America’s Animal Shelters,“ on sale at the event.

Nathan Winograd in Toronto for the first time,

"Building a No-Kill Community" on April 14, 2012.

Time: 4:00pm to 7:30pm. Registration begins at 3:15pm.

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Hall, Room 714, on 222 Bremner Boulevard.

This is a fate changing event for the animals! A must attend for animal advocates, animal rescues and all animal caring people!

To inquire about exciting sponsorship opportunities, please contact ORA at 416-726-8895 or email info@ora-animalsrescue.org.

Tickets are $35.00. Advance sale only. Limited seating. Register for this exceptional event and buy your tickets NOW by clicking on the "Buy Tickets Online Now!" button below. Consider adding a donation to help with the costs of the event and/or to help ORA to care for neglected, abused or abandoned animals.

Thank you! We look forward to seeing you at this outstanding event on April 14th!

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals

http://orarescue.org

ORA on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ORArescue

ORA on Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/ORA_Rescue

ORA on Animal Connection

http://animalconnection.ning.com/profile/ORA

ORA Member News: Surgery for Beau

ORA Member News--Beau, a nine month old black and white kitty, is the unfortunate proof of what neglect and negligence can do to a poor defenceless creature at the mercy of an uncaring human. Beau had been living in terrible pain for several days due to a neglected leg injury. Beau's caregiver did not tell us what the injury was caused by or when it happened, but unfortunately, the guardian's neglect allowed the paw to become severely infected. As soon as we found out, we immediately took Beau to the vet but the paw was already gangrening with a general infection spreading through the bloodstream. Following a week on three different antibiotics to bring the infection down in Beau’s blood, the veterinary team concluded that the entire leg had to be amputated.

Thursday, September 15, 2011. 12:10 AM. Post Surgery Update: Beau’s leg was amputated earlier this evening, and he is eating and recovering well.

Monday, September 19, 2011. 3:38 AM. In the pre-surgery photos (warning: graphic photos!) you can see the bone of the back paw digit exposed, with one digit falling off in the examining room at the vet office. It is unbelievable that someone could be so negligent and uncaring.

Beau must have been in excruciating pain.

Amputation is a serious surgery. Though he is on several painkillers, Beau is eating and recovering well under the direct care of ORA. We thank Dr. Memon, Dr. Bhatti and the staff at Lorne Park Animal Hospital for their amazing care and professional attention given over ten days, day and night, to little Beau, and for helping ORA by greatly reducing the bill. However, the bill is still very large at over $3000, so please help us if you can, with any donation.

Make a donation to ORA any time via PayPal at:
http://ora-animalsrescue.org/donations.html - scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the PayPal Donate button to get started with your donation today.

--
ORA on Twitter: "It's Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week @petfinder! DSH black cat 3-legged Beau. Less adoptable, but no less lovable. 416-726-5762 @ORA_Rescue"

ORA: "Help a Pet, Without a Sweat!"

ORA Trio: Ready for Sponsorship

Suppose you would like to adopt a homeless companion animal, but you cannot add another resident to your house. Perhaps you travel intensively, or you are never at home. Maybe you have a partner who does not want another pet, or you are too busy, too tired, and you just don’t have the inclination to clean cat litter boxes or walk a dog after work.

If you recognize yourself in any one of these above scenarios but a part of you still strongly urges you to help, you can, by ‘virtually adopting’ a companion animal. We are not talking about an aberration of our times, the adoption of a virtual pet proposed by many websites. That is nothing more than another computer game. We are talking about taking meaningful responsibility for a real live animal by sponsoring them. The extent of your patronage and commitment to the virtually adopted animal may vary. You may select to pay a fixed amount monthly for the cost of food and supplies, or you may decide to cover all of the expenses of your protégé, including veterinary bills and medications or alternatively, to pay for their insurance coverage. The idea is that you help an animal for life without doing the work of caring for them. No stressful trips to the vet, no frantic runs to the pet store before closing, no cleaning up after them, not even cat or dog hair on your clothes. Doesn’t that sound great?

If it does, give ORA a call, or visit the ORA website at http://orarescue.org and select a cat or dog whose looks or story speak to your heart.

As soon as you enroll in ORA’s sponsorship program, you’ll receive a photo and bio of the ‘virtually adopted’ animal, as well as a certificate of adoption. And you’ll get periodic updates and updated pictures upon request. You can call or e-mail ORA anytime you wish to know what your pet is up to, and every so often, when scheduling allows, you are also welcome to come and visit your pet, to take the sponsored dog for a walk or to spend some playtime with your cat. These are not requirements for virtual adoptions, just prerogatives that active sponsors may choose to exercise if they like.

Most of the pets available for virtual adoption are animals who, for a variety reasons, are considered to be un-adoptable. However, you can also sponsor an adoptable animal. And if the animal you sponsor is adopted, you can then pass your sponsorship on to another animal.

How does this benefit the animals? By sponsoring or virtually adopting an animal and covering their expenses you make it possible for ORA to rescue another animal. Your sponsorship allows us to allocate the money towards the needs and care of another animal.

What is the cost of a virtual adoption? Consider what you would spend monthly to care for a cat or dog if you actually adopted one. You may decide to donate the same amount to care for your virtually adopted pet. As a general guideline, one cat in ORA’s care costs between $45 to $55 a month, and one dog costs our organization approximately $75 to $90 a month.

If you prefer, you can also co-sponsor/co-adopt a pet, starting from a monthly contribution as low as $25. As an added benefit, your contribution is treated as a charitable donation and therefore enjoys the same taxation advantage. For more information, please visit us online at any time or call 416-726-5762 today.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Oksana's Story

Nine years ago, ORA’s constitution was still in the works, and cats were already coming in on a steady flow. Oksana was among our first lot of cats.

One cold winter morning, upon her arrival to the make-shift building of Wildcare, a wildlife rehabilitation facility, where she religiously volunteered four hours every Sunday feeding, cleaning and caring for the animals, Corinne, one of ORA’s co-founders, was met by an unusual surprise. The staff and other volunteers were buzzing over an animal in distress, not a wild animal but a black adult cat, that had been found in a red carrier by the front door that same morning. When Corinne appeared, a unanimous chorus declared, “here you are in the process of creating an animal rescue organization so you are the most suitable person to take care of this cat.” She was handed the carrier with no time or opportunity to object that we were already full of cats, even though the organization still existed only on paper.

There was no information on the cat’s name or anything else in the carrier - just an open can of tuna. Oksana, as she was soon named, appeared to be terribly frightened. She had been left in a carrier for who knows how long, on a freezing early morning in the middle of January. She displayed the typical behaviour of an abused animal. She was terrorized by any approaching hand, and we had to put food in front of her by wearing thick gloves or by hiding our hands under a towel. It took a long while before Oksana felt comfortable with us and overcame her fear of human hands. She did not like to leave the room she was first introduced to and only occasionally ventured out for a few minutes before storming back out at the first noise. Eventually, with a lot of loving care, Oksana started feeling at ease, enjoying the play time, the grooming sessions and especially the variety of food we offered her, while tuna remained her favorite food.

That is when the bad news came. The veterinarian who was performing dentistry on Oksana called us as she noted a lump on the right side of her breast. We asked the vet to remove it and have it biopsied. It was malignant. We were devastated by the news. It seemed so unfair that just when Oksana was finally comfortable and had to learnt to trust humans again, her life would come to an end.

In just two weeks the tumor was back. The veterinarian did not feel very hopeful about performing another surgery, but eventually a full right-side mastectomy was performed and Oksana overcame the surgery and soon after she gained a good amount of weight.

We put Oksana on a holistic regimen of vitamins and supplements and for many years she remained cancer free. She became a chunky senior who still enjoys food and playing, showing a particular fondness for catnip mice. Although she never seemed to develop a special friendship with any of the other permanent resident cats, Oksana can always be seen roaming about the house with a joyful expression on her face and with the relaxed confidence that comes from the knowledge that this is her home and the people here love her and care for her. Sadly, Oksana’s cancer has returned again, this time resisting treatment. She is eating well but we know in our hearts that she will not have much time left. In addition to our little Bella being given a recent diagnosis of abdominal lymphona, this past week has been an especially difficult one to bear.

Claudia Vecchio, Founder/Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://orarescue.org

Kitty Princess Di's Story

Last year, on a cold day in February, Corinne Thaw and I were carefully making our way through a pack of snow towards the entrance of a house that we were going to show.

Suddenly, from almost out of nowhere, we heard a loud and repetitive, "Meow, Meow!" Someone was demanding our attention. I looked around just in time to see a skinny red tabby cat placing herself in front of Corinne's feet almost to block her way.

Before I could have a clear picture of the cat, I heard Corinne say, "What has happened to you, oh, you poor thing?"

Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the cat was blind in the left eye. Pus and blood were leaking out of the injured eye, and her right ear sported a large growth the size of a walnut with coagulated blood! It was obvious that this poor cat was in pain, and literally asking for help.

One of us completed the showing, while the other knocked on a neighbour’s door to try to borrow a box that we could use to transport the cat in. We then explained the emergency of the situation to our clients; not being animal lovers, they didn’t see what all the fuss was about! Alas, the cat needed immediate attention. She showed very little resistance when she was scooped up and put into the box we were finally able to find. It was Saturday, and the emergency vet clinic was quite far away. In the car, the cat was very quiet enjoying the warmth of a heated environment, a luxury that she had probably never known before.

The veterinarian confirmed what we already knew, that the cat needed to have the growth removed - and that nothing more could be done that day. We took her home to disinfect and clean her up a bit, being especially carefully around the growth in her ear. She gave us some opposition, which was to be expected, however all was forgiven when we offered her something delicious to eat. In fact, she demonstrated a very healthy appetite! We confined her to a cage at first so as not to expose the other cats to her, since we did not know whether she may have been affected by some kind of transmittable disease or not prior to her rescue. She settled herself into the cage very comfortably, however, sleeping deeply, and waking up only to empty her dish. Obviously, she had not had sufficient food for a long time.

The following Monday, we took the cat to our ordinary vet where she underwent an operation. The growth was benign, but the bad news was that the growth was an inflammatory polyp that would re-occur. She had to undergo a long period of antibiotic treatment to clear the infection to the left eye, as well as a second operation. We then decided to treat her homeopathically. We spent over $1,000 on her and it is not finished. She is considered by outsiders to be one of our "unadoptable cats" since she will need constant care and medical attention for the remainder of her life.

Corinne decided to call her "Princess Diana," because all cats are beautiful.

Today, Princess Diana is a very happy cat. She goes around with her little head held high, happy to belong somewhere, to have a home. She is very playful and particularly fond of ‘cat soccer’ which she can play for hours. She has become our loving mascot, because with her happiness, she rewards us every day for our rescue efforts, and she reminds all ORA volunteers of the value of the work that we do here.

Happy Victoria Day, from everyone here at ORA!

Claudia Vecchio, Founder/Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Sponsor. Foster. Donate. Adopt. How to Help Stop The Killing Cycle.

Have you ever thought of becoming a foster?
Here at ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals, we do not get public funding, nor do we have a shelter. All of ORA’s animals are housed in foster homes, private homes, and homes of individuals like you who offer to help. We are funded solely upon private donations.

Feeding 130+ animals in our direct care costs us over $125 a day alone plus the additional costs of cat litter, other supplies and veterinary bills. It goes without saying that ORA does not get enough donations to cover these expenses so we must take the money from our own pockets, and still, we are very much in the red. We house the animals in private homes, but if there are no foster homes and no money, we cannot rescue anymore.

Why are animals being euthanized?
Animal Services are city pounds sponsored by public funding, and they are known to euthanize strays twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is a fact, and may not be entirely their fault, as it is also a well-known fact they have far too many animals, and not nearly enough cages or space to keep them in, while new animals keep arriving into their facility every day.

This happens when people do not adopt responsibly, when they do not spay or neuter their animals, and when they let them proliferate. When new owners cannot maintain impulsively made adoption commitments, many will abandon their animals under various pretexts. These kinds of people are the ones who are responsible for the killing of so many innocent lives!

Thus, the euthanizations will continue routinely every Tuesday and Friday if someone does not rescue directly, or adopt or sponsor through a rescue group. The Humane Society does not rescue these cats, for they, too, are inundated by animals that are dropped off at their door every day, and they, too, will euthanize when the numbers become too many.

The OSPCA, a previously well-known animal adoption centre, used to euthanize an unbelievable percentage of the animals that they received before they closed one year ago. The majority of the large, public organizations will kill healthy animals when they have too many. Some of them kill routinely.

The reality is that your monthly donations save lives.
Euthanization is the tragic reality and that is why ORA and other small no-kill rescue groups exist so that we can rescue and save as many precious lives as we can. Sometimes, we cannot save them all. So we appeal to people like you to sponsor, to foster, to donate and to adopt because these are the ways that best help us to save lives.

Rescue groups see the photos and the notices every week on the “URGENTS” lists, so we all try to save as many as we can, whenever we can. Nevertheless, that same week, many animals will still be killed.

Sponsor with a monthly donation today to help us to care for the animals we’ve rescued this week, to help us to rescue more animals next week, and to help us to continue our necessary rescue efforts every week, week after week, until euthanization becomes a thing of the past.

Claudia Vecchio, Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://orarescue.org

Monte's Story

Monte looks forward to the upcoming rally at the HAC! Sweet Monte, who kicked off ORA's National Pet Month at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_351546937355, has finally been placed with the perfect adopter (Name Withheld). No cat, no matter how brave a hero he has proven himself to be, (see below for the tale of his rescue from the HAC), is an island unto himself, so he would like to thank those of you who helped him get where he is today: "mew!" (translation: thank you!). Happily ever after, Monte gets to bask in the warm sunlight again - this time, with his forever loving new owner.
"Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man [cat] is what you do when that storm comes."
-A. Dumas; The Count of Monte Cristo

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
(Updated May 27, 2011. 9:52 PM EST / 6:52 PST)
--
We received one sponsorship offer specifically for Monte today! Special thanks to (Name Withheld) for setting up monthly donations with ORA for him, which will greatly help with Monte's care needs at ORA until we are able to find him a permanent adopter. On that note, we are still looking for someone to adopt Monte at this time. We are also looking for additional sponsors for Monte's fellow rescues as well, so please contact Claudia at 416-726-5762 for more information about the other new cats at ORA this week. Finally, we are very pleased to report to you that Monte and all of the cats scheduled for euthanasia yesterday at HAS have been successfully rescued by ORA and other rescue groups. Thank you again for all of your support during this particularly emotional rescue. Have a good weekend, ORA members. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://orarescue.org (Updated April 30, 2011. National Honesty Day. 2:11 PM EST / 11:11 PM PST) -- We are still looking for a permanent home for Monte. He will be staying at a foster home in Markham for now until we can find a suitable adoption match for him. We received a couple of tentative sponsorship offers for his care yesterday, but disappointingly, neither followed through with actual payment. Help of any kind, therefore, is appreciated for Monte, or for his new friends, at any time. If you would like to help, or know of someone who genuinely wishes to sponsor or to outright adopt one of our rescues, please let us know here on Facebook, or call 416-726-5762. ORA - Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://www.orarescue.org (Updated April 29, 2011. Arbor Day. 3:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM PST) -- We were finally able to find a suitable temporary foster home for Monte in Markham until an adopter comes through. I have received quite a few calls about Monte, and I really appreciate everyone's help. We desperately need money and sponsors though, as we will be getting at least 5 new cats checked up and neutered next week. With the additional food and care costs, well - you can just imagine! Claudia Vecchio, Volunteer Chairperson ORA - Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://www.orarescue.org (Updated April 28, 2011. Pay It Forward Day. 4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PST) -- Due to a sudden revelation by Penny Cooper from Hamilton Animal Services on Facebook, and some obvious miscommunication via email, it turns out that Monte isn't scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow anymore! That said, Monte is no less deserving of a rescue from the pound and eventual euthanization. So with your help, we plan to continue to try to find a more permanent living situation for Monte. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://ora-animalsrescue.org (Updated April 28, 2011. Pay It Forward Day. 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST) -- ORA rescued a number of cats today from certain death at Hamilton Animal Services today, but we couldn't rescue them all. There was one poor fellow marked for euthanization on the high-volume shelter's "URGENTS" list whom we regretted in particular that we could not save and take with us this time: Monte, a two year old long haired tuxedo cat who is scheduled to be euthanized this Friday. To all of the cross-posters and animal life advocates working hard within our Facebook network (particularly the local ones in T.O., Canada), please share and include this incredibly urgent message about Monte far and wide in your help lists today so that we may be able to save his life within the next 24 hours. Contact 416-726-5762 before 12 noon tomorrow for details to rescue Monte and save his life. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://ora-animalsrescue.org/

Five-Fifths of Laura's Brood Turn 8 Today.

MEMBER NEWS. On this day in 2003, Laura, a pensive-looking black beauty, gave birth to a fine litter of kittens: Claire, Sara, Fifi, Dexter and Sydney. Estimated to be barely over the age of one in cat years at the time of her life-saving rescue, Laura was assumed to be an abandoned teen mom.

Shortly after the kittens were born, ORA’s volunteer team picked up Laura with Fifi and twin cats, Sara and Sydney, after having received a call from a suburban residence in Woodbridge, Ontario. Laura was memorably discovered on a platform high above the garage floor, bravely caring for three-fifths of her near-starving brood. Prior to their rescue, Claire and Dexter, having spent a couple of days away from their mother on the garage floor at no more than just two weeks of age, were arranged for an emergency drop off by ORA at a veterinary clinic close by. Claire and Dexter had to be revived by clinic staff before they could be reunited with the rest of their family at ORA. (Further details about the remarkable rescue of Laura and her kittens will follow in a separate post written by ORA’s founder, Claudia Vecchio.)

Since their rescue, Claire and the twins have gone on to find forever loving homes with carefully screened adoptive couples.

Laura, and her two remaining children, Dexter and Fifi, have been living at ORA for so long that they are now considered to be permanent residents.

With your help, we hope to be able to give Laura, Dexter and Fifi a belated birthday present to share and enjoy with their best friends and fellow residents at ORA: the restoration of the fallen Cat Den.

For more information, please contact ORA Volunteers at 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895 or info@ora-animalsrescue.org.

Laura's Story

Laura and her babies were rescued eight years ago from a garage in Woodbridge. We were alerted one morning to two kittens, approximately one week old, having been found on the floor of a garage in a Woodbridge home. The kittens had been there for some time and seemed to be stone cold and motionless. We arranged for the kittens to be transported to the nearest vet right away and we were very lucky because the vet technician working there was very experienced with kittens. With love, knowledge and care, she slowly resuscitated the two kittens. After their temperatures had been normalized and they were able to move around a little, the revived kittens were then carefully bottle-fed every two hours.

In the meantime, after further investigation, it appeared that Mom Cat and her other kittens were living on the rafters of the garage ceiling! We immediately made arrangements for two experienced volunteers to go in to the home the following morning to rescue the mom and the other two kittens and eventually unify the whole family. The volunteers spent many hours clearing away all kinds of storage items in the garage that were blocking access to the rafters, and to make matters worse, the owners of the home were very uncooperative. Hours later, the volunteers succeeded in clearing enough of a path to successfully rescue the three kittens down from the rafters. Once they ensured that no one else was left behind, they proceeded to get Mom Cat.

Laura, whom we later renamed Mom Cat, was absolutely terrified. There didn't seem to be any way to coax her to come out from where she was hiding: a sure spot that the volunteers could not reach! In the meantime, the owners of the home were becoming increasingly inpatient, insisting that the volunteers wrap up quickly and leave. By early evening, after numerous failed attempts to lure out Mom Cat, the volunteers seemed quite ready to give up. It took me many attempts to reason with the homeowners and to beg them to let us finish our rescue, and several more to exhort the volunteers not to give up!

By early evening, though, things finally turned around for our rescue team. Laura, enticed by the scent of fresh tuna, came out hesitantly from her heretofore unreachable hiding spot.

Some time after our successful rescue operation, Mom Cat and the five babies were reunited and eventually transported to a foster home where she immediately took to feeding all five kittens as if nothing had happened. It was an emotionally tough rescue for the cats and for the volunteers, but much to our relief, Laura and her kittens made it through.

Claireby was adopted the same year of her rescue by ORA members, Clara and Justin Speer, and has since moved with them and their older cat, Mao, out to Los Angeles, California. Dexter was also adopted, but returned after only two days because his new owners found him too "needy," or in other words, too affectionate; Dexter would never leave the side of his adoptive Mom. A few years later, Sara and Sidney were adopted together by an older Mississauga couple (who would prefer to keep their anonymity).

This is our rescue story of Laura and her kittens.

Claudia Vecchio, Founder
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Spencer retires from ORA's Work, but not from Life.

MEMBER NEWS: ORA’s well known “demo dog,” Spencer, an eleven year old Australian Shepherd mix, was recently diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease (hyperadrenocortism). Dogs can live several years with Cushing’s, though, and ORA has no intention of losing Spencer before his time. To that end, Corinne and Claudia are working tirelessly with vets to find the right treatment that will control Spencer's disease and improve his quality of life long-term.

As loving pet advocates, we may be at least somewhat biased, but we really mean it when we say that Spencer is a genuinely good dog. Claudia and Corinne fondly remember taking Spencer with them into local area schools to talk to students about animal rights, and to espouse the need for truly committed pet ownership. Spencer never, ever minded being admired and petted by so many children, and he especially loved to be hugged!

On another occasion, Spencer spent a memorable day at Humber College's fundraising program sitting quietly next to Corinne. He was a good student for most of the day, except when he got bored in one class, and started snoring... We’re sure Spencer picked a good one to nap through, though.

For many years now, Spencer has proudly been ORA’s one and only demo dog at countless pet nutrition seminars and other fundraising events organized by ORA. He has also participated in several demonstrations emphasizing the benefits of massage, Reiki and Tellington TTouch® on animals. He is such a great dog, and his near celebrity presence at future ORA events will be keenly missed.

Dogs can live for several years with Cushing’s, and we hope that Spencer will be one of the lucky ones. In the meantime, multiple diagnostics and vet visits are crushingly expensive. ORA spent over $600 for just one day’s worth of diagnostics last Friday. Spencer has since returned to the vet for a blood test on Tuesday, and is already scheduled for another consultation this coming Monday. Hundreds more dollars in bills to come.

That said, ORA will not let Spencer go untreated, and we hope that you won’t, either.

If you’re a friend of Spencer’s, please feel free to contact Corinne at 416-726-8895 to find out more about his condition, as well as news about his treatment. If you would like to offer Spencer your personal and immediate assistance directly via sponsorship or donations, please call Claudia at 416-726-5762.

ORA Project SPENCER

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Layla's Story

It was on a Monday morning when David, a structural engineer and one of the owners of Land Construction Company Ltd called ORA to ask if we could take in some cats that were roaming inside a vacant building on the east side of Scarborough. His crew had noticed two or three cats that were appearing mostly in the late afternoon, and since Land Construction had been hired to board up the building, they were concerned about those cats living in the building. They offered to deliver the cats to our residence. We agreed to take in the cats, but how were they planning to capture them? Were they domesticated? From a few questions, it became apparent that we were dealing with feral cats. The construction workers had fed the cats regularly since they first saw them, but they could not get to them.

I asked and obtained permission to access the building with other ORA volunteers to trap the cats. The day after, three of us went to the building armed with traps and lots of tuna. As soon as we saw the interior of the building we were disheartened. The building was quite large with a lot of rooms; it was difficult to decide where the traps would be the most effective. Also, there were so many spaces and holes where cats could hide: a real heaven for feral cats!

But what cat can resist the smell of tuna? After only three hours we successfully trapped a young kitten. However the lady who was carrying the trap toward the exit, suddenly felt the trap getting lighter and before she could realize what had happened she saw a kitten running away at the speed of light. The kitten had succeeded in escaping from an opening not bigger than one and a half inches from the back of the trap. The gap was tied up and the trap reset. Nothing happened for a full day. The following afternoon we received a call from the site informing us that two cats were in the traps. We rushed to pick them up and to take them to the vet to be checked, vaccinated and spayed/neutered. One of the cats was the mother cat. We named her Layla, a beautiful tortoise shell cat, probably less than one year old. The second cat was one of Layla’s kittens, a gorgeous orange tabby, approximately three to four months old that we named Percy.

We knew that there was at least another cat in the building, the one that first escaped, but we could not get her back. The workers learned to activate the traps every morning and then they would tie them back at nights before leaving so that the cats would become accustomed to eating inside the trap.

Three full days went by and we took a few daytime and evening trips to the building, but there were no more sightings of the kitten. She would eat the tuna during the night when the traps were tied back, but not during the day when they were activated. Finally, four days after the mother and the sibling were taken, we got her: Mimi, a tabby/calico and exceptionally smart kitten. We left the traps for another four days just to be sure that no other cats were in the building. After four days in which the food was left uneaten we concluded that we had all the cats. The workers finished the boarding of the building and we started the socialization process of the three cats.

With Mimi it did not take long. She is watching the other cats in the household and learning how to use the scratching posts, how to politely ask to sample human food and how to entertain herself with all the cat toys. She is really showing her joy at being part of the domesticated cat population. Percy is less responsive, he is very reserved, but follows his sister and takes directions from her. They are both absolutely adorable and they are now ready to be adopted. For their mother Layla, it will take a bit longer. She was obviously on her own for awhile and she had learned to fear people; for her the change is very radical.

We want to express here our deepest gratitude to the members of Land Construction Company Ltd for their assistance and their help in saving these cats. We hope that their example of compassion towards the animals will be imitated by more builders and construction workers who in their daily activities encounter and displace all kind of animals.

Claudia Vecchio and Corinne Thaw
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org