THE RESCUE RIG
March 14, l5 and l6
Free Spay/Neuter Services, Humane Education to highlight tours
MARCH 4, 2008 – NJ Aid for Animals, a not for profit all volunteer animal rescue group, together with the Camden County Office of Emergency Management, will host the American Humane Association’s 82-foot Rescue Rig on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, March 14-16, 2008. The Rescue Rig, which will be headquartered for a three-day event at the Susquehanna Center on the waterfront (old Tweeter Center).
NJ Aid for Animals is the only all-volunteer humane charity that travels to local homes in Camden City to take dogs and cats to be sterilized and vaccinated, returning them the same day (when funds are available).According to Kathy McGuire, President of NJ Aid for Animals, “Sterilization helps reduce random reproduction and the number of unwanted strays left to wander homeless on the streets, vulnerable to abuse and starvation.
“A visit by the Rescue Rig will allow many cats to be sterilized at one time on one day” says McGuire, who organized the event through the joint cooperation of Office of Emergency Management; donation of services by Dr. Honey Rothberg; the Big Rig’s Surgical Center and Animal Welfare Association (with donations to their 10,000 Paws Program).
Free sterilization (including vaccines) of owned cats of Camden City residents will be offered on Saturday, March 15 beginning at 9:00 am. Reservations are required. Please call: 856 424 2288 Ext 110. Transport may be arranged if none is available.
The weekend will include tours of the Big Rig, Friday, March 14, from 2- 5 p.m.; Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday morning, March 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monetary donations or a bag of cat food are requested to take the tour.
American Humane’s Rescue Rig is the largest rescue vehicle in its field of emergency response vehicles, customized to help animals in disasters. The specialized tractor-trailer is equipped with living accommodations for up to 12 volunteers, a command center with satellite dish, basic veterinary surgery capabilities and rescue equipment for urban and flood rescue situations.
Representatives from CART (Camden Animal Response Team) will be on site and The Victor Lofts will be waiving its annual pet fee for residents who adopt a cat that weekend from any animal rescue or shelter in Camden County. Hot chocolate to keep chilly hands warm will be available for sale by Sazon Restaurant, a local Philly eatery renowned for its Venezuelan gourmet hot chocolate. Free parking is provided.
Information for NJ Aid for Animals: www.njafa.org Information for American Humane Assocation
WAIVER: If there is a disaster elsewhere in the nation that weekend that requires the Rescue Rig to be there, the entire event will be cancelled without notice.
Saturday, March 15, over 25 cats were spayed or neutered or just given vaccines. Almost 20 dogs were also vaccinated. The best news is that NJAFA was able to make arrangements for at least ONE DOZEN of the unaltered (mostly pitbull) dogs that came to be vaccinated to be spayed or neutered. At least one cat was adopted to the Victor Lofts through our partnership with the event from any Camden County rescue and/or shelter. For individuals who came to the Rig to adopt a cat we were able to refer them to the rescues who had brought brochures.
Thanks to everyone who participated. To the vets who donated their time to NJAFA, to AWA for sharing their donated vaccines for the cats and low cost vaccines for dogs and “THE BIG RIG” for sharing the outstanding surgical facility and the anesthesia. As part of NJAFA’s PEP (Pet Enrichment Program), our volunteers also flea combed, frontlined, clipped nails, cleaned ears and Milbemited (where needed) all the cats before they were returned to owners! One cat was so badly matted he even had to be shaved completely! Special thanks to vets, Drs. Honey and Helen, who donated their time,
and volunteers Peggy, Lisa and Christina. Thanks to “Mary” who gave NJAFA 30 Bags of Cat Food – we sure can use it in Camden!
Robert from Sazon Restaurant who is sponsoring our next fundraiser on March 30 offered hot cholocate to all our hardworking volunteers, Debbie and her team at CART also helped enormously both before and during the event. And special thanks to Don Elmer whose help was invaluable and of course all my volunteers
Thanks mostly to my sister and advisory board member, Karen Ash, whose idea this was AND for her driving with my niece all the way from Ohio to be two valuable volunteers throughout the event.
NJAFA is already in the process of bringing the “BIG RIG” back again in 2009 for an even bigger and better event. We promise it will be warmer!!!!