open doors MATCHING CAMPAIGN
UNLOCK OPPORTUNITY!
DONATION MATCH CAMPAIGN UP TO $50,000!
Be part of this exciting milestone and help AARCS open a shelter in Edmonton for homeless animals!
DOORS OPENED
They have CHALLENGED YOU to show your support for the animals, AARCS and the opening of this facility by agreeing to MATCH YOUR DONATION!
So for every $1 you donate, they will donate $1. Your $50 = $100, $100 = $200, $1000 = $2000!
HOW IT WORKS!
Raising $50,000 can be daunting, so we thought we’d have some fun while we work towards this lofty goal through our North Haven Opening Doors Campaign! In order to unlock each door below, we need to raise just $5,000 – 10 times! When we reach each $5,000 increment, the door will open and reveal a surprise video or story and a prize! Ever wanted to see a day in the life of a Shelter Veterinarian or bottle-fed bunnies? Now is your chance!
BONUS!
You will be entered to win a “Door Prize,” which will be drawn from the names of all the people who have donated towards that specific door opening. Stay tuned and contribute to each door as we reach the targets and you will be entered each time, increasing your chances to WIN! (minimum $10 donation to be entered in the giveaway). Prizes include AARCS swag, gift certificates and much more from the sponsors listed at the bottom of this page.
We couldn’t do this important work without your generous support. We are not government funded and every dollar you contribute will go towards providing a safe place for homeless animals to lay their heads — a place where many will, for the first time, feel the gentle hand of someone who cares and where they will have fresh water and nutritious food to fill their empty stomachs. In addition, individual donations of $100 or more are eligible for recognition on our donor wall to be displayed in the new North Haven.
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UNLOCKED DOORS
[ $5,000 DOOR 01 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $30 Hearts Choices gift card is RUTH S.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED
the Tail of PROSECCO the Kitty! 🐱🚪🔑
This affectionate little man came into AARCS recently with a devastating injury. Prosecco had been attacked by a dog which caused a serious break in his front leg. 😔 He’s just 6-months-old…STILL A KITTEN and has already gone through so much trauma! Sometimes life just isn’t fair. 💔 Although our precious little Prosecco has been so brave through it all we decided the best course of action was to move forward with an amputation surgery, instead of repairing the leg. Our once four-legged-feline is learning how to be a tripawd as well as get back to his typical kitten-self! That is, after some much-needed love and affection of course! 😊
We’re happy to report Prosecco is now doing really great, minus a few hairballs mixed with bits of toys! Ooops! 😬 Although he is still adjusting to life as a three-legged-kitty, we have no doubts that he will be back to his important kitten tasks such as chasing string, zooming around and attacking shoes. Until then, Prosecco continues to be an affectionate, lovable soul that has won over all our hearts. 💖
Prosecco is just one of the thousands of animals AARCS assists each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $10,000 DOOR 02 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $125 gift card to Tony Roma’s Steakhouse Restaurant is Cathy M.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED the Tail of Baby Bunnies SWEET PEA and RHUBARB! 🐰🐰🚪🔑
SO MUCH CUTENESS IN TWO SMALL PACKAGES! They are beyond EARresistible! 🐰
AARCS just rescued four incredibly cute bunnies. Abandoned, young and scared, these bun-buns were in dire need of our help. 💔 It is not very often that AARCS rescues bunnies but when they have nowhere else to go, we open our doors. 🚪
Meet SWEET PEA and RHUBARB, two of the rescued bunnies. 🐰🐰 These kits are VERY young but have already been through SO MUCH. One of our veterinary clinic staff has taken them home to monitor their recovery and give them lots of love and care. 💗 SWEET PEA is the bunny being syringe fed. This wee little babe is JUST 3-weeks-old! Unfortunately she sustained an eye injury resulting in multiple corneal ulcers. 😔 The good news is she’s in VERY good hands and we are doing everything we can to save her eye. 🤞 The other brave baby bunny, RHUBARB, is being monitored and treated for severe malnourishment. 💔 These little honey bunnies have completely won our hearts as they continue their road to recovery and happy lives. 💖
Fur-tunately the other two bunnies, Poptart and Shreddies, were healthy and are now in loving foster homes! 🏠 Soon they will be available for ad-HOP-tion so keep an eye out for them at aarcs.ca/adoptable-critters. 💗
SWEET PEA, RHUBARB, POPTART and SHREDDIES are just four of the thousands of animals AARCS assists each year. 🐶🐱🐰 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $15,000 DOOR 03 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $50 gift card to World Bier Haus 1410 (and other Calgary restaurants) is Katarzyna Z.! For that, we bring you the Tale of TIC TAC — An Underdog’s Story! 🐶🚪🔑
It’s hard to believe that Tic Tac has been in AARCS’ care for almost two months now. This giant love bug has been an absolute ray of sunshine, even in the darkest of times. ☀️
It feels like just yesterday Tic Tac was rescued and everyone’s heart ached for him. 💔 He had been attacked by another animal and suffered deep extensive bite wounds all over his head and limbs. It was clear Tic Tac was in urgent need of serious medical care and love. Thanks to our AMAZING medical team, volunteer caregivers, staff and generous supporters, he got just that. 💕 In such a short period of time he has made a remarkable recovery! Unfortunately, this is not the end of Tic Tac’s difficult journey — he still has a long way to go. 😔 We are currently working on fighting deep infection from the bite wounds. As a result, his tissues have been severely damaged. Though he has started to heal, the severity of the infection will take quite some time to resolve. Tic Tac is spending his days recovering in a LOVING foster home. Here is a quick note from them:
“Tic Tac is doing fantastic! He had his stitches out and ‘cone-of-shame’ removed and he’s LOVING LIFE! 🐕 His favourite things include cuddles and spending time in the backyard. 🌲 Now that his wounds have healed he’s able to explore more and more on his walks. SO MANY new smells to enjoy! 👃 He’s a real sweetheart and we couldn’t ask for a more wonderful foster dog.” — 💌 Tic Tac’s Foster Family.
TIC TAC is just one of the thousands of animals AARCS assists each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $20,000 DOOR 04 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $75 gift card to Notable Restaurant is Mona H.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED
A Day in the Life of Our VET CLINIC STUDENTS! 🐶🐱🚪🔑
Did you know AARCS Safe Haven has an in-house Veterinary Hospital? 🏥 On average, we see 3,500 animals EACH YEAR! This would not be possible without not only our hard-working staff but also our dedicated and caring VETERINARY STUDENTS. 💓
AARCS provides real-world opportunities for Veterinary Students allowing them to nurture their passion for helping animals. 🐶🐱🐰 During each school semester, our clinic will host, on average, eight students. We create a rich and practical environment for these students to learn and grow within their careers, enhancing their knowledge and experience. ✨
There are three main types of students AARCS works with: VMR (Veterinary Medical Receptionist), VOTA (Veterinary Office Technical Assistant) and AHT (Animal Health Technologist), and we accept students from ALL levels of experience. Each student that comes through our doors completes an average of 160 hours of clinic time. MEOWZA! 😻 During this time they get to learn the in’s and out’s of the clinic — everything from animal-handling exams, assisting with surgical prep to the cleaning and maintenance of the clinic (the glamorous and not-so-glamorous tasks of animal care). 🥼 We also allow Veterinary Students to complete their internships and externships at AARCS Veterinary Hospital. 😻 These students do physical exams, help with diagnostics and can perform surgeries under the supervision of our staff veterinarians.
Our students work closely with our incredible medical team including Veterinary Doctors, Registered Veterinary Technicians and Technician Assistants. 🩺 These mentors are able to guide the students through the difficult but very rewarding task of caring for neglected, abused and abandoned animals. 🐕🐈 AARCS is incredibly grateful for our hard-working and dedicated students. THANK YOU for helping us provide love and the best care for each individual animal that comes through our doors! 💚
By expanding into Edmonton, we will have the opportunity to continue to educate many more students that have dedicated their career to helping animals in need. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $25,000 DOOR 05 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a LUG® Wallet is Kathleen O.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED
TULELO’S REMARKABLE TALE! 🐱🚪🔑
IT’S OFFICIAL, Tulelo has been ADOPTED after FIVE MONTHS in AARCS care! 😺💓
Tulelo’s tale started when she accidentally escaped her owner’s home as a young kitten. While out on the streets as a stray, she somehow tragically got her arm stuck in her collar. For many painful months her arm was wedged in this extremely uncomfortable position, until eventually the collar wore through her skin. 💔
When Tulelo arrived at AARCS, she was malnourished and in extreme pain. In an effort to save Tulelo’s arm, the AARCS Vet team wanted to perform a procedure called an Axial Pattern Flap — similar to a skin graft. Our medical team needed to prepare her skin for the procedure and after five long months, it was finally time for her surgery. 💖 The operation to close up her large open wound was our last-ditch effort to save her leg. At first we were unsure if it would work, but Tulelo finally had some much-needed good luck 🍀 and WE SAVED HER LEG! 🙌
During Tulelo’s healing process, one of our volunteer veterinarians took her home for monitoring and to provide her with LOTS OF LOVE! 🥰 The two ended up being a PURRFECT match and she decided to adopt Tulelo! 💓 Now we know this sweet angel will forever get the love and care she deserves.😻
A HUGE THANK MEW goes out to our veterinary staff who continually go above and beyond to provide THE BEST care possible for ALL the animals in AARCS care. 🙏🏻 Your dedication and kindness changes lives 💕
Tulelo is just one of the thousands of animals AARCS assists each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $30,000 DOOR 06 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $50 Tony Roma’s gift certificate is Katelyn M.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED
“IT TAKES A VILLAGE” — a behind-the-scenes peek with AARCS volunteers and staff! 🐶🐱🚪🔑
Many of us are familiar with the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The truth is, it takes a village to achieve just about any meaningful change in our world — including making a difference in the lives of abused, abandoned and homeless animals. 🐾
Each year 3,500 animals come into AARCS care, mostly from rural Alberta. AARCS volunteers travel all across the province providing assistance in communities that have limited access to animal services. These dedicated animal lovers drive endless hours transporting injured and homeless dogs and cats to our Safe Haven shelter in Calgary where they receive the best veterinary care, a warm safe place to lay their heads and food for their bellies. 💗 Once medically ready, our network of foster homes look after their needs and love them as if they are one of their own, until they are adopted. 🐕 🐈 We could not do what we do without the dedicated help from our village of volunteers, staff and supporters. 💚
Despite the pandemic, AARCS doors remained open. 👐 Since March, over 1,300 animals have come through the doors. AARCS hopes to open the doors to their Edmonton location, North Haven, this fall. 🚪🔑 The facility will be home to an adoptions centre and provide temporary sheltering to animals travelling to Safe Haven in Calgary.
We hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes view of our Village. 💚
“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” 🌎 — Karen Davison
By expanding into Edmonton, we will have the opportunity to continue to save animals in need. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $35,000 DOOR 07 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $50 Brintnell Veterinary Hospital Cat Gift Basket is Diana W.!
For that, you’ve UNLEASHED Bottle-Fed Kittens! 🐱🚪🔑
Each year AARCS welcomes several handfuls of orphaned kittens into care for various reasons; most commonly when the mom is injured or deceased. Without their mother, the chance of a young kitten surviving is VERY small. 💔 In order for these kittens to survive, AARCS staff and volunteers must work quickly and lovingly to assist with bottle feeding and 24-hour monitoring. The job isn’t easy and it takes a lot of patience, knowledge and dedication. 💓Kittens start to transition to eating on their own around four to five weeks of age. Without a mother, an orphan will need our extra help for one to five weeks, depending on how old they are when they arrive. While in our care, these special little kittens need to be monitored very closely as they are VERY FRAGILE and things can turn from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. Young kittens are unable to regulate their own body temperature and must stay snuggled up with blankets and heating pads, with the occasional stuffed animal, if they are by themselves. 🐱🧸 Their feeding schedules are also very precise and, depending on how young they are, they may need to be fed EVERY TWO TO THREE HOURS. This means the sleep cycle of their caregiver will be interrupted to ensure they are getting fed on time.
Once they are fed, they will need to have their bowels and bladders expressed. Mom would normally do this when she cleans them. We are able to replicate this by gently massaging their bottoms to stimulate them to urinate or defecate.🐱 Between eating and bathroom time, these little monkeys can get a little messy. 🙈 It is important not to bathe them too often as they lose heat quickly; sponge/cloth baths work great. Once they are all cleaned up, wrapping them up in a little “purrito” makes for the perfect snuggle time. 😻
The best place for a kitten is to be with its mom and siblings. 🐾 We never want to pull kittens from their mom unless it is absolutely necessary. To help prevent this separation, we want to inform our supporters of the proper steps to take if you ever come across an abandoned litter of kittens. It is very RARE TO FIND ORPHANED KITTENS. If you find kittens alone, check to see if they have full bellies and if they look cared for. If they are sleeping peacefully and look clean, then mom is usually around and probably just doesn’t want to see you. 🐱 The mother is likely out hunting to provide for her babies. If she notices humans approaching her litter when returning, she might get spooked and keep her distance. Instead of approaching the litter, keep a watchful eye from a distance. 💚
Bottle-fed kittens are just some of the thousands of animals AARCS assists each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $40,000 DOOR 08 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a $75 Tony Roma’s gift card is Feckla S.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED Walk a Dog With AARCS! 🐶🚪🔑
AARCS Behaviour Team works with every dog that comes into our care. Our goal is to ensure we provide them with the proper tool sets to live their best doggy lives! 🐶 Some of our intakes’ past histories have left them mentally or physically scarred. Just like humans, they need a little extra TLC to begin the healing process. Together our Behaviour Team, volunteers and foster families help these puppers learn to trust, love and learn how to be a dog — often for the first time in their lives! 💚Here are some TIPS AND TRICKS from the AARCS Behaviour team to help YOU and YOUR BEST FURIEND make the most out of your daily walks together. 🚶🐕
Six Training Tips for Loose-Leash Walking
- About to walk out the door? STOP! 🛑 Make sure you have a front-clip harness with a leash attachment connected to the dog’s chest, a six-foot leash and some tasty treats! 🦴
- Okay, now we are ready for the most PAWsome time of the day — WALKIES! 🐾 While walking, use the comfort of your voice to encourage them and keep them engaged with you.
- Reward them frequently with high-reward treats for sticking by your side. #buddysystem
- Give verbal cues such as, “This way!” when changing direction and continue to reward your dog for walking nicely beside you. Don’t forget to remind them, “Who’s a good doggie?” 🐶
- If your dog starts to pull, simply STOP 🛑, anchor yourself and wait for them to join you again. Once they do, reward them with treats and keep walking. NEVER ENOUGH TREATS! 🦴
- Remember to make it fun and engaging for them (and you)! 👍
AARCS assists thousands of animals each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS North Haven in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $45,000 DOOR 09 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of Mr. Peanut’s Backpack Pet Carrier with collapsible food bowls is Mary-Ellen A.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED a VIRTUAL WALK THROUGH OF SAFE HAVEN! 🐶🐱🐰🚪🔑
Welcome to Alberta Animal Rescue Crew headquarters, our Safe Haven! There is A LOT that happens within these four walls. Everyday a community of volunteers work together and dedicate their time towards AARCS mission of Changing Lives Through Kindness.
In an average month our volunteers clock in 4,150 hours — this equates to 26 full time positions! That’s an enormous help to our organization!
Our volunteers’ main task is caring for the animals. On average we open our doors to 138 dogs and 182 cats each and every month!
Once those animals are through the door they are examined by our amazing medical team. Within a month they will do 1,000 medical exams, 900 vaccines and 240 spay and neuters. Our medical hospital is almost always running at full occupancy. We are very fortunate to have such a hard-working and dedicated group of medical staff and volunteers that make this possible!
With your help, soon we can work towards introducing our new NORTH HAVEN where we can continue to grow our community and continue to work towards our mission! 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach to even more animals by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS NORTH HAVEN in Edmonton! 📍
Thousands of animals pass through AARCS SAFE HAVEN shelter and Veterinary Hospital each year. 🐶🐱 You can help us expand our reach by helping us OPEN DOORS at AARCS NORTH HAVEN in Edmonton! 📍
If you want to be entered to WIN again, be sure to DONATE MEOW for the next round of giveaways!
[ $50,000 DOOR 10 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓
WINNER of a two Save-On-Foods gift cards is Jennifer G.! For that, you’ve UNLEASHED the OUTREACH VIDEO: Help Us Expand Our Reach! 🐶🐱🐰🚪🔑
[ $50,000 DOOR #10 UNLOCKED! ] 🔓 WINNER of two $50 Save-On-Foods gift cards is Jennifer G.!
For that, you’ve UNLEASHED the OUTREACH VIDEO! 🐶🐱🐰🚪🔑
Unlike traditional animal shelters, which are stationary and people bring animals to them, AARCS goes to animals in need.🚑 Our rescue and outreach teams drive thousands of kilometers each year, on rough roads, in all weather conditions to ensure no animals are left behind.💚
We provide support to help catch, transport and rehome stray, injured or abandoned animals. We also provide food assistance to those in need, dog houses, TNR (Trap Neuter Return) for feral cats and spay and neuter assistance (SNAP) to help address pet overpopulation.🏠
Our Rescue Crews are made up of a team of dedicated and skilled volunteers and staff.😇 They drop everything at a moment’s notice when they get the call. They load up and head out no matter the weather.❄️⛈️ They set up traps and wait hours for that injured and scared animal who can’t be caught. They crawl under buildings in the dirt to reach the puppies that momma dog tried to safely stow. They rush the injured and sick to the nearest hospital hoping they made it in time.🏥
This is a tribute to our amazing rescuers and the thousands of animals they save each year. 🐶🐱 We couldn’t do this important work without you too, our supporters! Thank you for helping us by supporting AARCS North Haven project in Edmonton! 📍The $50,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar by our very generous sponsors Heather Waddell, the Chartrand Family and the Pritchard Family turning this door into a $100,000 donation getting us to over 75% of our campaign goal!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Open Doors Campaign!
OPEN DOOR PRIZE SPONSORS
GREAT BIG THANKS goes out to our prize sponsors for helping us provide opportunities for homeless animals but also valuable gifts for our kind, dedicated supporters! More prize sponsors coming soon!
To get more information on how you can help through gift-in-kind donations, sponsorship opportunities or more please email [email protected].
As a registered charity, AARCS will issue tax receipts for eligible gifts (financial or in-kind) valued at $20 or more.
Together We Can Change Lives!
We are here to end animal suffering, and help foster a compassionate world for all.