Rescue
Rehabilitate
Re-Home
At AARCS we rescue, rehabilitate and re-home approximately 3,500 animals each year including dogs, cats and small critters such as rabbits and guinea pigs. We focus on communities that have little or no animal services available to them. Our crews will often drive many hours to rescue animals in need. We work with local Indigenous communities and municipalities to assist with stray animal rehoming and have worked with local authorities, including police and animal protection officers, to assist with cases of abuse, abandonment and seizures. When space allows, we will intake animals from members of the public who are unable to care for their pets. Our goal is to provide people with an option for their pets when they are unable to continue to care for them and treat everyone with respect and kindness.
We operate an intake shelter in Calgary with an on-site veterinary hospital and an intake and adoption centre in Edmonton. Both facilities are vital to the animal welfare landscape in Alberta. Unlike a traditional shelter, AARCS utilizes a vast network of foster homes across the province allowing us to care for an average of 500 animals at any given time throughout the year.
Many of the animals we rescue are sick or injured and require extensive rehabilitation and medical care. We provide all necessary veterinary care, including surgeries for broken bones, and treatment for ailments such as skin conditions, mange, gunshot wounds and parasites. Veterinary bills are by far our largest expenditure.
AARCS strives to ensure that these animals receive the medical care they need, along with the chance to recover in a loving foster home.
All the animals that come through our adoption program are spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and treated for parasites prior to adoption. In addition, we provide our rescued animals with food, basic training, love, and companionship while in the care of our volunteer foster homes as we search for suitable placement in forever, adoptive homes. AARCS volunteers endeavours to achieve stable, emotional, psychological and physical health of each animal through rehabilitation and training to prepare them for a forever home.


Some average costs we encounter regularly are:
Spay/Neuter
$100 – $300
Repair of a Broken Limb
$1,000 – $3,000
Quill Removal
$400 – $800
Parvo Treatment for One Puppy
$1,500
Treatment for Mange
$800
Leg Amputation
$1,500
In order to continue our rescue efforts, we need foster homes!
For more information on how you can get involved in our life-saving efforts, sign up today.