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Visit the BRF at ABC!
by Maryann Watkins
The
Boxer rescue volunteer answers the phone:
"Hi, I just wanted
to tell you that we have a purebred Boxer here at the county
pound. He's on the list to be euthanized tomorrow, so if you want
him, you need to get here today."
The rescue volunteer
mobilizes the troops and someone travels fifty miles to get the
abandoned Boxer. He's a sweetheart and manages just a wee bit of a
kidney bean dance when a kind, loving hand rubs his head. It has
been awhile since this boy has felt a loving hand. Out the door,
into the car, and off to the vet. This Boxer has problems – he's
heart worm positive and severely malnourished. His gums are
swollen and red and it is obvious he is infested with some sort of
parasite.
The vet bill to get this
Boxer boy into shape for adoption: $640. And that's with the
veterinarian's rescue discount! Add the food needed to provide
proper nourishment, and the cost for this Boxer could wind up over
$800. The adoption fee is only $150, so the rescue group must find
a way to make up the difference.
Sound far-fetched?
Unfortunately, this scenario plays out week after week all over the
country. Many rescue Boxers have been abandoned, abused, or
neglected and that usually results in the need for veterinary care
before the dogs can be placed in loving homes. Most need to be
spayed or neutered, too. So where do rescue groups get the money
to take care of these wonderful Boxers who deserve a second
chance? They need to raise it themselves while they try to
find room for more Boxers requiring foster care!
Enter the Boxer Rescue
Foundation. The BRF is a not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)
(3) status under the IRS Tax Code. A group of four women
recognized the need for such an entity when several rescue groups
mentioned on the Boxer Mailing List that they could get financial help
for catastrophic injuries through one national organization, but not for
the routine (yet expensive) costs associated with rescue.
"These day-to-day expenses are eating us alive," said one
volunteer, "and we have to spend more time raising money than
saving Boxers!"
Over the last three
years, the Boxer Rescue Foundation has helped rescue Boxers to the tune
of $33,000. BRF Grants are awarded once a year through an
application process. Funds are raised primarily through on-line
auctions, the on-line Boxer Shoppe, and the booth at ABC. Through
the support of Boxer lovers all over the world, the BRF has been more
successful than we ever thought possible - and we are very grateful for
that support.
You will find the Board
of Directors, list of auction volunteers, Grant guidelines, Grant
recipients, financial records, auctions, 2004 auction schedule, and the
Boxer Shoppe at: http://boxerrescuefoundation.com .
And be sure to visit the
BRF booth at ABC! There will be quite a selection of goodies
including note cards, magnets, ceramic tiles, pins, metal street signs,
a collection of past ABC Catalogs, and some artwork. This year we
have a wonderful mirror surrounded by the whimsical dog art of Jenny
McMurtrie. The mirror, featuring the cutest Boxers ever, was
created specifically for the Boxer Rescue Foundation. Raffle
tickets will be sold during the show with the drawing held toward the
end of the week.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
said it best: "Until we extend the circle of our compassion
to all living things, we will not, ourselves, find peace..."
This is what Boxer
rescue is all about, don't you think?
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