Frequently Asked Questions

How does ARF help animals?
ARF helps cats, dogs and other companion animals through a variety of programs, including adoption, emergency veterinary assistance, a national resource center, dog training and other services. These programs fulfill ARF's mission by ensuring the humane treatment of companion animals, and bringing people and animals together to enrich each other's lives. ARF animals all receive medical care, socialization and love, and all are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. ARF provides support in the form of training, advice, etc., to all adopters throughout their animal's lifetime. Should circumstances arise that leave an adopter unable to keep their animal, ARF will assist the owner in finding a new home.

How is ARF different from County Animals Services?
ARF is a private, non-profit, animal welfare organization, dependent on donations. Animal Services a county agency, funded by taxpayer dollars, that was set up primarily to meet the county's animal control needs. ARF and Animal Services work together to save as many lives a possible. At ARF, healthy and loving animals are never put to death to make room for more incoming animals. At ARF, as new homes are found for shelter guests, our staff rescues more animals who have run out of time at public shelters.

Is ARF a No Kill organization?
ARF guarantees to find a home for adoptable dogs and cats - animals that are healthy and free of serious behavior problems. In addition, ARF helps hundreds of companion animals which need medical or behavioral treatment before they're ready for adoption. Animals are euthanized only if they are too sick to be rehabilitated, or too aggressive to be placed safely in a home.

Why can't ARF take in more animals from the people who call to ask for help?
ARF receives more than 100 calls per day, and many of these calls are from people trying to place dogs and cats. Every caller is provided with resources and suggestions. ARF takes in as many dogs and cats as financially able through the generosity of ARF supporter. We offer available space to loving animals who have run out of time and will be put to death at public shelters if they are not rescued.

Why is ARF particular about who adopts an animal, if so many animals need a home?
ARF is committed to placing animals with caring and responsible adopters. Animals count on ARF to do so, and we make a financial and emotional commitment to every animal that comes through our doors. ARF's objective is to place animals with adopters who understand and accept that they are making a lifetime commitment to the animal.

What is People Connect?
People Connect develops programs to promote and foster interaction between people and companion animals. From humane education to animal assisted therapy, and pet visits, People Connect works to cultivate the human-animal bond.

ARF All Stars® Humane Education Program: This multi-day humane education course emphasizes the value of companion animals in society and instructs children as to their care. It integrates the concept of "Character Education," which is achieving growing recognition within the education community nationwide. In addition, it meets the California Education Code for humane education. Utilizing a unique "foster care" model with plush toy animals, children learn to understand and provide for a pet's needs. By calculating the cost of veterinary and animal necessities, students come to realize the expense of having a companion animal. They also learn dog bite prevention, cat and dog behavior, and positive training reinforcements. Simply stated, students discover what it takes to become a good pet guardian.

Originally developed for 2nd and 3rd grade classes, the program proved so effective that it has since expanded to other grades (including preschool), and has been adapted for young people in other settings, such as juvenile hall, domestic violence shelters, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, and after school programs.

Working with Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, California, ARF has developed a twice-monthly humane and character education curriculum for freshman through a course called Academic Success. The class focuses not only on academics but also on the social and emotional skills needed to be a resilient and successful individual in today's world. Recent studies have shown that " taking time for the development of social and emotional competencies through direct skill instruction not only benefits students socially, but also improves academic performance as measured on standardized reading and math tests."

ARF offers a comprehensive teen education and training program at its' new facility. Teens have the opportunity to obtain a thorough humane education and be able to apply it to work with young children and rescued animals.

Teaching Loving Care Program (TLC): TLC is an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program created for young people with serious emotional and behavioral problems. TLC provides animal-assisted mental health therapy for participants and involves them in providing foster care, training and behavior modification for rescued cats and dogs. Throughout the series, participants explore a variety of life topics through a curriculum designed to make a therapeutic and metaphorical connection between youth who have experienced emotional and behavioral difficulties and animals that have experienced poor socialization, neglect, and abuse.

ARF collaborates with a number of mental health and educational organizations. We have a unique partnership with the Chris Adams Girls Center, a 20-bed, county-run facility for high-risk young women in the juvenile justice system. And have recently provided TLC for at-risk teens at the Summit Center and Seneca Center in Contra Costa County.

Visiting Animal Program (VAP): promoting the concept that people's lives can be enhanced by interaction with companion animals, the VAP team of volunteer people and pets visit Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living facilities each month. These informal visits bring smiles and fond memories to patients and residents who must live without the daily companionship of animals.

Project ALIVE: Each week, a group of young adults with severe physical and mental disabilities comes to ARF to socialize with the animals. This program provides the young adults with training and work-related and life skills, while at the same time providing them with a satisfying opportunity to prepare rescue cats for adoption. ARF coordinates this program in partnership with Futures Explored, Inc., an organization serving adults with disabilities.

Tell me about ARF's facility
ARF's 37,700-square-foot headquarters in Walnut Creek opened in June 2003 and has become a community center where we are able to rescue, treat and adopt more animals who would otherwise have been put to death. Dogs and cats live in cozy, glass-enclosed "condos," where they are free to frolic with each other and meet potential adopters in the Maddie's Animal Care Center. The Dog Training Pavilion is the home of ARF U and the site for training classes at all levels open to ARF adopters and the public. The state-of-the-art Lynn and Dolores McCoskey Spay/Neuter Clinic helps combat pet overpopulation by altering animals.

The People Connect Wing includes a Learning Center, Presentation Room, and Classroom, all of which help educate and involve thousands of community members and help ARF research, develop and implement more innovative programs bringing the healing touch of animals to people.