Rescue Me!

A series of posts dedicated to getting the word out about Animal Shelters & Rescues!

Many of you already know that I have a passion for animals and their well being. I adore animals of all types (okay so maybe I don’t care for snakes and spiders…but who does?!?) and feel that they deserve to be treated with love, caring, and understanding. Because of my desire to keep animals safe, I wanted to take the time to get the word out about rescue, shelters and rehabilitation centers from all over the world!

Please know that this is NOT  a sponsored post! Everything said is my own opinion and I hope that you will join me in this fight for animal rights and care. 

I started the Rescue Me series by contacting a few shelters in the hopes that one or two would find the time to answer some questions about their facility and what goes on behind the scenes. I was extremely luck to have such an amazing Rescue respond so quickly! Country Acres is a shelter like none that I have seen. When we think of animals shelters we tend to picture the down and dirty: animals in small cages, dirty animals, dirty facility, worn out workers, and a never ending list of sweet little things that are on death row. We often wonder, “What can I do?”

Country Acres can completely break that image from your mind! I have NEVER seen a shelter/rescue look this amazing! Don’t get me wrong, I know that most county rescues don’t have the funds to look this way..at least not at the moment. But can you imagine the amount of people that would come to adopt an animal from a place that looks like this!

I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO USE PICTURES FROM COUNTRY ACRES FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THIS POST. I SIMPLY PUT THEM INTO A COLLAGE 🙂

Okay, so enough rambling on my part! Now for the interview with the AWESOME, AMAZING, TOTALLY STELLAR COUNTRY ACRES RESCUE!

Who are you? What do you do?

We are Country Acres Rescue, a no-kill animal shelter in St. Louis County. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, socialize and place homeless, abused and/or neglected dogs and cats in the metropolitan St. Louis area while focusing community attention on their plight.

All I can say is WOW! I love to hear the words No Kill! Those two words always make me want to donate and help out even more!

When did you first open your doors?

June 1, 2000 – BUT we have had an onsite (for-profit) pet resort since 1966.

Where are you located?

739 Weidman Road, Manchester MO 63011

How many staff members do you have? Volunteers?

We do not have any paid staff within the shelter. We are 100% volunteer-based. We have approximately 20-25 volunteers at present time.

What types of animals do you rescue?

Primarily dogs and cats – we are not breed-specific but we prefer rescuing animals out in the wild who have no one looking out for them OR adoptable animals who are on the euthanasia list within area animal controls. We have rescued all kinds of animals, though – ponies, geese, chickens, cows, small exotics, etc.

That’s pretty awesome! I love that you guys prefer the animals that need you the most! It is great that you accept pretty much any and all animals that are in need! Not a lot of places do that 🙁

How many animals can you/do you house?

In terms of rescue, we can house about 60 animals at one time.

How can I help?

The general public can assist us in many ways. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is providing us a donation, either monetary or supply (we receive no government funding or aid). You can also volunteer, working with either the cats or the dogs or both.

And something pretty simple is to help us get our name out to as many people as possible so that we can place more animals.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW GUYS! WHEN YOU FINISH READING THIS, USE THOSE SHARE BUTTONS! IT’S SIMPLE REALLY, JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTON AND IT AUTOMATICALLY SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Please, please, please! I cannot stress this enough! Let’s help get these guys name out there! Let people know what they do, who they are, and that WE CAN HELP! 

Is it possible to donate online? If so how?

Yes. Our webpage is currently under construction but the current one does have a donate page, once there you can donate using pay pal.

What are the requirements to be a foster mom/dad?

We are very blessed to have our own facility, so we do not home foster our animals out very often. ALTHOUGH we do need help with 1-2 week home fosters after an animal has been pulled from an area animal control (saved from the euthanasia list). We do this as a precaution, to make sure there are no health concerns that may pop up before entering our facility since we also have the pet resort onsite.

Generally if you are fostering a dog, we prefer you have a home with a fenced in yard. But, mainly we meet with everyone individually and get a feel for them in person. That’s the best way to assess if a person is a good candidate. Foster work can be very hard, especially emotionally. We want to make sure everyone is prepped.

What are volunteering opportunities that you have?

Primarily we need volunteers as a pet handler/caretaker, either with the dogs or cats, or both. Socialization, training, walking, vet transport are also needed. We have special events from time to time, where we need help.

Who do I contact if I would like to volunteer?

Ashley Thompson at 636-227-1919.

I had the great pleasure of being able to ask a Rescuer a few questions! How awesome is it to get to know one of the people working at such an amazing and important facility?

Introduce yourself and where do you hail from?

Nicole Thompson from St. Louis, MO. I am president and founder of Country Acres Rescue.

What is your favorite animal?

I honestly love all animals. ALL!  But, I tend to give the dog the “slight” edge.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have many that reside at WORK. But, at home I currently have 4 dogs and 2 cats.

How did your adventure in animal rescue begin?

I have always loved animals, rescued them as a child. I started working with animals when I was 19, while in college. I branched off and went to grad school and worked also at a domestic violence shelter as part of an internship and while there I discovered on a rainy night a mother and her five newborn babies and said after a slight deliberation, “heck… why not?” I scooped them up that night and brought them home and started research on obtaining licensing and a 501c3 status to begin an animal shelter with the aid of Country Acres Pet Resort. And the rest is history.

What rescue experience moved or inspired you the most?

Way back in the early days, working with greyhounds who were ex-racers moved me the most.

Do you have a favorite adoption story?

A dog named Northside comes to mind first. And the people who adopted him have become dear friends of ours at Country Acres. Northside was a severely abused animal somewhat up in age who also struggled with various problems with aggression, depending on the person. He was a lovebug to those he connected with but very wary of those he didn’t (and rightfully so, e.g. when he came to us we discovered 100+ BB gun pellets internally). I did not think I was going to be able to place him, and the most perfect, miracle family came along out of nowhere and gave him the best home I could have possibly asked for.

This honestly had me in tears! I am so happy that he has a Fur-ever family to love him! All of my animals are rescues, the first of which we adopted 10 years ago was severely abused and took a lot of time and love to adjust. However, now you would never know it! Adopting a animals is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!

What is most frustrating about rescue work?

The calls and emails we take on a daily basis of people who want to surrender. Some have legitimate reasons, but some are just downright offensive. THAT, and not being able to save as many as you want. Adoptions lately have been low, but the need is sky high. It’s painful.

If you could give pet owners one piece of advice what would it be?

Spay and neuter your pets. AND educate yourself on the responsibilities of pet ownership BEFORE adopting.

What advice can you give to someone who might be wanting to get involved with or start an animal rescue group, shelter, or sanctuary?

The work is rewarding, but the sadness involved and burnout can be extreme at times. Pace yourself, remember that you are only one person or one group. Do not bite off more than you can chew. It can consume you, like quicksand, and take you under.

Very good advice! Sometimes people forget about the “bad” sides of things when they start something. 

When you are not saving animals what do you like to do?

The typical things: travel first and foremost, but also movies, music, boating, walking my dogs, spending time with family…

Well guys, there you have it! The in’s and out’s of Country Acres Pet Resort & Animal Shelter! If you are interested in donating, adopting or volunteering please check out their website or Facebook page!

Comment and let me know about your animals! Did you adopt? Where from? Do you know of a rescue you would like to see featured on here?

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