What We Do......
Caring for and adoption of pets needing new homes.....
The Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island accepts pets surrendered by their owners. There are many reasons a person may find it necessary to surrender his or her pet. A death in the family, divorce, allergies, moving, a new baby in the household, are just some of the reasons we are given. The ARL/SRI operates as a "limited admission" shelter. Some people also refer to this as a "no kill" shelter. We do not euthanize animals just to make room to take in more animals. This means that we sometimes have a waiting list for dog surrenders and usually have a waiting list for cat surrenders.
Fulfilling our mission, the League provides a temporary home for these animals until a new, suitable adoptive home is found. While the animals are with us at the shelter they are given a physical examination and are tested for diseases such as Feline Leukemia, and Feline Aids, or Canine Heartworm. They are treated for fleas and are brought up to date on all necessary vaccinations. All shelter animals, with the exception of very young kittens or puppies, are spayed or neutered before adoption. The League is fortunate to receive generous donations specified for providing medical care for our shelter animals. With these gifts we treat dogs for heartworm, treat wounds, infections and skin problems, provide for minor surgical procedures and dentistry, and special diets for animals with allergies.
The death of an animal is always a difficult situation to face. Our staff hopes for a happy ending for every pet surrendered to our shelter. But there are times when tough decisions must be made. To avoid having an animal suffer due to an incurable illness, to prevent an animal from spending his or her life in a cage because of elevated aggression issues that make adoption impossible, and situations like these, the choice for humane euthanasia may be necessary. To hold a life in the balance is a heavy responsibility and every step is taken to assure that we make the best decision for the individual animal concerned.
The shelter animals' mental well being is as important to us as their physical well being. We do all we can to enrich their lives while they are with us. With the help of our dedicated volunteers we provide basic behavior training for our dogs, socialize animals, play with and exercise them, brush and bathe them and give them lots of love.
Community Outreach......
Governance and Administration.......
The ARL/SRI is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. Directors are elected from
among the organization's membership at the Annual Meeting in the fall of the year.
Volunteers interested in Board membership are encouraged to contact the Chair of our
Nominating Committee via email to arlsri@verizon.net or by letter to PO Box 458,
Wakefield, RI 02880.
BOARD MEMBERS:
Ilanna Ball
Julia Boss
Joseph Kahn
Michele Vidmar
Holly Rogers
Bonnie Strong
Sybil Akins
Sydney Smith
Katy Hynes
ADMINISTRATION:
Staff:
Office Manager - Jeanne Sabin
Humane Education Coordinator - Tammy Walter
Shelter Staff:
Cheryl Vincent
Patricia Clancy
Megen Gifford
Diane McKitchen
Samantha Nicodemus
Tina Stanciu
Volunteerism......
The ARL/SRI understands the importance of volunteerism, not only the value of VOLUNTEERS to our organization, but also the interest in and need for volunteer activities for people in our southern Rhode Island community. We welcome children and adults as volunteers, engaging people in all aspects of the organization from assisting with kennel cleaning to serving on the Board of Directors.
Please contact Sue -tarboxs@ride.ri.net
Humane Education......
Humane Education Coordinator - Tammy Walter
We, at the ARL/SRI, believe that HUMANE EDUCATION is the key to ending homelessness and abuse. Our humane education programs outreach to children from pre-school age through high school with after-school programs, library programs, in-classroom programming, special projects, pet-assisted reading programs, and shelter orientations and visits. Humane education extends into the adult age groups as well with our Baby Ready Pets program, and Pet Care and Loss Support Group.
Behavior "Hotline"......
If you are experiencing behavioral problems with your pet, the ARL/SRI is just a phone call away. Our experienced staff can assist you with many problems commonly experienced by pet owners. Sadly, a person's inability to deal with behavior issues, or lack of knowledge about proper training techniques are two of the main reasons pets are surrendered to shelters. Our goal at the ARL/SRI is to help you to overcome those problems by assisting with information and guidance so that you and your pet can stay together and both be happy!
Hospital and Nursing Home Visits......
For twenty-one years, a dedicated ARL/SRI volunteer has come to our shelter each week and taken one of our shelter cats to visit local nursing homes. We are grateful for her faithfulness to this valuable service and have welcomed other volunteers over the years. Now, under the umbrella of our Humane Education Program, we will be expanding the hospital and nursing home visit opportunities available for volunteers and their pets. If you have an interest, please call us.
How We Do It...... 
Our shelter is located in a 38 year old building at 506B Curtis Corner Road in South Kingstown. The building is small and conditions are cramped and in need of updating. Despite these obstacles, our small staff of 6 (our animal care manager, shelter administrative coordinator, and 4 part-time kennel workers) provide a clean, safe environment for our shelter animals, while giving them as much individual attention as possible seven days a week, 365 days a year. For their efforts, the ARL/SRI consistently receives accolades from our licensing agency, the Department of Environmental Management.
The level of care we provide our animals would not be possible without the help of our many dedicated volunteers who walk, bathe, brush, feed, clean and love them. Approximately 30 volunteers a week provide services at our shelter on a regular basis throughout the year.
Because of the limited space at our shelter, the business office for the League is presently in a rented space at 213 Robinson Street, Wakefield. Here our executive director, office manager and humane education coordinator carry out the administrative and education program functions for the organization.
The ARL/SRI is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. We are governed by an all-volunteer board of directors who are responsible for establishing the organization's policies and for assuring the League's financial soundness. We are funded solely by donations. These donations come in many forms; as gifts from private individuals, as sponsorships from businesses, as grants from foundations, and as "in-kind" contributions of goods and services. Our board and staff are dedicated to the careful stewardship of these gifts to assure the future viability and vitality of our organization.
History
The Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island was founded in 1938 when a small group of concerned citizens recognized the need for improvement in the way stray and abandoned animals were dealt with. In a letter to the League, Faith McNulty Martin, a the daughter of one of the League's founders relates that in those times there was a "dog catcher" in South County. He rounded up the stray dogs. If he felt they were worth something, he tried to sell them. If he didn't feel they would fetch a good price, he shot them. Faith's mother and her friend Avis Quigley became catalysts for change. A make-shift shelter was established in a barn and Mrs. Quigley soon took over as dog catcher. During her tenure she elevated the position to that of dog officer for the Town of South Kingstown. The volunteers who cared for the animals in the "shelter" were dedicated to the animals' welfare and over the years determined that better shelter accomodations were needed. In 1968 Mrs. Quigley donated the acreage the ARL/SRI's shelter building now occupies. The League incorporated as a 501-c-3 non profit organization and planning began for the new shelter. In 1970 the new facility was completed and shortly thereafter, Mrs. Quigley retired from her position as manager.
Over the years since managers have come and gone, and thousands of surrendered pets have come through our doors and been adopted out to new homes. As the population of the communities served by the League have grown, our shelter building has seen small changes in an attempt to keep pace with increased need.
In the mid 1960's South County was not the only place in the United States to have citizens concerned with the plight of animals in our communities. In 1965 the Animal Welfare Act was passed into law. Originally focused on the rudimentary welfare of certain farm animals, the Animal Welfare Act has been amended and expanded, raising the bar on standards of care for both domesticated and wild animals. The ARL/SRI, in keeping with these developments, has revisited our mission and broadened our focus to encompass not only our shelter environment and care standards, but also our community outreach and humane education.
The next challenge we look forward to is building a new, state-of-the-art animal shelter at our present location on Curtis Corner Road in South Kingstown. This shelter will be not only an improvement on our present sheltering capabilities, but will prepare us for the future of animal sheltering as the concept of the "humane community" becomes a reality.
Location
Our shelter is at 506B Curtis Corner Road in Peace Dale, RI, about one mile west of Route 108.
Hours of Operation
We are open to the public:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursdays 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Intake Policy
An appointment is required to surrender any pet, with "drop-off" appointments made primarily between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Call our shelter at 401-783-7606 to inquire about available appointments and to be sure we have space available for your pet. Because the ARL/SRI is basically a "no kill" shelter (more properly termed "limited admission"), we do not euthanize animals in our care simply to make room for others. What this may mean to someone wanting to surrender his or her pet is that there may be a waiting list. We do have a small network of foster homes and will try to accommodate your needs as quickly as we can.
The owner of the pet must accompany the pet to our shelter, unless there are extenuating circumstances (please discuss these with our shelter manager when you call for the appointment). There will be surrender paperwork to fill out, and we will need as much medical information as possible about your pet. Your pet's veterinary records would be greatly appreciated. In addition, we will need as much behavioral information as you can provide. If your pet has a bite history or aggression issues you will need to explain the issues and circumstances to our shelter manager before we can accept your pet into our shelter.
We do not have age limitations on acceptance for surrender. However, our shelter manager will discuss issues of aging with you and help you to make the right choice for your pet. Illness, and/or pregnancy, do not necessarily prevent us from intaking your pet, but again, our shelter manager can counsel you regarding what may be the best choice for your pet, depending on the treatability of the illness in question.
The ARL/SRI accepts many types of small animals, and birds, so please inquire about our capacity to accept small animals other than dogs and cats.