By Grant Vance | Photos by Courtesy Photos
FRODO, PIXEL, RAINBOW AND ROSIE share a common, lifelong connection they can’t shake. Sure, they all have an affinity for treats. All bark as an alternative means of communication to traditional human language. These traits, of course, are akin to most dogs. What separates Frodo, Pixel, Rainbow and Rosie from some of their furry friends is a tragic past, and the new beginning granted to them by The Arrow Fund, a non-profit dedicated to providing medical treatment to animals who have suffered torture and extreme forms of abuse and neglect.
Katie, Cello, Otto & Walter (Feature Image) are available for adoption. To find out more, go to www.TheArrowFund.org.
The Arrow Fund has operated for nearly seven years and continues to be Kentuckiana’s only organization that specializes solely in animal cruelty cases. It began when Founder and President Rebecca Eaves found Aiden, a dog who was in critical condition and suffering after he had been shot with an arrow at close range. This degree of animal cruelty didn’t start here, unfortunately. Horrifying tales of abuse and neglect of animals is nothing new. It did, however, start The Arrow Fund’s initiative to end it.
Aiden, along with Frodo, Pixel, Rainbow, Rosie and many others, are all living happy lives now, nursed back to health and either living in a foster home or happily adopted. No matter how bad of a situation an animal has suffered, The Arrow Fund strives to “make damn sure they have a happy ending,” said Thom Ham, director of operations.
The animals’ placement after recovery is thanks to Foster and Adoption Coordinator Kelley Luckett.
Although the work can be tiresome and emotionally draining – animal rescue is a 24/7, 365 day mission that never ends – Ham and Luckett said the work doesn’t go unrewarded.
Luckett recalled Aspin, a puppy who suffered severe injuries that required a full body cast. “Trying to keep a puppy in a full body cast is no joke,” Luckett chuckled. It was no joke, but it was worth the trouble, especially since the pup has recovered.
Some of the dogs even let their high spirits feed their ego, joked Ham. Frodo – a dog who was found in downtown Louisville with horrible injuries that included duct tape wrapped tightly around his muzzle and clear evidence he had been used as a bait dog for dog fighting – can work a room with his “catfish smile.”
Stanley, a beautiful yellow Labrador who required partial amputation of a front leg has a sweet, smart attitude – and he wants you to notice. “He’ll let you know,” Luckett said.
In addition to battling animal cruelty and abuse throughout the Kentuckiana community, The Arrow Fund also strives to raise awareness regarding the need for stricter animal cruelty laws (Kentucky is currently ranked as the worst state in the country for the lack of anti-animal cruelty legislation). The organization also works to help children understand the importance of having empathy for animals. After all, the majority of individuals who hurt animals very often do that – or worse – to human beings.
If you’re interested in helping The Arrow Fund, there is no shortage of avenues to do so. This can be as simple as a monetary donation or as involved as a foster home, and there are several different forms of volunteerism falling in between. For more information on how to get involved visit their website at www.thearrowfund.org or contact info@arrowfund.org.