Headquartered in Tallahassee, Boxer Aid and Rescue Coalition, Inc. (BARC) is a not-for-profit rescue organization that operates a network of volunteers in north Florida and south Georgia. In their decade of operation, these devoted caretakers have helped to rescue and find forever homes for hundreds of Boxers.
With no facility, fostering represents the backbone of their enterprise. While not confined to metropolitan areas, the majority of foster pet parents live in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Pensacola or Tallahassee. Known for their superlative care, BARC actually has a waiting list for homeless Boxers until a foster home becomes available.
Dogs come from all sorts of heartrending situations. Sadly, they receive hundreds of surrender requests annually, nearly one per day. Each Boxer receives medical care, basic training (including a behavioral assessment), a caring foster environment and the promise that they’ll be placed in homes where they will be treated ‘as a member of the family’.
BARC’s main source of revenue comes from adoption fees, but oftentimes the cost of veterinary care can be two-to-eight times that amount. In spite of minimal resources, BARC has achieved great things on behalf of their Boxers, finding homes for hundreds of purebred and mixed breed Boxers. In fact, coordinators go out of their way to make sure that the personalities of the dogs and humans are an excellent match.
While most of their younger Boxers are only in foster care for 1-2 months, senior dogs rarely find adopters. This isn’t unique to this rescue, or even to the breed … it’s just a fact that most people looking to adopt aren’t interested in older dogs. However, BARC stresses that adopting an older dog has many overlooked benefits. Senior dogs are often better behaved than puppies, fully housetrained and finished growing, so there aren’t any ‘I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten’ surprises. Plus, it’s well known that older dogs who’ve been homeless express unending gratitude for their adoptive pet parents.
BARC plans to use the financial award given by The Dr. Jane Foundation to develop future fundraising efforts. Any funds generated by such efforts would be earmarked for veterinary care, including surgeries and heartworm treatments, unfortunately an all-too-common ailment seen by BARC. A recent fundraiser, consisting of a silent auction and food and beverage sales, proved very successful, and 100% of the amount raised went towards covering accumulated vet bills.
"BARC is so grateful for this funding”, said Courtney Reichenbach, president of the rescue. She added, “Dealing with everyday veterinary expenses doesn't leave money left over for fundraising. This grant will allow us to hopefully generate even more income, which will help us pay on outstanding balances and help new dogs coming into the program."
Here are just a few of the many Boxers currently waiting to be adopted …
Less than a year old, this Boxer mix is nuts for her toys and the occasional ice cube. In her current foster home, Ellie lives well with a small fur sibling. Equally happy loping about the yard or curled up in a lap, this adorable girl is ready for her forever home.
On behalf all of the dogs who have experienced a vastly improved life due to the continuing efforts of this rescue, we offer BARC our great thanks. Their dogged determination to make a positive difference in the lives of so many Boxers made funding this grant request truly rewarding.
To learn more about this outstanding organization, we encourage you to visit their website at boxerarc.org (or email them directly at [email protected]). You never know … you or someone you know could end up finding your new best friend!
We are thankful to all of our readers and customers. Through your personal donations and continued patronage, you make all of our grants possible. Your compassion and generosity have helped to make the world a better place for abandoned, abused and neglected Boxers.
If you’ve had experience with an animal rescue organization deserving of special recognition and financial support, please encourage them to fill out one of our grant applications. Interested parties should email [email protected] or fill in their contact info Click HERE … one of our customer service agents will be happy to share all the details.