Our Volunteers
We are a strong leadership team built of dedicated volunteers all working tosave dogs from abusive and neglectful situations.
Volunteer with us!
A big commitment is not needed to make a large impact. Together, along with our team of volunteers, your time makes a difference in the lives of our dogs. Help White River Animal Rescue today!
AMBER WERNER- FOSTER MOM
Amber became a volunteer after she and her husband adopted 2 WRAR pups. First Emma, a sweet gentle girl and later Jake, the family goofball. Soon after adoption Jake was sadly found to be heartworm positive and needed to go through painful treatments. Knowing that both heartworm and flea/tick illness are avoidable with proper preventative medications, Amber found her niche in assisting our foster parents to keep up with the pups in their care by tracking and sending out reminders when preventative medicines are due. This helps ensure all dogs in our care have been administered the proper medicines to prevent illness from occurring.
KATHY DAROWSKI- FOSTER MOM
In 2012 Claire Marie Stewart heard about a 6 month old Bernese Mountain Dog who was having some difficulty with walking. The owners of this dog were threatening to put him down with out ever trying to find out what was going wrong. Kathy Darowski stepped up to foster the pup, Chance, and WRAR stepped up to be his rescue. After x-rays, multiple vet visits and an MRI, it was discovered that Chance had a hereditary cyst on his spinal cord. It covered C 2, 3, and 4 and was continuing to grow. If left to grow, he would have been completely paralyzed by his first birthday. Due to the cyst, as well as being locked in a small pen 24 hours a day, Chance could not walk when Kathy picked him up from the person we would later find out was his breeder. Good food, a good grooming, and love helped Chance to gain muscle strength in the weeks leading up to his life saving surgery.
He accompanied Kathy to her job as an occupational therapist at a therapeutic horseback riding center every day where he made many great friends. Meanwhile, WRAR was planning yard sales, baking, and more in an attempt to cover the $10,000 bill this boy would accrue before he was healthy. Chance had surgery at Tufts, stayed a week in their care, and came home to begin his recovery. With hours of daily therapy given by Kathy and his many friends, Chance slowly learned to walk again while stealing the hearts of all those who knew him. Even the Neurologist at Tuft’s told the director of the rescue what a special dog Chance was. This dog was enjoyed by so many people, followed on Facebook by hundreds, and loved by all. He most certainly would have died had WRAR not stepped up and taken this boy on. Chance was adopted and has gone on to lead a wonderful life thanks to the rescue who believed he was worth it.
Other ways to help us rescue dogs
White River Animal Rescue distinguishes itself by its ethics related to dogs’ well-being and by its exhaustive efforts to rescue dogs from euthanasia, sickness and mistreatment.
