Mission Statement

Fuzzy Friends Rescue believes that animals, as living creatures are entitled to a quality life, respect and compassion. Since humans have domesticated animals, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to care for the animals. Our mission is to provide shelter, food, medical treatment and love to our community’s animals that are abandoned, unwanted, or otherwise in need. We want to instill in our community an awareness of the animals whose world we share; encouraging and promoting responsible pet ownership.

Fuzzy Friends Rescue is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) animal welfare organization that cares for homeless and unwanted animals in a life-care environment. We never euthanize an animal to make room for another, and we care for all those we take in until they are adopted.

We try to place these animals in new homes with caring families as soon as possible. Some stay at Fuzzy Friends Rescue only a matter of days or weeks, but sometimes it takes months of care and rehabilitation before they are able to go to a new home. In some cases for those harder- to- place animals, their stay may be a year or more. Unless they have developed an incurable disease or they are aggressive they have a home at Fuzzy Friends Rescue until they can be found a permanent, loving home.

 

2020 Vision for Fuzzy Friends Rescue

"A righteous man regards the life of his animals."
(Proverbs 12:10)

2020 Vision carries a twofold meaning, which reflects the core convictions of our commitment to rescued animals, which are integrity, trust, loyalty, care and compassion for rescued animals that are housed at our facility until they are adopted. Drawing from the vision, our desire is for the public to see a clear, focused and visible view of the commitment and plans for Fuzzy Friends Rescue and to advance and expand it’s current facility established in 1999 to meet the needs through the year 2020.

The vision is to be accomplished in the following plan:

I. Establish an environment where healing and restoration can occur for our rescued population.

II. Enhance the physical environment to create an aesthetically pleasing domicile for the animals, our staff and those volunteers who are dedicated to work there.

III. Develop the current eight and a half acreage sanctuary and to expanded the level of space of the current facility in order to accommodate the future increase in pet population.

IV. Establish, a pet cemetery, and hold basic obedience training classes.

V. Create a physical facility and sanctuary built with integrity, reliability and trust, which will provide special care and treatment needed for rescued pets that will become recognized as an asset and model for our local Waco community, Central Texas Region, state and eventually nationwide.

VI. Create a public awareness that will increase the network and number of investors and volunteer workers to care now and for the future increased rescued pet population.

VII. Develop special in-home meetings in the Waco community and Central Texas to present in a relaxed home atmosphere the Mission and 2020 Vision of Fuzzy Friends Rescue.

VIII. Establish a Fuzzy Friends Rescue Alumni Club, annual concentrated fund drive, enhance and increase the current annual Barkin’ Ball, Pet Style Show, Angel Heart Fund, Barking Basement Resale Store, Animal SMILES Pet Therapy Program and Humane Education.

COMPLETED
IX. Research, develop and provide an opportunity to those who want to invest their financial resources for and put in operation by June 1,2003 a new and updated computer hardware and software system. This system would be able to provide necessary information now and as Fuzzy Friends Rescue grows in the future.

X. Construct "The Grace and Abby Bark Park" that will contain the "Pet Pathway". The "Pet Pathway" will intertwine among the beautiful old oak trees and bluebonnets when in season. Picnic tables will be strategically placed along "Pet Pathway" to provide a warm family atmosphere. This pathway will serve as an exercise path for the animals and visitors. It will be composed of bricks that may be purchased by individuals to honor or memorialize their special pet by engraving their names in the bricks.

 

 

A Letter From the Founder

Betsy Robinson

In 1990 my life changed forever. Like a lot of people, I had this misconception that animals at our local animal shelter, “the pound”, were somehow second-rate, mangy, dirty animals. Boy, was I wrong. At the time, I had three poodles of my own. One afternoon, I went by to pick up “the girls” from the beauty shop and noticed my groomer working on a beautiful little toy poodle. I commented how adorable she was only to be told that she had come from our local animal shelter. I was shocked! How could such a darling poodle be at the pound? I set out to find her a home, and I did! The next week I stopped by to visit with my groomer again, only to find him grooming an Old English Sheepdog. I had an Old English Sheepdog growing up and remarked how much I loved the breed. I was told, “another shelter child.” I couldn’t believe it! Another wonderful dog at our public shelter, how could this be?

That is how it all started. I could not stop thinking about those two beautiful dogs that had been cast out, dumped at the shelter. Two weeks went by, but I could not get those animals off my mind. God had begun to work on my heart! By the third week, I determined that I wanted to make a difference in the lives of these animals that through no fault of their own, were winding up at the pound – I would become a volunteer! I scheduled a meeting with the volunteer coordinator with the intent of going to the shelter and playing with the puppies and dogs ( I am allergic to cats, although I do love cats and have one of my own.)

The volunteer coordinator called me into the meeting room and as we began to talk, the director of the shelter walked in and sat down with us. I learned later that she normally did not do this. (God working on my heart). I excitedly told them that I was there to make a difference!! The director then told me that at the present time, they were only able to keep puppies and kittens 3 to 5 days before being euthanized, as there little immune systems were so fragile and they caught every virus and disease going through the shelter. If they could raise enough money to vaccinate the puppies and kittens, they could then keep them several days longer, thereby increasing their chances of being adopted. I asked how much money would the vaccines cost and she told me $3,000. At that moment, I said, "Order it, I will get you the money!"

In the next two weeks, I didn’t raise $3,000, but instead I raised $10,000 for the shelter. For the next two years, I raised $65,000 for the shelter and was going down there 3 days a week. I began walking through each week and spotting animals that with just a little “makeover” could be adopted. I knew that under all the hair , grass-burrs, dirt and neglect was a beautiful and wonderful animal waiting to be discovered!!!

I spent the next five years going to the shelter each week finding movie-stars waiting to be discovered and gave them a little extra help on their way to finding a permanent loving home. During that time, I saw many young, healthy and very adoptable dogs and cats destroyed simply because there was no place to keep them until a new home could be found for them. If there was just some place to keep these animals, so many of them could be saved!!!!!

Little did I know, when I went to the Animal Shelter that day back in 1990 that my life would be changed forever. God burdened my heart with the plight of homeless animals and since 1997, over 5,000 animals are alive today because of it and the numbers continue to grow!

…..and for the rest of the story...

From Ashes To A Legacy
The warm and caring history
Fuzzy Friends Rescue

Founded as a backyard nonprofit organization in 1997, by Betsy Robinson and joined by animal enthusiastic, Kathie Robnett the two committed to climb into the trenches to birth Fuzzy Friends Rescue. It was officially established as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to the long-term care for abandoned, unwanted or otherwise in-need animals. Animals stay at Fuzzy Friends Rescue until they leave in the arms of a new owner, however long that takes. It is a No-Kill shelter.

Kathie Robnett & Meg

The operation suffered a setback in the spring of 1999 by a highly publicized court proceeding. The animals were confiscated from one of her partner's home because a passer-by thought they were being mistreated. The Robinson's rushed to defend the operation, and a judge returned the animals to the man's home, but as far as Betsy was concerned that was the end of Fuzzy Friends Rescue.

Clifton Robinson, however, had other ideas. In spite of the adversity that had unfolded which caused enormous problems over the preceding months Clifton said, "from these ashes is going to rise a new Fuzzy Friends Rescue". At that very moment a "setback" began to evolve into a "comeback".

From those ashes in April of 1999 Clifton purchased and graciously donated a 10,000 square foot building sitting on 8.5 acres of land near Lake Waco. Ed Robnett, Kathie's husband, built and donated the main adoption kennel, which has 38 dog runs. Outdoor exercise areas were also constructed, giving the larger dogs an opportunity to run and play with other dogs.

Inside work was underway for the "Kitty Corral", a concept in which the cats roam in an "open cage" environment. It is a proven fact that when there is a cold and generic environment, it is unfriendly to both animals and people. When good and friendly conditions aren't provided, then the animals die in the shelter because people find them dreadfully depressing places to come and animals get sick. In the past four years Fuzzy Friends Rescue has rescued approximately 4,000 dogs and cats and about 3,870 have been adopted. This has enriched the lives of many people.

Betsy and Kathie's trench duties were eased somewhat when they hired a manager, LeAnne Latimer, in the spring of 2000. There are now six full time employees and a multitude of volunteer workers.

Fuzzy Friends meets the many needs of its animals. The facility contains a fully equipped exam room, where the animals receive vaccinations, diagnostic testing and medication from a staff that truly cares about their little residents.

The future that lies ahead is a most challenging one but not unattainable. With your help we can overcome the challenges. Please read the 2020 Vision for Fuzzy Friends Rescue and help us as a volunteer and an investor with your financial resources. No gift is too small!

By working together with a community spirit, we can turn the animals' misfortunes into blessings and give them a second chance to find a permanent and loving home.

From the ashes has arisen a legacy to care for current animals and for those yet to be born. Please help carry this legacy on into the future.