Rocky was alone, subjected to the cold, heat and rain, wondering where his next meal would come from while tied up to a building, unable to feel freedom, love and comfort.
Recently, Rocky was given a second chance at life, adopted into a home after being rescued by SAFE Pet Rescue and given medical care, food, shelter and affection.
Rocky is just one of SAFE’s many success stories. SAFE (Saving Animals from Euthanasia), a nonprofit based in St. Augustine, was founded in September 2008 with the goal of saving adoptable dogs and cats from euthanasia in Northeast Florida. It’s stories like Rocky’s that make the volunteers at SAFE get up and do what they do day after day, despite the heartache and obstacles.
“That’s what we live for,” said Robin Kantner-Nordan, founder of SAFE said of rescuing animals and seeing them find homes. “Just one dog licking your face is worth it.”
Kantner-Nordan started rescuing animals almost 30 years ago, and since SAFE Pet Rescue began 12 years ago, the organization has saved more than 7,000 lives.
“This is what I’m supposed to do,” Kantner-Nordan said. “I knew it’s what I wanted to do and how I can make a difference.”
SAFE is also unique because it focuses on older and sometimes hard-to-adopt dogs. Puppies are always popular, but SAFE depends on people taking a chance on senior dogs and other pets that may have a long and tumultuous life stories that haven’t always been filled with happiness.
Because of the animal’s past. Kantner-Nordan said building a bond and getting to know the pet is extremely important, and doesn’t usually happen right away.
“The most valuable thing to a shelter dog is time,” she said. “A lot of people get a dog and want to do things with it right away, but they need time to adjust. The dog just needs to stay home [at first] and know it has a home. They blossom if they have the proper amount of time.”
AT SAFE, while many of the dogs come from neglectful or abusive conditions, a lot also find themselves at SAFE after the death of a beloved owner or because a pet owner is no longer able to care for them, The pets also then face confusion and loss surrounding their new circumstance and environment. Because of these sad situations, some animals may be timid, frightened and wary of new people. Many of them are also older or dealing with health issues. But because of these things, they also may be the most appreciative.
They don’t deserve what they’ve gone through, and they’re so forgiving,” Kantner-Nordan said.
SAFE employs many programs to try to get dogs into homes. It offers a pet pal program, where people can spend hours or days with the dogs just hanging out, or foster care where dogs can live in a home while waiting for more permanent accommodations.
SAFE has also been doing a lot of transport to locations in the North, where stricter rules regarding animals has resulted in fewer animals available for adoption. SAFE has a transport van that is closing in on 100,000 miles to get these dogs anywhere they might be able to find a forever home. SAFE also runs a thrift store, open seven days a week, at its St. Augustine location, to help fund its efforts. The organization is run completely on donations and the efforts of volunteers.
“We couldn’t do this without them,” Kantner-Norton said of the volunteers who share a passion for rescuing animals. An all-volunteer staff work the thrift shop, transport animals, walk and care for the animals on site and hold fundraisers.
While loving what she does, especially when seeing how far so many of the animals in SAFE’s care have come, Kantner-Nordan understands what the best end result would be.
“My long-term goal would be to not be needed,” Kantner-Nordan said.
For more information on SAFE Pet Rescue, go to www.safe-pet-rescue-fl.com.
