#64 | *Revisiting* Compassion in Action: Animal Rescue Corps with Tim Woodward & Michael Cunningham
Animal Rescue Corps protects dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals across North America and beyond through large-scale Emergency Animal Rescue & Disaster Response, Shelter Relief, and Education & Training.
Tim Woodward serves as Animal Rescue Corps’ Executive Director, and Michael Cunningham is their Director of Administration.
People love their pets. Whether it’s a dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, bird, rat, or any other domesticated companion, our pets become beloved members of our family. Steadfast companions. Protectors. Entertainers. A glance through Instagram or TikTok provides ample evidence of our collective love for our animal friends.
There is another side to this happy picture, though. Sometimes life becomes tragic for domesticated animals. Whether it’s a situation of animal hoarding, puppy mills, dogfighting, natural disasters, cruelty, or basic neglect, the number of companion animals living in deplorable and deadly situations is staggering. Too many communities have few or no resources to help. Suffering can continue for generations.
Enter Animal Rescue Corps, an army of angels who arrive in massive numbers: veterinarians, handler, scribes, photographers, and other helpers who quite literally save the day for these suffering animals. This team of volunteers, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, document conditions, retrieve every single animal, clean them, medically treat them, rehabilitate them, and find them loving homes. They are unsung heroes.
Through humor, storytelling, and thoughtful reflection, Tim and Michael take listeners through the entire process of rescuing animals, starting with the phone call they receive from law enforcement regarding an appalling animal welfare situation, all the way through appearing in court to present the evidence they meticulously collect.
Takeaways
ARC works with law enforcement agencies to rescue animals from abusive situations and provide them with care and rehabilitation.
ARC's work involves documenting evidence, collecting animals, and transporting them to their shelter or other appropriate facilities.
ARC also focuses on spaying and neutering programs to address the root causes of animal overpopulation and neglect.
Tim and Michael highlight the importance of adopting animals from shelters rather than buying from breeders, especially considering the cruelty of puppy mills.
ARC provides assistance during natural disasters, evacuating and reuniting pets with their owners.