Community Corner

Threat of Rain Doesn't Deter Animal Rescue Groups

The Animal Rescue Fair might not have drawn as big a crowd this year because of the weather, but more families brought pets with them to look for companions to their pets.

Barking could be heard coming from a place known better for horses today. The annual Animal Rescue Fair returned to the , with hundreds of rescue pets ready for a new home.

The threat of rain reduced the crowd, though those who skipped htis year missed a great opportunity as previous years have been hot and humid. But Penne Crews, organizer of ARF, said the rain helped in one way.

"The rain hurst us some. But where can people go with the weather? They can't play ball, they can't take their dogs, they can't take their kids outside. So we have seen more people here today, more families with their dogs. And looking for a new permanent companion for what they've already got," Crews said.

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Crews said 45 different rescue organizations participated, coming from all over north Georgia, with 22 vendors. Milton's Large Animal Rescue Team from its Fire Department was on hand almost the entire afternoon talking about the rescues they do.

Lance White of the Humane Society of Forsyth County said this was the first time the county's animal control office allowed them to bring pets for adoption outside of Forsyth County. They've just been working together in PAWS Acros Forsyth since last December, with regular adoption days at the Petco in Cumming.

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"It's the first time time in 27 years that they've allowed animals to come outside the shelter to be adopted," White said.

All the animals were spayed, microchipped, rabies shots, everything, and they're all $85," he said. "The county dogs are on death row, basically."

Tom Wargo, founder of Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchen out of Lilburn, was glad his group benefited from the bags of pet food donated by visitors to ARF. But he said the group is about more than the Pet Soup Kitchen, being involved in pet adoptions as well. He said this was the first time he's adopted out two kittens.


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