12/19/2024
R4A has always been open and honest, and I have always been candid and transparent about everything. I need to share what’s been going on behind the scenes—I can’t tell you everything that has led to this, but I will when I can.
What I can say is that as a single woman running this organization, I no longer feel safe, and I am consumed daily with anxiety and worry for the safety of the foster dogs here at the Refuge.
We’ve been forced to install cameras and take steps we never thought necessary to protect these dogs who came from unspeakable places and situations.
Sadly, their second chance at safety has been compromised, and that is why we must make changes to ensure the safety and well-being of the R4A foster dogs that you all and I love so much.
So many of you have been a part of Rescue4All for years….through horrific rescues, hoarding cases, parvo puppies, 44 megaesophagus dogs that were given no options, unspeakable neglect, violent cruelty, every adoption story, every challenge, and every triumph.
Your support means the world, and we cherish the trust you’ve placed in our work to save the lives of dogs who have nowhere else to turn.
As many of you know, when I founded Rescue4All in 2013, we were a foster home-based rescue, which was sufficient for our first six years.
In 2018, we were given an amazing opportunity to purchase property that would allow us to offer a safe place to dogs with no options…except death. I chose our property with the best intentions, armed with the information I thought I needed. This was my first time moving onto a property specifically for Rescue4All, my first time expanding our rescue, and my first time undertaking permits and renovations of any kind.
I thought we followed all the guidelines when we submitted our plans to the Spokane County Building and Planning Department and received permits for the improvements and renovations. However, it took almost an entire year, and at the end of 2019, I moved to the Refuge with a small group of our foster dogs.
The current Refuge consists of ten fully fenced acres and a 4,000-square-foot, fully renovated building renovated to save lives. I live on the property and care for the foster dogs every day, without a day off in over eight years, because I chose to follow my heart and passion for saving dogs in life-saving need.
I never could have anticipated what lay ahead just a few months later when the pandemic struck in 2020, creating an unprecedented flood of unwanted animals needing rescue and care. The floodgates opened, and the number of unwanted puppies and dogs needing urgent help skyrocketed. There were not enough foster homes for the dogs needing a safe place.
From the very beginning, my vision for this Refuge was to offer a haven where our foster dogs wouldn’t be confined like prisoners in cold, sterile kennels and outdoor runs. We wanted them to run, play, exercise, and—most importantly—just be dogs. We wanted a place where they could heal wholely, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Above all, we wanted them to thrive. We’ve worked tirelessly to meet this goal, and all of you who have been on this magical journey with us have witnessed the difference this amazing environment makes in their lives.
Now, we are forced to face an incredibly disheartening reality of having to relocate. This decision isn’t just about the safety threats we face.
We submitted our application for a Conditional Use Permit to the Spokane County Building and Planning Department, paid the nonrefundable $5,032.13, and compiled the immense amount of required documentation to do what we were told was required and that we would need to apply as a Commercial Kennel.
The Spokane County Code only recognizes two categories: a “Commercial Kennel” created to regulate breeders and boarding facilities, and as outlined in the code, we do not meet any part of the definition as we do not breed, buy, sell, board, train, or exhibit animals. However, we do not entirely meet the definition in the code of an “Animal Shelter,” either.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to animal welfare and helping stray, homeless, abandoned, and unwanted animals and funded entirely by public donations; however, only Industrial zoning allows for an Animal Shelter to be operated.
This means that animal rescue organizations like ours, which help ease the burden of unwanted dogs entering local area shelters and dedicate themselves to saving lives, are forced to operate in a gray area. It’s hard to understand why there hasn’t been more support for rescue efforts, especially when so many animals desperately need help because local shelters are full and operating beyond capacity.
We have 18 foster dogs who were strays that animal control could not take because they were over-capacity. We were happy to bring these abandoned dogs into our foster program and keep them out of a shelter because they are innocent victims, failed by people.
Our organization, without hesitation, assumed all liability and financial responsibility for them, took them in, kept them safe, tried to find their owners, held them for the 30-day holding period, and then got them spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and any other vet care or training they needed to be able to be adopted.
We are a legal, reputable, transparent, trusted 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization, funded entirely by public donations, dedicated to saving dogs. Yet, there is no proper classification for what we do.
This lack of support and regulatory clarity makes it even harder to do what we set out to do: save dogs’ lives.
We have discovered that we can’t do what we intended here and must relocate. We have a lot of equity in our current location however, we need to buy land, build our new Refuge, and then sell our current property to be able to access that equity.
What this means is that we learned valuable lessons.
We know that we have to ASK all the questions, including questions we didn’t know or know we needed to ask, to ensure we do everything right.
We are better informed and will apply those lessons from this experience.
Your unwavering support has given us the courage and strength to keep going, no matter how difficult things become. We want you to know that our mission to save dogs will never waver. We will continue to fight for them, to protect them, and to give them the lives they deserve.
We’re moving forward because we must.
We will find a new Refuge out of Spokane County, in a community that supports saving dogs. One with room to run, play, and heal, just as we originally intended.
Your contribution will help us build safer enclosures, enrich their environment, cover veterinary care, and ensure that no dog will be turned away due to ambiguous regulations.
We will have a safer place that honors our promise to every dog who crosses our path.
We are determined to grow stronger from this experience, remain transparent, and continue advocating for sensible regulations that acknowledge the vital work rescues provide.
Thank you for your understanding, your loyalty, and your compassion.
We need your support now more than ever, and so do the amazing Rescue4All foster dogs who depend on us all.
Every dollar you give creates a safer future for these dogs, allowing us to continue our lifelong commitment to saving lives—today, tomorrow, and always.
Please consider making a donation today.
Here is our GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/13dae22a
You can also donate on:
Our Website: www.rescue4all.org
Donorbox: https://donorbox.org/rescue4all-rescue4life
Business Venmo:
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rescue4all
Or even traditional mail at:
Rescue4All
2427 W Smythe Rd
Spokane, WA 99224
Even if you can't donate, that's ok! Liking, Commenting, and Sharing this with your friends and family who can help bring awareness is just as important.
Thank you for believing in us, trusting us, and standing by us.
Together, we will overcome these obstacles and provide the care and hope these dogs deserve.
Note: Subscriptions through the Subscriber Hub aren't tax deductible through FB. We are a refuge that exists to help you, to save you.
