Animal Rescue Front – Until there are none save one.

ABOUT US

Until there are none save one. Through transport, education, adoption, spay/neuter initiatives and actively working to abolish the scourge of puppy mills, ARF is committed to ending the senseless killing of healthy, adoptable animals in the United States. ARF is a first responder animal rescue organization responding to natural and man made disasters and will one day provide a safe haven sanctuary for feral cats and kittens, pit bulls and other misrepresented breeds, factory farm survivors and special needs companion animals.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chris McLaughlin's life's purpose became clear when the floods of Katrina receded. The toll the disaster took on the lives of the animals of the Gulf Coast ignited a passion and purpose that continues today. "ARF's work will live on because of the lives we met, the lives we saved, and the lives we lost…" Her life's dream is to one day have a sanctuary on her land in western Massachusetts where she can continue to help the animals of the Gulf Coast states and pit bulls and other misrepresented breeds from around the United States. She lives in Boston with one rescue Sheltie, Buddy, and two cats, Roo, and Tristan.


		Marlo Kirkpatrick is an award-winning freelance writer and author, a storyteller whose work evokes emotions from humor to sorrow, excitement to frustration, and uses those emotions to move audiences to action. Marlo was a founding board member of the Madison Ark, a shelter in Madison, Mississippi, and was one of two board members who made the decision to open the Ark weeks ahead of schedule to accommodate 40 dogs and cats transported by Chris to the Jackson area during Hurricane Gustav (the other board members eventually forgave her). Marlo is a member of the leadership team of Mississippi Fighting Animal Cruelty Together (MS-FACT), a lobbying organization seeking to make intentional cruelty to dogs and cats a felony crime in Mississippi. She brings experience in event planning for non-profits. Marlo lives in Madison, Mississippi,with her husband, professional wildlife photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick; their four dogs, Blizzard, Icy, Batman, and Joker; and their cat, Buster.


		Dr. Pia Salk, a psychologist with specialization in social justice and the human-animal bond, currently serves as a spokesperson for Adopt-a-Pet.com. Dr. Salk is frequent guest on both television and radio shows dedicated to showcasing the plight of shelter animals. Dr. Salk also hosts The Save-a-Pet show and is a contributing writer on the Adopt-a-Pet.com website. She offers unique perspectives regarding companion animals, such as why adopting not only saves lives, but makes for good parenting and promotes pro-social behavior in today’s youth. In both her clinical work and in her writing, Dr. Salk addresses topics ranging from the loss of a personal companion animal to the climate of animal welfare as it relates to social justice on a broader scale. Dr. Salk's writing is included in the recently published, Pet Loss and Human Emotion. Pia co-founded the original Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) and her extensive involvement in the Hurricane Katrina animal rescue effort has been featured on such shows as Animal Planet’s Hurricane Heroes and 20/20 to name a few.


		Ron Desnoyers is a graduate of Roger Williams University where he earned Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration, again at Roger Williams University, where his research focused on animal cruelty, animal shelter management, and public policy pertaining to animals at the state level. Ron is also active in animal rescue and holds a leadership position with United Animal Nations Emergency Animal Rescue Service. Ron is currently a law student at Michigan State University where he serves as Student Liaison to the Michigan Bar Association's Animal Law Section. He is also a member of the American Bar Association's Animal Law Committee and serves on the Animal Law Disaster Relief Subcommittee.

ARF TEAM


		Althea McLaughlin has spent a lifetime rescuing animals, from bringing home stray cats as a kid to working in New Orleans post-katrina with a variety of experiences in between. It was in New Orleans that she fell (and fell hard) for pit bulls. She shares her bed with a pit bull, Chloe, her soul mate and a beautiful white angel, who is a service certified dog and inspires her everyday with her tremendous lust for life. Althea was the first of the "McLaughlin sisters" to dispatch to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and her older sister credits her for the courage and the inspiration to begin Animal Rescue Front.


		Katrina Boucher, a lifelong resident of Cape Cod, is the owner of The Cape Cod Dog, Cape Cod's premier shop for everything canine and feline. All her life she has had a passion for animals, especially those of the canine variety. Although her focus is in retail sales, she is a strong advocate for rescue and adoption. Through her efforts she has become a close ally for ARF and in December of 2006 she adopted a terrier mix from New Orleans named "Captain Jack Sparrow." Katrina's business allows for connecting with animals and their people on a daily basis and it is through these connections, and her passion for animals that she has been instrumental in networking for ARF in many ways including various fund raising events and awareness campaigns. Visit The Cape Cod Dog at: www.thecapecoddog.com

THANKS

Over the course of the last 5 yrs. ARF has met and become a member of the greatest, most elite family of animal rescuers ever assembled.
Special thanks go to:

Carol Guzy, whose amazing photography graces our pages. Katrina Animal Rescue will forever be remembered because of her undying commitment to documenting the Katrina animal rescue efforts.

Best Friends, who funded our work, no questions asked. "They were the first to arrive and the last to leave."

Brenda Cromwell, who never said no when our shelter was full and our hopes were empty.

Jane Garrison, Pia Salk, and David Meyer, who stayed behind when the "bigs" left. Who knew the animals would die if they did not… and who founded Animal Rescue New Orleans.

To those of you who worked with us at "Hound Zero" on Magazine St. in New Orleans, Celebration Station in Metarie, The Waveland Animal Shelter in Waveland, MS. and The Humane Society of South MS. We are better for having known you, worked with you, laughed and cried with you.

And a special, special thanks to our Canadian friends who rescued beside us, Cadi, Traci, June, Meg, Glenn, and Kat, you could have said it's not my country, but you didn't. And because of you hundreds lived....