Above: Storm, a Siberian husky who loves to play and run, awaits adoption at Kind Heart Rescue in Upper Freehold Township. Below: Bam, a brown agouti rabbit who was saved from slaughter, is among the animals up for adoption. UPPER FREEHOLD — Times are tough for Kind Heart Rescue.
Donations have hit an all-time low while veterinarian bills have reached an alltime high, according to Jody Caizza, founder of the nonprofit organization that provides sanctuary to homeless rabbits and dogs.
“Kind Heart Rescue is a nonprofit rescue and all donations are tax-deductible,” Caizza said. “Please help keep Kind Heart doing what we do best — rescue!”
Kind Heart Rescue has been in operation for more than 25 years, but recently started struggling to come up with the finances to continue its animal rescue work.
The organization functions with an estimated $20,000 annual budget, which pays for feeding and caring for the animals before they are placed into new homes and for veterinary bills, according to Caizza.
Caizza contributes $5,000 to $10,000 to Kind Heart Rescue each year and relies on tax-deductible donations for the remainder of the budget. She has a full-time job, but loves operating Kind Heart Rescue and helping homeless animals.
While most of the rabbits and dogs the organization takes in only need a couple of weeks or months of care before they can be put up for adoption, others need assistance for the rest of their lives, she said.
“Others who are older or have suffered some sort of trauma may never find a new home, but have found a home here for the rest of their lives, where they will know love and kindness,” Caizza said.
The Kind Heart Rescue animal sanctuary is on 14 wooded acres in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold Township. Among the dogs there in need of a loving home is Storm, a Siberian husky with blue eyes and gray and white fur.
“He has nothing but love to share,” Caizza said. “Neutered and current on shots, he is medium size. He loves to play and run with people. He is friendly, especially with grownups, but also with dogs.”
Among the rabbits up for adoption is Bam, a brown agouti that Kind Heart Rescue saved from slaughter.
“He came from a slaughterhouse and was full of internal parasites and almost furless, but that is in his past,” Caizza said. “He’s happy and healthy now. He loves playtime and lives pretty much cage-free here.”
Bam enjoys being in the presence of people and loves following his caretakers around the sanctuary. He is just one of the many rabbits Kind Heart Rescue saved from slaughter over the past year. Like Bam, many of the rescued rabbits came to the sanctuary with medical needs besides the normal spay or neuter, according to Caizza.
“My fundraising goal is $4,000,” Caizza said. “That would pay off the vet bill for the rabbits that were so costly to save, and that would let us continue our rescue efforts.”
In addition to monetary contributions, the rescue also seeks donations of canned dog food, dry dog food, dog toys and rabbit pellets.
“If anyone has a garden that produces more veggies than they can eat, the bunnies would love the leftovers,” Caizza said. “Really, we can use anything rabbit or dog related.”
Kind Heart Rescue also needs hay, newspapers, blankets, sheets and towels to use as bedding for the animals. The organization seeks donations of cleaning products such as paper towels, bleach, white distilled vinegar and laundry detergent.
When volunteers collect items for Kind Heart Rescue, the nonprofit can then use any money it receives for veterinarian bills, according to Caizza.
Kind Heart Rescue also seeks people to provide foster homes or permanent homes for the animals at the shelter. The rescue has an application process to ensure the best matches between those seeking to adopt and the pets available, according to Caizza.
Adoption fees cover the costs of spaying and neutering animals as well as keeping them current on required shots.
Those who adopt a rabbit will also receive an indoor cage, bowls, litter box and starter supply of hay, litter and pellets.
Kind Heart Rescue also offers help to pet owners whose animals have behavior problems. For a per-hour fee, the rescue provides in-home evaluations and plans that can help rabbit owners and dog owners resolve issues with their pets.
“Many behavior problems are due to humans simply not understanding the way rabbits or dogs think,” Caizza said. “With a little work, we can, in most cases, help you work out a solution that will enable you to keep your pet.
“So, before you give up your pet, contact us. We’d be glad to help, and together we can help stop one more pet from becoming a statistic in a shelter or rescue.”
To see photos of the adoptable pets at Kind Heart Rescue, visit the Internet website at www.kindheartrescue.com.
To schedule an appointment to meet one of the animals at the sanctuary or for more information about Kind Heart Rescue, call Jody Caizza at 609-947-4141.
Those who would like to make a taxdeductible donation may do so by making a check out to Kind Heart Rescue and mailing it to 3 Hyacinth Court, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514. The rescue also accepts donations through www.paypal.com via the PayPal identification [email protected].