Animal Advocates of Falls County Band Together
Members of the Marlin Animal Rescue Society (MARS), formally the Falls Animal Rescue Mission (FARM) have separated to create a new group called Marlin Animal Resource Services.
President Kaylee Ayers, Vice President Erin Castillo, Secretary Rachel Wilson, and Treasurer Matthew Pacheco were all involved with Marlin Animal Rescue Society, but have been stagnant moving forward due to inter-organizational conflicts. The group will be pursuing a separate 501c3 certification in order to continue doing they work they are all so passionate about.
“We feel like we have lost a year in this whole debacle,” Rachel Wilson told members at their meeting on Jan. 13.
The group strives to create a better environment for the animals in falls county and the surrounding areas. Their mission is to build an animal shelter to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and abandoned animals, to help stop the overpopulation of animals, to provide humane care, and to assist in getting lost animals to their owners.
Wilson has begun networking with those in charge of the operations of the city entities in order to create and institute a new procedure for finding fosters, for spay/neuter services of animal found, and how to handle abandoned/neglected animal owners. There are a number of resources available to individuals who find lost animals, according to Erin Castillo.
“I can’t tell you all how many times I have picked up puppies,” Lott resident Castillo said. “Somebody dumped seven of them out at the Falls Park and I had a rescue take every single one of them. They were shipped to New York, Michigan, all over the United States.”
The group stressed that if that felt like too much of a task for those who find the animals, to contact them and they will help to connect you to someone who can help. The next fundraiser on the books, whose proceeds go to the shelter fund, is the MARSfest, which will take place on April 18.
For the full story pick up the Jan. 22 edition of The Rosebud News or Read the E-Edition here.