ATR IMPACT Report: 2022

GRAB THE PUPCORN + GET READING! LEADERSHIP

Meet the leadership team!

04 05 06

These are our guiding principles and the corners of our organization

A NOTE ON "HELPERS"

Please read this before reading the proceeding s

We responded to a hoarding and cruelty situatio involving multiple mamas and puppies

08 FOSTERS SAVE LIVES

That one ’ s self-explanatory, but we also added a infographic

09 A PUPPY WITH A BROKEN HEART

Learn about the special little puppy who captured the hearts of everyone he met from day one. His story highlights just how dedicated ATR’s team is to saving lives - and mending hearts!

11 WHY WE GO NUTS FOR NEUTERING

We also love spaying - learn why!

12 MEDICAL MEMENTOS

Check out the impact our medical efforts made!

13 DRAMA IN THE ER

A laboring mama starts to show signs of distress so ATR's team must jump to action in order to save her and her babies

23

2022 VOLUNTEERS MADE A HUGE IMPACT

15

ATR KNOWS HOW TO PAWTY

With more fun events than we could count, we did our best to highlight some of our favorites Paws + Reflect Puppy Yoga (16), Puppies, Pilates + Prosecco (17-18), Ultimutt Puppy Parties (19), and Vanity Fur (20-22) were all we could fit We added a breakdown of where the funds go, too (34)!

25

NEWBORN PUPS ABANDONED IN A BOX

27

ATR'S LONGEST RESIDENT GETS NEW DIGS

We'll take one spicy meatball to go, please!

30

ATR SHOPPING LIST

Ever wonder how much food we go through? This is the page for you!

HEY! ARNOLD! 31

Learn about the special little puppy who was born different but perfect to us, nonetheless

35

2022 BY THE NUMBERS

A summary to help show the massive impact '22 had on homeless moms + pups!

L E A D E R S H I P

FOUNDER

Geri was always the girl with too many pets to count – dogs, cats, goats, pigs, horses, and donkeys. She joined the animal rescue world at 16 years old, walking the dogs, working in adoptions, and then enrolling in the Emergency Animal Medical Technician program at Arizona Humane Society. This led her to volunteer at Second Chance Hospital, learning the medical side of rescue with hands-on experience. Geri also volunteered and fostered for many other organizations Realizing that one of the biggest needs in the rescue world was space and care for large breed pregnant dogs, Geri had her first kennel space built in her backyard so that she could start taking these families home. That was the beginning of Almost There Rescue.

MEGAN WIEWEL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Megan has a background in animal care and a degree in Communication Studies, making her well suited to oversee operations and the strategic advancement of the rescue. While each day is different for Megan, her primary responsibilities include coordinating animal care and overseeing staff and volunteers Megan enjoys being able to help dogs with less than fortunate backgrounds have a second lease on life. She says the position is bittersweet; ‘the bitter’ is having to say goodbye to some of the sweetest, most loving dogs you could ever meet while the ‘sweet’ is the comfort of knowing they are going home with amazing, forever families Her favorite part of the position is getting pictures and updates from adopters with how the pups are settling in and how their personalities are forming Megan has fulfilled a childhood dream by being a part of the ATR team!

HEIDI LEYVA

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Heidi oversees ATR's development and marketing, and works nonstop to earn money that directly supports ATR’s mission. Heidi has ten years of experience in nonprofit leadership; her background and education are in business and marketing In 2017, she earned a mini MBA for Nonprofit Organizations. Heidi’s been involved in the rescue world since she started volunteering in 2006. In 2012, she started fostering and later began specializing in medical foster cases and at-risk animals. She refers to herself as a “ crazy rescue person ” and couldn’t be happier having rescue as her full-time gig! When Heidi isn’t fundraising for ATR, she is volunteering so she can be hands-on with the pups she loves! Heidi says of all the meaningful nonprofit work she has been involved in, ATR is nearest to her heart Saving lives alongside the most amazing people is her dream come true.

A NOTE FROM GERI

We are so excited to present this year ’ s impact report to all of our supporters! 2022 was an immense year of growth for ATR. As anyone involved in animal welfare knows, there are plenty of ups and downs but it’s the ups that keep us smiling and doing what we do for the dogs in need.

Over the last year, we have helped 622 homeless pups go from underdog to happily ever after- that’s over 600 people who have a new best friend to provide them with unconditional love!

Each of our departments have worked their tails off to improve our programs– always striving to make the best better!

The growth of our Puppy Preschool program is one of our biggest accomplishments, mapping out day-today brand new sights, smells, textures, sounds, and experiences for each of the pups in our care to help them grow up to be well rounded and socialized adults.

In 2022, we introduced new volunteer opportunities while strengthening others. We welcomed 456 new volunteers for a total of 6,731 volunteer hours We had more dogs spend time in a loving foster home than ever before, each opening up one of our 19 kennels to allow space for another mom and pups in need. We couldn’t have done this without you!

Very best wishes,

Geri Hormel

Over our many collective years in animal welfare, we have dealt with many heartbreaking situations. Oftentimes people who hear about our cases involving abandonment, mistreatment, or outright cruelty comment to us that we “must hate people” after seeing how some people treat animals. While it is true that some of our cases show us the darkest parts of humanity, we choose to follow the wise words of Mr. Rodgers who once said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers You will always find people who are helping.'"

It can be so easy to be fueled by anger and pessimism –especially when faced with the undeniable fact that people are capable of great cruelty. But in this line of work, we also see the truth of what beautiful things happen on the other side We get to see, firsthand, the helpers that step up to right the most severe wrongs. We love people, because we love “helpers.”

You, reading this, are a helper. You have proved time and time again that you care about the fate of helpless animals you don’t even know. You step up when we and other organizations near to your heart ask you for help. You give what you can, when you can, and you make things happen.

You are who we think about when we need to turn away from the darkness and reclaim hope for a brighter tomorrow. You make this work possible not just with your tangible efforts, but also by simply being you – a compassionate person with a heart for animals. You love these dear creatures as much as we do, and you remind us that there is so much more good than evil out there. When times of darkness block our ability to see, we light our path with the goodness you put into the world.

You, dear friend, give the gift of hope to us and to the animals for whom we all serve

With that, please note a content warning… We imagine the following story will be hard to read, because it was hard for us to write. It was even harder to experience it. We ask those of you who choose to read it to remember that there is always hope. There is always hope, because there is always you and people like you who never stop caring and never stop helping

WE RESPONDED TO A HOARDING SITUATION INVOLVING MULTIPLE MAMAS AND PUPPIES…

The dogs smelled strongly of urine. We found them covered in painful ammonia burns from the accumulated feces and urine they were forced to live in. One of the mamas had a pronounced limp and hair so matted that we had to shave off pounds of urine-soaked hair. Her leg was in such bad condition that amputation was our only option.

The puppies were in especially rough shape. They were not being nursed and it was clear their nutritional needs were not being met. They all had GI problems, horrific ammonia burns, and other serious issues. Some had sutures tied around their umbilical cords and several of them had become infected.

Withtheoddsstackedagainstus,wesprungintoactiontosavethesedogs.Someofthemwere toofargoneforustosavebutweweredeterminedtocontinuedoingwhatwecouldtohelpthe survivors. WE RESOLVED TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK, REGARDLESS OF COST.

Weinvestedintheirrecoverywithemergencyhospitalandothervet visits.Theyreceivedaround-the-clockcarefromourdedicatedteam.

Watch the video detailing this case and their care by scanning the code.

AFTER MONTHS OF THESE EXTREME EFFORTS, THESE DOGS WERE UNRECOGNIZABLE IN THEIR NEWFOUND HEALTH AND JOY.

Mama Winter and her puppies were ready to finally have the lives they deserved – lives full of kindness, safety, compassion, and love.

ATR can't erase their painful past, but thanks to you, ATR was able to save their lives and give them a bright future. You make a positive impact when you donate.

Winter and her pups (who aren't puppies anymore!) have all been adopted into loving, furever homes

A broken heart is nothing ATR can't fix!

Allpuppieshaveshuntsintheirheartsuntilbirth,andastheyage,theseshuntsslowlycloseoff. Indigo’sdidnotclose,leavinghimwithoxygenatedandunoxygenatedbloodgoingbackand forththroughhisheartandagrade5(outof6)heartmurmur.

OPENHEARTSURGERYWASHIS ONLYHOPEATAHAPPYANDNORMALLIFE–HISONLYSURECHANCEOFSURVIVALPASTPUPPYHOOD.

OPEN-HEART SURGERY COSTS ABOUT $5,000 NOT INCLUDING DIAGNOSTICS, MEDICATIONS, AND OTHER EXPENSES.

X-raysalsoshowedhisheartwasenlargedand thathewouldneedtobeondiureticsuntilsurgery.

Ofcourse,wescheduledhissurgeryrightaway. Ourbraveboydidsowellandtheopenvalve wasclosedoff.Afterashorthospitalstay,hewas abletofinishrecoveringinourcareandthenin thehomeofawonderfulmedicalfoster.

NOW, INDIGO LIVES IN HIS FUREVER HOME WHERE HE ENJOYS A HAPPY, NORMAL LIFE! THANKS FOR FIXING HIS BROKEN HEART AND GIFTING HIM A LONG, JOYFUL LIFE!

WHY IS ATR SO COMMITTED TO SPAYING AND NEUTERING??

1 unspayed mama and her offspring can produce 67,000 more dogs in just 6 years!

1 Year: 16

2 Years: 128

3 Years: 512

4 Years: 2,048

5 Years: 12,288

6 Years: 67,000

no more homeless dogs.

624

590

spay/neuter surgeries performed

1,978 vaccinations given microchips implanted

recovery rate for pups with Parvo

41,808,000*

12 other surgeries performed homeless dogs prevented with our spay/neuter program

100%

Intheback,layasweetlittlemamabeingaidedby ATR'sMedicalCoordinator.Unfortunately,things werenotgoingwell.Weweresoworriedabout MamaVeraasherlaboringbecamemoreintense andirregular.Bothaplacentaandthepuppyitwas attachedtohadbecomelodgedinherbirthcanal.

Aswespedtothehospital,ouramazingmedical teamofvetsandtechnicianspreppedtheOR.They beganthelifesavingprocedurealmostimmediately afterwearrived.

THIS FAST AND DELIBERATE ACTION SAVED HER AND HER BABIES!

WE RUSHED TO THE EMERGENCY VET AS FAST AS WE SAFELY COULD IN OUR DOGGY AMBULANCE...

WITHOUTEMERGENCYSURGERY,BOTH SHEANDHERPUPPIESWOULDLIKELYDIE.

Aswethinkaboutthisscaryday,themama weweresoafraidwe'dloseissnuggledup comfortably in her forever home. The puppieswedidn'tthinkwouldsurviveare allbigandstrongandinhappyhomesof theirown.Theyarealllivingmiracles!

OUR TEAM WILL NEVER FORGET HOW IT FELT HEARING EACH TINY PUPPY CRY AFTER THE LONG AND TERRIFYING SILENCE.

Themomentsleadinguptothesevictorious criesweretense,focusedmoments,andwe remainhumbledknowinghowclosetheir storiescametoendingattheprologue.

Wecan'thelpbutwonderaboutwhatwould havehappenedifwehadn'tbeenabletorescue them.Verawasfoundasaverypregnantstray andwentintolaborveryshortlyafterwetook herin.Thevetsare100%confidentsheandher puppieswouldhavediedwithoutanemergency c-section.Weshudderthinkingabouthergoing intolaborwhilestilllivingonthestreets…

BUT BY THE POWER OF RESCUE, THEY AREN’T JUST ALIVE, THEY ARE ALL ABSOLUTELY THRIVING!

Rescuecanbesohardsometimes.Itcanbreak spiritsandhearts–itcancrushsouls.Butrescue isalsobreathtakinglybeautifulandinspiring.

RESCUEISABOUTHOPE,SECOND CHANCES,ANDNEWBEGINNINGS.

Wearethankfultobepartofthisadorablefamily'sjourneyandwe remindyouthatyoutooarepartoftheirstory!Thedonationsyouso freelygivemakemiracleswheretherewouldotherwisebetragedies. Thankyousomuchforyourgenerosity.Thankyouforyour commitmenttosavinglivesalongsideus.ThankyouforgivingVera andherpuppiesasecondchanceatlifeinmorewaysthanone!

PAWS + REFLECT PUPPY YOGA SERIES

On Mother’s Day, we welcomed everyone to ATR for the first Paws + Reflect Puppy Yoga. It was such a big success that we rolled out an entire Paws + Reflect series, with a new puppy yoga event taking place on the first Wednesday of every month! Each month, people of all ages and abilities joined us for a 30-minute yoga flow with free-roaming puppies!

As instructor April Denning led each class, the puppies caused plenty of good mischief (a perfect combo)! Loved ones shared in joyful experiences and created forever happy memories – all while supporting ATR’s fundraising efforts and helping socialize adorable puppies. We expect this event series to continue well into the future and hope to see you at the next one!

ATR excitedly brought back the incredibly popular event, Puppies, Pilates + Prosecco to the gorgeous Wrigley Mansion!

Board member and professional pilates instructor Annie Verderame [pictured, right] led each high-energy class as several litters of puppies worked to disrupt it. It was hard to tell who was having more fun in a room full of big smiles and nonstop wagging tails!

Guests got their burn on, enjoyed puppy snuggles and kisses, drank tasty boozy breakfast beverages, and shopped the vendor and merch booths! Some even adopted puppies and others won some of the fabulous raffle prizes! We can't wait for the next one!

A huge “thank you!” to Wrigley Mansion for sponsoring Puppies, Pilates + Prosecco and for being such great ATR supporters!

ULTIMUTT PUPPY PARTY

In 2022, we had the honor of helping groups of all ages create life-long memories with our Ultimutt Puppy Parties. From celebrating countless kids’ birthdays (plus grownups too!) to hosting retirement parties, corporate events, and even a bachelorette party, our year was packed with furever-memory-making events!

We launched this new program to put more joy into the world and to get more funds for saving even more lives.

Talk about having cake and eating it too!

To learn more about Puppy Parties, email Events@AlmostThereRescue.org

VANITY FUR SOIRÉE

Our banner fundraising event, Vanity Fur, is a soirée we hosted at the historical Wrigley Mansion. The Wrigley Mansion is a major sponsor of the event and Almost There Rescue

Guests dressed up in their best cocktail attire and enjoyed a glamorous evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, puppy races, live music, and more, as they raised tens of thousands of dollars to save the lives of homeless mama dogs and puppies!

Email Development@AlmostThereRescue.org

In addition to the Wrigley Mansion, SJS Investments was a major sponsor. Other generous sponsors included Schultz Development, Old World Tile, Crescent Crown Distributing, Candelaria Design, Dr. Kelly's, Snell & Wilmer, Bike Barn, and more! “We are honored to have the resounding support of community leaders, difference-makers, and influencers as we strive towards an Arizona with more rescue advocates and no more homeless dogs,” said Heidi Leyva, ATR’s Development Director.

In 2022 Almost There Rescue

Onechillymorningwereceivedacallfromoneofour rescuepartners.Agoodsamaritanfoundaboxof abandonednewbornsandhadbroughtthemtothe nearestrescue.Likemostrescues,theywerenotsetup tocareforneonatesandhopedwecouldhelp.Frankly, wewerecompletelyfullanddidn’thaveanybottle fostersavailable.

Wesaid“yes”andmadeaplanwhiletheywerein transit.Wedidwhatwesooftenhaveto:wetook aleapoffaith.Wemovedwiththeurgencyofthe situation,knowingtheresourcesweren’tcurrently availablebuthopingtheywouldbesoon.

RESCUEISABOUTDETERMINATIONTOMAKETHE IMPOSSIBLEHAPPEN–ONEWAYORANOTHER.

Immediately,staffmemberspromisedtohelp, steppingupasalways.Inshorttime,weheardfrom somanypeoplewhowantedtohelp.

Mostwerenewtobottlefostering–somenewto fosteringaltogether.“Wehaven’tdoneitbefore,but ifyou’llteachus,wewillmakeitwork,”readone responsetoourplea.Wereceivedmanyotherslikeit andweretouched,asalways,byourincredible community.

A BOX OF NEWBORN PUPPIES HAD BEEN DUMPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD...

BUTWEKNEWWEHADTOMAKEROOM.

"Wehaven’tdone itbefore,butif you’llteachus,we willmakeitwork."

The puppies arrived and we worked to warm and feed them. The fosters arrived soon after, and were given the necessary supplies as well as an impromptu "Bottle-feeding puppies 101" course. Our Medical Coordinator fostered the weakest of the litter as they required additional medical care and tube feeding.

Aftermonthsof love,dedication, andcare,the puppies,whohad grownintostrong, healthypuppers, wereadoptedinto foreverhomes!

ONCE DISCARDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THESE LITTLE SURVIVORS WILL NEVER BE COLD OR HUNGRY AGAIN.

Fromdonatingneededsuppliesandfundstogivingus thegiftofyourtime,yoursupportmovesmountains. Weappreciateyou,ourincrediblecommunityforall youdoforanimalsinneed.

YOUSAVELIVES!

DAYS TURNED TO WEEKS, WEEKS TO MONTHS, AND THE SEASONS FLEW BY. MONTHS BECAME YEARS YET ONE DOG STILL HADN'T BEEN ADOPTED. ATR NEVER GAVE UP HOPE OR STOPPED TRYING.

College students found Sriracha wandering around Tempe Town Lake and initially kept her. However, once they discovered she was pregnant, they chose to surrender her to us. She delivered her pups while in our care and raised them until it was time for them all to find their forever homes. Her pups were adopted so quickly that we thought Sriracha's turn would be next. Sadly, we were mistaken. Our hearts broke as she continued to be overlooked and languished in her kennel.

SHELTERS ENVIRONMENTS – NO MATTER HOW NICE – ARE MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY. THE LONGER DOGS STAY, THE MORE STRESSED THEY BECOME.

Stressed dogs sometimes display behaviors that turn off adopters, creating a catch-22. We had to get Sriracha out of her kennel and into a home to keep her from deteriorating, but the stress of being in a kennel was leading to reactivity and making it difficult to introduce her to potential adopters. We really had our work cut out for us... Here we had this fantastic dog, but her fear of meeting new people was making it nearly impossible for her to get adopted.

Duringthistime,ourBehaviorManager, AdoptionManager,andtherestofourteam continuedtoworkwithher.Thegoalwasto gethertotrusthumansagainandgiveher theconfidencesheneededtoformnew bonds.Inadditiontoreceivingasmuch enrichmentandwalksaspossible,shealso benefitedfrommanytrainingsessions.

WE MARKETED HER RELENTLESSLY.

Wepostedheronline,incoffeeshops, andjustabouteverywherewecould.We madevideos,reels,andevenaTiktokthat wentviral!Despitegettingalmost2million viewsandthousandsofcomments, Sriracha’sviralTiktokdidnotgeneratea singleapplication.Still,wecontinuedto tryeverythingwecouldtospreadtheword andgenerateinterest.

Srirachatooktomuzzletrainingquickly whichmeantwecouldsafelyintroduceher tostrangersinacontrolledenvironment. Onceshefeltsafearoundhernewfriends, themuzzlecameoff.

ONCE SHE FELT SAFE,

SRIRACHA’S TRUE PERSONALITY SHINED THROUGH!

lSrirachaissmart, oyal,cuddly,jolly,

Shelovestocuddlewithherfavoritepeople,enjoyssleepingthroughouttheday,doeswell onwalks,doesn'tmindbeinghomealone,andgoescrazyforagoodtreat!Weproudly continuedtoshowcaseourwonderful“SpicyMeatball”knowingtheperfecthomewasout there.Finally,someveryspecialpeopletookthetimetomeetwithherenoughtimestogain hertrustandtrulygettoknowher.Theytookherhomeaspartofourfoster-to-adopt program.Weallcrossedourfingersthattheywouldloveherlikewedoandgiveherthe homeshehasalwaysdeserved.

AFTER 588 DAYS OF WAITING, SRIRACHA FINALLY FOUND HER FOREVER HOME!

AtATR,weworkhardtofindloving,foreverhomesforeachand everydogthatcomesthroughourdoor.Wetrytogetdogsadopted asquicklyaspossiblebutwillnevergiveadogadeadline.Some dogsgetadoptedrightaway,otherstakemoretime,sometakealot oftime.Butthat’sokay.Eachdogisprecioustous.Eachdogcan countonATRtolovethemandkeepthemsafeforeverandalways.

RESCUE ISN'T JUST A VERB, IT'S A PROMISE.

andaffectionate.

Sneak a peek at our 2022 shopping list...

1,560

cans of puppy food consumption

6,029 lbs dry dog food consumption

1,204 gallons

amount of parvo/germ killing cleaner

Wewelcomedalitterofpuppiestotheworldandimmediatelynoticedtwopuppieswereborna bitdifferentlythantheirlittermates.Theirlegshadvisibledeformitiesthatdiagnosticswouldshow tobeasofttissueproblem.Onepuppy’slegsimprovedwithlittleinterventionasshegrew.The otherone,Arnold,wouldneedextrahelp,ashisfrontpawshadmoreseriousproblems.

WE WORKED WITH A TEAM OF EXPERTS TO TREAT THIS LITTLE GUY.

Arnold'slegsdidnotbendtheproperwayforcinghimtowalkontheoutsideofhisfrontlegs. Inadditiontoseverelyaffectinghismobility,hisbirthdefectalsoledtopainanddiscomfort.

SHORTLY AFTER HE WAS OLD ENOUGH TO START WALKING, WE NOTICED THE TOPS OF HIS LITTLE FEET WERE RUBBED RAW FROM HIM TRYING TO WALK ON THEM. Atthispoint,wehadalready beenworkingtogethimthehelpheneededbutwehastenedourefforts.

Arnold’streatmentplanincludedhardcastsswapped outeachweekandfrequentmedicalimagingtocheck onhisprogressashegrew.Puttingandkeepingcasts onayoungpupwasnoeasyfeatandoursweetboy was,understandably,notafan.Therewereplentyof challenges,tosaytheleast,buthismedicalfosterand teamwerededicatedandstayedthecourse.

EVENTUALLY, ARNOLD WAS BIG ENOUGH FOR A CUSTOM-FITTED LEG BRACE AND WHILE THAT WASN’T THE END OF THESE STRUGGLES, WE SAW THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

Throughout this journey, Arnold saw several specialists, had more imaging done than most dogs will have in a lifetime, worked through puppy physical therapy, and so much more.

HIS STORY EMBODIES PERSEVERANCE THROUGH ADVERSITY. IT IS ALSO A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ATR’S DEDICATION TO EACH AND EVERY DOG IN OUR CARE (NO MATTER HOW SMALL)!

Thisconditionwasnotlife-threatening; somemightconsiderforgoingtreatment andearlyintervention.Butourmission–ourpurpose–extendsfarbeyondjust savinglives.Leavingapuppydisabled isabsolutelyoutofthequestion.

Nomatterhowsmallthecreature,their lifeandqualityoflifematters.

OUR MISSION – OUR PURPOSE – EXTENDS FAR BEYOND JUST SAVING LIVES.

AtATR,thecareandenrichmentweprovideareallencompassing.AtATR,wevowtoalwaysdotheright thingevenifitisdifficultorcostly.DogslikeArnold deserveachancetolivetheirbestlives.Andthanksto you,Arnoldisgettingthechancetolivehis!

THANKS FOR REFUSING TO GIVE UP ON THE UNDERDOGS AND FOR SUPPORTING THIS LIFE-CHANGING WORK!

YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK

We want you to know exactly how your support helps our rescued friends too; Look how far your dollars go!

Thank you to each and every one of you who contributed to the moms and pups of ATR this year!

It truly does take a village- a village of compassionate peoplewho are doing what they can, when they can, with whatever resources they have at that moment.

I feel blessed to have a network of supporters who rise to the occasion and never let the dogs down! Your contributions give us the ability to grow our capacity, improve our programs, and save significantly more dogs each year!

I look forward to seeing the impact that our village makes in 2023! Thank you from the bottom of our dog loving hearts!

Very best wishes,

MEGAN WIEWEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR