INDIANAPOLIS — A couple from Camby has dedicated their lives to taking care of sick and vulnerable dogs who may never find a forever home. Far Fetched Dog Rescue's mission is rooted in compassion.
Rachel Rice and her husband started Far Fetched in their home in 2017. She says it's about saving the animals, that have a "far-fetched" chance at a better life.
"We really started the rescue as a general, all-breed dog rescue. Then, we saw what was happening was there would be dogs that couldn't find a place with another rescue because they didn't need a lot more care or their owners passed away," Rice said. "We've seen families that have dogs with major medical problems that, unfortunately, they financially or physically can't handle, so those are the dogs that really spoke to us."
The dogs at Far Fetched come from homes and animal shelters all over Indiana.
"We see dogs, you know, these groups on Facebook that have shelters involved that say, 'We have these dogs. Is there anyone who can help?' We're more than happy to go to the shelters and take those dogs that really need the extra care to be able to provide that for them," Rice said. "We also get owner surrenders through word of mouth. People see us on Facebook. They see the type of dogs we like to help. When someone sees a situation that looks similar to one of those, they will refer them to us. We can't help everybody, but we definitely help as many as we can."
They take in dogs like Molly, who has seizures that are controlled by medicine. Or Ava, who cannot use his back legs but gets around no problem.
13 to the Rescue: Far Fetched Rescue
Rice knows that not every dog that comes through her shelter will be adopted. Senior dogs also come to Far Fetched to live out their final days in peace.
Caring for 200 to 300 animals a year is expensive, but Far Fetched is able to make it by donations and volunteers who help foster the dogs.
"Oh, we're very lucky. We have some really amazing supporters that really believe in what we do, so we get the items donated by supporters or even companies that really believe in what we're doing as well," Rice said. "I'd say our No. 1 [need] is joint supplements for our older dogs. That really happens quite a bit, and, we're always in need of more."
To date, Far Fetched has cared for and found new homes for about 800 dogs. It's an incredible feat for this couple who have been running this program right out of their home.
To learn more about helping their mission, click here.
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