If you’ve been to the ARL, you know how fortunate we are to have a beautiful property with several acres of grass and walking trails for our dogs in the trees. While this is such an asset for our daily operations and general curb appeal, our location is a challenge for those residents in our County who lack access to transportation. What makes our shelter unique is also a barrier for residents who wish to access our basic veterinary services as well as meet animals for adoption.

Thanks to the generous support of a few key donors, we are proud to announce our new mobile clinic and adoption van – debuting this Spring with a ribbon cutting and inaugural adoption event at the Petco in Exeter Township. Petco Love awarded the ARL $75,000 towards this project, the largest grant ever given to the ARL by their nonprofit. We plan to utilize the van to simultaneously bring our low-cost and subsidized veterinary care to underserved communities throughout the County and be present at community and ARL-organized events to facilitate adoptions of pets in the field. The ARL is present at more than 50 community events each year, all of which request that the ARL bring adoptable animals to increase interest in the event and find placement for animals in need of homes. For the first time, we will be able to bring up to 18 animals for adoption at a time while also remaining open for business at our Cumru Township facility.

New approaches to outreach like this will continue to be critically important to combat the slow adoption rates spreading across the country, especially for larger dogs, and to continue addressing the needs of our community.

I invite you to our ribbon-cutting and adoption event on March 23, 2024, at 12 PM!