Serving as ARL’s primary pillar of support for animals and people in Berks County, our ARL Pet Help Center receives thousands of phone calls and supports hundreds of clients on a weekly basis. But out of the countless questions we receive every day, perhaps no other question is most frequently asked than this one: What resources are available for my family and pet(s) at ARL?

Our Pet Help Center is proud to provide critical resources to aid pet owners facing temporary difficulties. From food assistance and pet supplies to behavior support and emergency boarding, our Pet Help Center strives to ensure we can help keep pets where they belong: in their homes with their loving families.

Food Assistance

Recognizing the challenges of affording quality pet food in today’s economic climate, our Pet Help Center provides food assistance for families who may otherwise not be able to afford food for their pet. In offering this program, our goal is to prevent families in Berks from surrendering their beloved pet(s) by alleviating the financial burden they may face when providing quality food. So far, in the first six months of 2023, the ARL has already helped over 20 families by providing nearly 500 pounds of food!

Behavioral Support

Pets may sometimes exhibit behavioral challenges, causing distress to both the animal and their owner. Our Pet Help Center offers behavior support services to address these issues for families who wish to remedy them at home. Our Canine and Feline Behavior Supervisors work closely with pet owners to provide guidance, training techniques, and resources to address common behavioral problems, such as litter box avoidance or destructive behaviors.

Bogey’s Academy

One innovative program we offer to support both owned and shelter dogs in need of behavioral support is called Bogey’s Academy. It is through this unique initiative that we can provide scholarships for free virtual dog training sessions in order to help behaviorally challenged dogs receive the additional assistance they need to thrive in their homes. Dogs who come to ARL experiencing behavioral challenges are eligible to go home with this scholarship opportunity, and families who are experiencing behavioral challenges with their owned pets are also eligible to receive the scholarship. Thanks to Bogey’s Academy, which was initially established and funded thanks to a generous donor, we can help foster harmonious relationships between animals and their caregivers and even increase overall adoption success rates at the shelter.

Emergency Boarding

Life can present unexpected situations that may temporarily separate pet owners from their beloved companions. The Pet Help Center recognizes the need for emergency boarding services during times of crisis. By providing temporary housing for owned pets in the shelter, we ensure that pets are well-cared for until they can be reunited with their owners. While we are proud to offer this service to our community, it is important to note that our ability to provide emergency boarding is dependent on the resources and capacity we have available at any given time.

Thanks to these critical resources for families experiencing temporary difficulties, our Pet Help Center is a safe haven for both pets and their people. We want our community to know that by offering these resources along with compassionate support and expert guidance, we are ready to help families from all walks of life overcome temporary setbacks and keep them together with the animal companions they love. If you want to learn more about our surrender prevention services, please visit our Surrender Prevention webpage or contact a Pet Help Specialist today at 610-373-8830 so we can learn how to best support you.