In addition to finding loving forever homes for adoptable pets, ACR&S also acts as a Sanctuary where unwanted animals can live out their days in an environment of peace and love.
Our current Sanctuary residents live in foster homes around Madison, WI. These animals are not available for adoption, but if you would like to know more or make a special donation for them, please email us!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do animals wind up in the Sanctuary?
ACR&S was created primarily to assist other rescues, and most of our Sanctuary residents have come from other local rescues or shelters who have asked us to take them. Sometimes a rescue does not want to euthanize a sweet but special needs animal, but the rescue can't keep the animal themselves because they need to focus their efforts on animals which are more adoptable.
ACR&S also has a "lifetime guarantee" on all adopted animals. That means that at ANY time, even if many years have passed, an adopter can return their animal to us, no questions asked. Several of the Sanctuary residents came to us in this way.
Why do you take in animals which are not adoptable?
None of these animals is literally unadoptable. Most of them have merely been betrayed by human ignorance. Through no fault of their own, they have been dumped over and over again. Mostly, their owners did not know how high-maintenance these "throwaway" pets can be, especially as they age.
The problem is, most adopters do not want animals which require a lot of time, financial commitment (for vetcare) or who may die within a year or two. Our Sanctuary work allows us to give these animals the second chance they have been denied. In some cases, we ARE able to place Sanctuary animals with adopters who understand the realities of owning senior and special-needs animals.
What do you do that is special for these animals?
Special needs animals require extra time and extra money. Many of them require daily medication, others are incontinent and require extra cage cleanings. And all of them require more frequent vet visits, which costs a lot of money, and none of these guys qualify for Medicaid! But it is not anything that the average person couldn't do, so if you would like to know more about caring for special needs animals, just let us know.
I'd like to help a Sanctuary animal. What do you need most?
Our most urgent need is for money to cover vet bills. We are 501(c)3 so most donations are tax deductible (check with your accountant to be sure). We can take donations directly, or contact us for information on donating directly to our veterinarians.
Some of our Sanctuary residents could possibly be placed in a foster home. If you are interested in getting first-hand experience in caring for special needs animals, fostering a Sanctuary resident might be for you! You must be VERY knowledgeable about the species you are interested in, willing to provide basic medical care like oral medications, subcu injections, and syringe feeding, and must be willing to abide by very strict housing and dietary requirements to keep the animal healthy.
Why is your Rescue in NC but your Sanctuary is in WI?
In NC, ACR&S is one of the very few rescues which takes in guinea pigs & rabbits. Our folks down there needs to focus on adoptable animals. But in Wisconsin, there are two excellent local rescues already doing adoptions for these species. This allows the WI folks to concentrate our efforts on special needs animals.
What if I want to adopt an animal, do you have any that are adoptable?
If you are in Wisconsin, please visit one of the wonderful local rescues who specialize in adoptions:
Wisconsin House Rabbit Society
Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue
If you are in North Carolina, check the ACR&S Petfinder Page for the most up-to-date list of adoptable animals.
The Residents
|
Thor (along with his sister Freya and brothers Odin and Loki) were among 13 pigs which were being sold out of a trash can at a local flea market. They had no food or water and several had untreated injuries including broken legs. The local APS rescued them, and when they were not adopted, we brought the four of them home to the Sanctuary. Freya, Loki, and Odin have crossed the Bridge, but Thor still lives with his friend Brownie. |
| Brownie is an eight year old abby who was dumped in a parking lot. He has chronic subcutaneous fatty tumors, which need frequent veterinary monitoring, and suffers from arthritis due to his old age. But he's a happy piggy who loves to wheek for veggies! He lives with his friend Thor. | 
|
|
Roo is a HUGE New Zealand white rabbit - he is literally the size of a large cat. He lived in a 2' by 3' cage at the APS for over nine months before we were finally able to make room for him in the Sanctuary. He is only about 6 years old, but he is so big that he requires much more space than most adopters can provide. He lives with another big bunny, Bun-Bun. |
| Bun-bun, previously known as Brown-Brown, is a large New Zealand-Lop mix who was rescued from a horrible outdoor cage at a local school. He was supposedly eight years old when we took him in (2004) and is shown here eating his 8th birthday present. He is very gentle and trusting and we are glad to have been able to give this sweet senior a place to live out his life in comfort. He lives with his friend Roo. |
|
|
Rosemarie and her sister Sweetpea were a pair of 6 year olds who were surrendered in 2004 when their owners got divorced. They were very sweet rabbits, but for some reason we were just never able to find anyone who wanted them. Sweetpea lost her battle with renal disease on December 24, 2006, but Rosemarie is still doing well. We are trying to get her to live with one of our other Sanctuary rabbits, but she won't seem to accept anyone else since Sweetpea left her. |
| Elmer and Strawberry are a darling pair of piggies who came to the shelter in 2004. Elmer was a rejected Christmas present two years in a row - both of the children thought he "wasn't cuddly enough"! They were very wrong - Elmer is the most friendly of all our Sanctuary residents. So he wouldn't be so lonesome, we found him a girlfriend, Strawberry, and they are totally devoted to one another. Strawberry has chronic kidney stones and is on medication to help her kidneys. |
|
|
Cookie & Ms Piggy were adopted in 2005 and returned in Summer 2007, because their family adopted a new child and no longer had time for the pigs. When Cookie came back to us, it was evident that he had been ill and not been given proper vet care, but after nearly $1000 in diagnostic tests, our vet still doesn't know what's wrong. He continues to lose weight at times, and we have to monitor him closely and provide supplemental feeding and subcu fluids when needed to stabilize him. He is also on pain medication as he seems to have a touch of arthritis. |
| Tug & Blimpie are a pair of intact boars who came in with the big Jacksonville 48 Rescue. They were never handled in the 2 years they lived with the hoarder who had them, so they were terrified of people when we first got them. Even after years of gentle handling they prefer not to be touched, although they will gladly take their treats from you if their cage bars are safely between you and them. They are about 4 years old now, and as is common with older boars, require daily anogenital cleaning to prevent impaction. |  
|
|
Dodger is 8 lbs of busy bunny! He was rescued by CFRR from a horrible outdoor hutch where he and his mate were repeatedly breeding and killing their babies. He had never been handled and it's only in the last year or so that he has come to enjoy being petted. He is very destructive, especially with digging, and has a special pen where he can dig without harming the floor. He loves his digging boxes and especially loves the new cardboard box he gets to chew up every week! In December 2007 he lost his partner Max and we are looking for another older lady to make him a happy bunny again. |
| Daisy & Wordsworth were adopted in 2005 and returned a year later because they had bitten her son when he stuck his fingers in their pen. They are our youngest Sanctuary residents, at 3 and 4 respectively, and we would still consider placing them in a home with no children. | 
|
 
|
Timothy and Chubby are another pair of pigs from the Jacksonville 48 Rescue. They are both super sweet and we just don't know why nobody ever wanted to adopt them! They have been with us for over 2.5 years, and we guess they are about 4 years old now. Timothy was probably abused at the hoarder's home and he is still very scared of people reaching into his cage, but his friend Chubby helps protect him! |
| Aragorn is a 5 year old piggy with very long hair. He requires daily brushing and frequent trims to prevent his fur from matting. When he was rescued, he had an enormous matted area which had caused a skin infection underneath. He's slowing down a little in his old age, and spends most of his time asleep in his cuddle cup. | 
|
|
Jeannie is an enormous 8lb rabbit, probably about 8 years old, with lovely multi-colored chocolate fur. She is incredibly affectionate to people but hates other rabbits, although we have had some success letting her meet Roo & Bun-Bun and we hope one day all three can live together. She was surrendered to us when her owner found a huge abscess (from a bite wound) on her back, and couldn't deal with all the vet care she required. Two years later she is totally recovered from her abscess and a very happy resident of the Sanctuary. |
| Gonzo is a 6 year old boar who was part of the Jacksonville 48 Rescue. He was never handled before we got him, and still hates being touched or having hands reach into his cage. He's content to spend the day snoozing in a sunny spot or buried under some hay! | 
|
|
Pudgie is 7 or 8 year old guinea pig who has been involved with our rescue since 2003. He was owned by a foster home, then surrendered when they divorced. He was then adopted by a great home and kept for nearly 3 years, but then returned when his owner moved overseas. He's a very sweet pig but very old. He's on medication to help his arthritis and for his occasional tummy upsets. |
| Noelle is a lovely dwarf mix who is spunky despite being nearly 10 years old! She lived in a small wire hutch for most of her life. She was rescued by CFRR and we were asked to take her so they could make room for more adoptable animals. She is in a permanent foster home in Madison where she has her senior friend CB to keep her company! | 
|
|
Winter was one of a "pair of keets" that came to us in 1998 from an owner that no longer wanted them. She is shy with people, but loves her mirror and her toys. Parakeets can live 15-20 years. |
| Kiweed is an elderly cockatiel who developed a cataract in one eye. His blindness and age made him aggressive towards his previous owner's other birds. However, he has never demonstrated any aggression while he has been with us. He was 17 years old when surrendered in 2000, and although cockatiels are supposed to live only 15-25 years, he is still in fairly good health seven years later! He loves to whistle the first bar of Beethoven's 5th. |
 |