Welcome to the Animal CARE Foundation

The Animal CARE Foundation of Hawaii is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose work focuses on intervention assistance to humans and animals in need with the animals’ needs and future as the top priority.   Abandonment into shelters is a dead end methodology as a single source method for helping families and animals in at risk situations.  It’s the past.  The future means helping people realize that animals deserve more respect and that humans, as the animal’s guardian have responsibilities to ensure that their animal family member is given the assistance (s)he truly needs.

We meet all kinds of people every day.  There are those who feel animals are just plain disposable.  There are also those who swear they love an animal but refuse to look at options which will allow that animal to remain part of the family.  Commonly, we hear ” We love him so much and we don’t want to see him killed in the Humane Society, but we’re moving into a new house and we “can’t” take him with us.”  Then there’s the person additionally who calls and “loves animals” but can’t tolerate this cat/dog/peacock/chicken “trespassing” on his/her private property so the animal “needs to go”.  And, the list goes on….  But, if you step back and take a look at all of these “types” there is one unfortunate central theme:  their personal interests are more important than the animal.  Period.  Occassionally, we also get the person who really has for whatever reason never considered an alternative to dumping an animal into a shelter when there is a difficulty.  Sad to say, but the Humane Societies definitely brainwashed the public into believing the should just “let them handle things”….  How can you ever hope to be responsible for anything, if your main means of dealing with problems in life is to dump them in someone else’s lap.

We offer alternatives………..  That’s what intervention is about.

Some of the methodologies that we work in/with include:

• Educating people of alternatives to abandonment:  temporary boarding while moving, working with family and friends as a team while the original problem/situation is being rectified, behavioral and medical consultation, legal assistance referrals and recommendations for landlord/tenant and neighbor conflict issues.  These are among many considerations and are obviously situation dependent.  So, when someone calls, we take the time to have a conversation to determine from which support that individual animal and family would benefit.
• low or no cost neutering of animals for families, as well as for other rescue organizations across the island
• medical support for feral cat caretakers at deeply discounted rates
• public education of core issues as they relate to animal conflicts, population issues, “nuisance” issues and other commonly encountered animal problems as well as the support vehicles which work effectively to help control or cure the problems such as the effectiveness of trap/neuter/return and the importance of spaying and neutering family animals, preparing financially physically for family and animal emergencies ( natural disasters to broken legs all have important preventative planning which can help a family stay together despite adversity)
• lobbying for statewide no-kill animal intervention programming

It is our sincere hope that, through education, assistance and advocacy, humans will learn to stop treating animals as commodities and start treating them as emotional beings deserving of consideration equal to our own selves. Only then we will truly conquer the disposable animal problem.   ACF’s facilities and programs exist to serve that goal, and depend largely upon the support of private donors and volunteers.  Our veterinary revenue helps with costs but it is not sufficient by itself since we keep costs controlled to assist those in need and do a large volume of deeply discounted work for the rescue community.

We need your support TODAY!  Please call for more information on sponsoring, volunteering, fostering or to donate.  You can also go to our Facebook page (facebook.com/theacfhawaii), sponsor us through IGive.com or Goodsearch Internet shopping search engines or use paypal to donate.  We take credit card by phone, check and paypal donations happily as well as gently used items such as sheets and other linens/comforters, dog and cat furniture/beds, towels and washcloths, bowls and toys.  We also are very happy to receive items for resale on craigslist or through garage sales and we will be thrilled to take that old car off your hands as well.   Please call today and Thanks so very much from the animals and people we assist!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• acf.honolulu@gmail.com
• (808) 396-3333
• facebook.com/theacfhawaii
• Animal CARE Foundation, PO Box 2857, Waianae, HI  96792