MISSION POSSIBLE FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

The catalyst for Ruby's Ark came on 16 August 2014 at a local pet shop. We were there  to pick up our elderly dog, Ruby's medication for a heart murmur. Ruby had many health issues, so the term, heart murmur is an understatement regarding her many serious health conditions, but she was well loved and is sorely missed.  

As we walked around the store, browsing at various items while we waited, we noticed someone was watching us. In a large tank sat a beautiful white rabbit with gray ears and a touch of gray across his nose. As we leaned forward and spoke with the little ball of fluff, we could see that there was something very different with him. After a few minutes of quietly discussing what could be wrong, we started to meander away, but I continued to glance back at that little rabbit, all alone in his container. 

My spouse asked if I wanted to take him home. I quickly asked if I could and before anyone changed their minds, I flagged down an associate. We brought him home and set up his new living area and he began to sway from side to side.

“Is this normal?” asked my spouse. Shaking my head, I said, “No. I’ve adopted several rabbits over the years and not one of them did this.” We took him to our vet, and he passed all the tests. He was healthy. He just liked to sway from side to side. 

We have often pondered what would have happened to him if we had not taken him home that day. Would others have loved him as we do?  Would they have appreciated how amazing this unique little rabbit is?

A few months later, I found a Staffordshire mix who was rescued by an organization that tried to re-home dogs flagged to be euthanized within 24-hours. Two days later, I found her online and inquired. My one condition was that she must not harm our rabbit. We cautiously introduced the pair. Our rabbit hopped straight up to the staffy. They stared at one another for several tense moments as the staffy perked her ears up and stared curiously at this little ball of fluff sitting inches away. 

Struggling against the leash that restrained her, the staffy inched closer and closer to our little rabbit, who suddenly looked up without fear and booped the staffy on the nose. The staffy quickly took several steps back and shook her head. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly moved away, and that was the end. I knew that this big burly brute of a dog with many behavioral issues would fit nicely with our family and she still does.

Two months later, we were on our way to the vet to adopt a beautiful gray and white kitten who was found abandoned in a taped box near a footpath with all of her siblings. While we were getting to know her sister, I suddenly heard the loudest purring coming from my right. Lifting my arm, I saw two big eyes focused on me and realized that this tiny kitten had chosen me.

This gorgeous boy was surrendered directly to the vet with his siblings. Not being able to resist his innocent stare and that loud purr, we adopted two kittens that day.

Two months later, we adopted another rabbit. He was not in an ideal situation, but he had a lot of attitude. 

Four months later, a friend called to announce that one of her dogs had a small litter of puppies. The puppies were six weeks old. She asked if we would like one. We took both. They were full of worms and had fleas. The vet informed us that these puppies were only four weeks old and advised us how to move forward with their care. The male responded well to the de-worming but the female nearly died. After ongoing medical care, both dogs pulled through and about eight months later, their older half-sibling joined our family. 

In an eight-month period, we had adopted seven animals, bringing our total fur-babies to eight. We are life-long animal advocates, though we didn’t realize it until this moment. When we looked back at our growing family, we realized that we were the biggest group of misfits whoever called themselves a family and it felt good. This is the spirit in which Ruby’s Ark was born.

We decided that we would continue to adopt animals that most people would overlook and we have never regretted our decision, even with more than 30 animals living with us under one roof. 

Currently, we are scouting farmland to build a new home so that we can continue to rescue all kinds of animals. There are so many animals out there in desperate circumstances for one reason or another. Our experience as awakened within us the realization that we can do so much more and inspired us to take action. In less than 14-weeks, we officially launch Ruby’s Ark Foundation with the goal of rescuing disposable animals before they run out of time because we are giving animals a second chance at love. 

From our home, with a small team of driven volunteers, Ruby’s Ark works tirelessly to save the lives of animals and shower them with love. When we are kind to animals, we reveal a piece of our soul. Animals respond to this by devoting themselves to us. It’s a win-win situation.