By Tracy Leigh
In honor of National Puppy Day (March 23rd), we spoke with Pam Williams, a Rutherford resident, who is very involved with Brick City Rescue, Inc.
TIR: Tell us more about Brick City Rescue. What is their mission?
PW: Brick City Rescue, Inc (BCR) is dedicated to finding loving, stable homes for all adoptable homeless dogs in NJ with a main focus on âBully Breedsâ. We encourage compassionate and responsible behavior and supply training, food, shelter and medical care to all of our animals. We serve as a community resource, disseminating valuable information to the public by promoting responsible pet ownership and providing education regarding breed discrimination.
Brick City Rescue was founded a little over 2 years ago by Tanya Kudlacik and Stephanie DeVivo. They both volunteered at one of our inner city shelters and decided they wanted to do more for these abused, abandoned, and neglected dogs. BCR is known for taking some of the more difficult to place dogs. These dogs may have been in the shelter system for a long time and lack manners or experienced abuse and neglect and are now withdrawn or fearful. These dogs have the potential to be great companions but need more time, dedication, and the proper training to get there than some others. We strive to help these "underdogs" but the time, training, and best medical care comes at a price and we are always in need of monetary donations to keep up with the bills. We are also proud of the fact that we work at keeping dogs with their families when possible. We have had a few people contact us in the past about surrendering their dogs, not because the don't love them, but unfortunately due to financial hardship. In these cases, we were able to raise money and supplies specifically for these families and dogs to stay together!
TIR: How did you become involved with BCR?
PW: Tanya and I met as our sons were best buddies in daycare. We became friends and realized we both had a love for dogs. Soon after Tanya and Stephanie, another co-founder, started BCR, I became a member along with Maritza Martinez who was also a volunteer at the shelter.
TIR: What are some things you have done in Rutherford?
PW: Rutherford has been very supportive of the rescue. You may have seen us marching in both St. Patrick's Day parades which we loved to be a part of! Jennifer Gonzales of Painting on Park has been a great partner allowing us to hold several successful fundraisers at her studio. We have an upcoming event in May at the new Board n Brush on Park and have been in touch with other business and organizations in town as well in hopes of setting up future events. We were even lucky to have one of our fellow Rutherfordians be a great foster for our dogs in the past and have had adoption inquiries in town as well.
TIR: Anything else you would like to share about Brick City Rescue?
PW: One of the most important aspects of BCR for people to understand is that we are a "Foster Based Rescue" meaning there is no facility for us to hold our dogs. We are always in need of Fosters who are willing to open their hearts and homes to these dogs until we can find them their "furever" home. Without fosters, we are limited to the amount of dogs we can save.
We also rely greatly on Social Media channels to get the word out about our dogs and the rescue itself. One "follow", "like", "share", or "retweet" means everything to these dogs! So anyone reading this please visit one of our sites and share it with friends. Being part of saving a life is an amazing feeling!
Adopt, Foster, Donate, Share!
Website: brickcityrescue.com
Email: info@brickcityrescue.com
Twitter: @BrickCityRescue
Facebook: Brick City Rescue Inc
Instagram: brick_city_rescue
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