Peacedale nonprofit wins grants to prepare pets for adoption

Remember this great local non-profit in your charitable giving

By Chris Barnett, Patch Poster in the Narragansett-South Kingstown Patch

Photo by Will Collette. We adopted these boys from ARRI in 2013.
Adopting siblings was one of the best things we ever did.

Animal Rescue Rhode Island in South Kingstown received $15,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation to provide spay and neuter services in order to prepare the animals for adoption.

"The generosity of our donors and the commitment of our partners are expanding humane education, increasing awareness and improving the quality of animal care in Rhode Island," said Adrian Bonéy, who oversees the Foundation's Program for Animal Welfare(PAW). "Their work is producing new approaches to animal welfare and humane education across Rhode Island."

PAW awards grants to organizations that promote and provide humane treatment of animals or work more generally on the welfare of animals. Grants are for projects or programs that have a positive impact locally or statewide on animal care, education about the humane treatment of animals and animal welfare in general.

"Animal Rescue Rhode Island rescues abandoned, abused and surrendered animals. We nurture and work with them to become adoptable pets and we find permanent loving adoptive homes for them," said Michele Vidmar, executive director.

"With our new facility, ARRI has been able to rescue and place over 400 animals in the past year. We are committed to supporting animal welfare through humane education. ARRI was started in 1938 and is a private non-profit organization that receives no government funding. We rely on donations and grants such as this Animal Welfare Grant from the Rhode Island Foundation," she said.

PAW is funded with assistance from the Virginia B. Butler Fund, Abbie A. Brougham Memorial Fund, Ginger, Sheba and Susie Carr Fund, Chariho Westerly Animal Rescue League Animal Welfare Fund, Mary Lou Crandall Fund, Julius and Lena DelPapa Memorial Fund, Jeanne Marie Mehmed Fund, Vernon and Mary Pierce Fund, Helen Walker Raleigh Animal Fund, Ilon Sillmon/Sara Andrews Endowment Fund, Vinny Animal Welfare Fund and Dawn, Gregg and Leland Weingeroff Animal Fund.