There’s a great second-hand store in South Carolina where you can get home and garden items, books, and a comfy couch… that may have a kitty sleeping on it. The cats lounging at the Barkin’ Basement thrift store are part of the Jasper Animal Rescue Mission, a nonprofit animal rescue dedicated to helping the dogs and cats of Jasper County, South Carolina.
Volunteers Develop a Foster Network
JARM was started in 2005 by a small group of volunteers who worked at what was then the county shelter. “The euthanasia rate in this area was very high,” says JARM Executive Director Caitlyn Schake. “Jasper County is a rural area, very hard-hit economically. Not many people have the budget for spaying or neutering their animals, and many of those animals live outside. We see a lot of ‘oops’ pregnancies.”
The volunteers wanted to make a change that would make a difference. They helped the county shelter develop a healthy network of volunteers and fosters.
“We have about 50 active foster pet parents,” says Caitlyn. “It’s mostly for dogs that have non-contagious medical needs, and kittens. The kittens are a lot of work—they need to be fed every two hours! But we have these wonderful people who do it for us over and over.”
Meet Griffin and Brazil
JARM is full of wonderful people, including those who took care of Griffin, a milk chocolate mix and one of the Mission’s hardest-luck cases. “He was adopted from us, and then came back to us as a stray, missing part of a leg, starving, and his teeth had been filed down,” Caitlyn says sadly.
JARM was able to give Griffin the medical help he needed thanks to donations and a PetSmart Charities grant.
“That money goes to medical care, spaying and neutering, and giving all the animals microchips,” says Caitlyn. “We couldn’t get by without those donations.”
Then the volunteers at JARM gave Griffin something equally important: love. “I just got pictures of Griffin from his foster parents, and he’s doing great,” Caitlyn says, “What’s amazing is that he’s still the sweetest dog; he’s so willing to love again.”
So is Brazil, a golden mix who gets a little shy when she’s in the shelter. “We take her to events, and she’s got this amazing personality!” Caitlyn says. “She’s great with kids, a total sweetheart. We hope we can find her a home soon.”
Until then, Brazil, Griffin, and all the other animals await their forever homes. Meanwhile, at the Barkin’ Basement shop, customers receive a friendly warning not to accidentally sit on Helmet or Dixie, the two senior kitties who live there.
“The adoptable cats who visit the store love it there,” says Caitlyn, “but of course, we’re hoping someone will take them to their real home soon.”