Founded by a brother and sister duo, Rainbow Rescues of Chicopee, MA, provides a safe haven for dogs, cats and rabbits. Since 2008, they and their team of devoted volunteers have operated in the attempt to make the world a better place, one adoption at a time.

Upon receipt of a new rescue, their animals are almost immediately placed in a foster home. In fact, both Maria and her brother Shawn foster dogs in their own homes, while overseeing and coordinating a network of volunteer foster pet parents. None of their rescues spend time in cages or kennels, which helps to soothe the rattled nerves of relocation.

Maria O’Brien spearheads the group’s efforts to identify the perfect long-term placement for every animal. Last year, they successfully adopted out 40 companion animals to their forever homes. This rescue also takes its place in the community seriously, working to educate the public about animal welfare and other related issues.

Each animal taken in by their agency receives a complete health evaluation and an emotional/temperament assessment, along with necessary vaccinations. Additionally, all rescues are spayed or neutered. Their policy is to accept all animals except for large livestock; when such cases arise, they provide referral services to agencies or fosters who specialize in livestock surrenders. More...

For many American homeowners, the economic recession has dealt a harsh, sustained set of blows. Unemployment rates remain perilously high, and foreclosures continue apace. While most states have experienced their share of miseries, Michigan in particular has borne the brunt of bad times. Fortunately, an organization exists whose sole purpose is to assist those who desperately need a helping hand.

Founded in late 2004, Community Sharing is a non-profit outreach agency that serves food and provides support to hundreds of families and their companion animals. While they do not rescue pets directly, they save them every day. Community Sharing provides food, veterinary care and pet supplies, allowing families in financial straights to keep their companion animals at home, where they belong, keeping families together.

But that’s not all. This compassionate group’s greater mission is the provision of food, clothing, educational and emergency financial assistance to those in need while respecting their dignity and fostering their future independence. The vast majority of their aid recipients include the recently unemployed and the working poor. Overseen by a board of twelve members and operated by a group of over 100 volunteers, Community Sharing provides support to over 300 families and more than 1,000 individuals every month. Doing their level best to keep up with the prolonged needs of their fellow citizens, Community Sharing has pursued their mission of caring with unrelenting resolve.

When speaking about their work, Community Sharing shared the following quote from Henry David Thoreau: “It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.” They know too well that when a pet parent is separated from a companion animal, especially due to financial hardship, spirits can be broken. For people without any other family besides a cat or a dog, losing this last emotional connection can be devastating. As their volunteers have witnessed firsthand, hard times become infinitely more difficult to bear without hope, without a positive relationship to help keep you going. More...