We’re pleased to bring you news of yet another financial award given by The Dr. Jane Foundation, this time to a dedicated group of Boxer rescuers in Florida.

Headquartered in Tallahassee, Boxer Aid and Rescue Coalition, Inc. (BARC) is a not-for-profit rescue organization that operates a network of volunteers in north Florida and south Georgia. In their decade of operation, these devoted caretakers have helped to rescue and find forever homes for hundreds of Boxers.

With no facility, fostering represents the backbone of their enterprise. While not confined to metropolitan areas, the majority of foster pet parents live in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Pensacola or Tallahassee. Known for their superlative care, BARC actually has a waiting list for homeless Boxers until a foster home becomes available.

Dogs come from all sorts of heartrending situations. Sadly, they receive hundreds of surrender requests annually, nearly one per day. Each Boxer receives medical care, basic training (including a behavioral assessment), a caring foster environment and the promise that they’ll be placed in homes where they will be treated ‘as a member of the family’.

BARC’s main source of revenue comes from adoption fees, but oftentimes the cost of veterinary care can be two-to-eight times that amount. In spite of minimal resources, BARC has achieved great things on behalf of their Boxers, finding homes for hundreds of purebred and mixed breed Boxers. In fact, coordinators go out of their way to make sure that the personalities of the dogs and humans are an excellent match.

While most of their younger Boxers are only in foster care for 1-2 months, senior dogs rarely find adopters. This isn’t unique to this rescue, or even to the breed … it’s just a fact that most people looking to adopt aren’t interested in older dogs. However, BARC stresses that adopting an older dog has many overlooked benefits. Senior dogs are often better behaved than puppies, fully housetrained and finished growing, so there aren’t any ‘I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten’ surprises. Plus, it’s well known that older dogs who’ve been homeless express unending gratitude for their adoptive pet parents.

BARC plans to use the financial award given by The Dr. Jane Foundation to develop future fundraising efforts. Any funds generated by such efforts would be earmarked for veterinary care, including surgeries and heartworm treatments, unfortunately an all-too-common ailment seen by BARC. A recent fundraiser, consisting of a silent auction and food and beverage sales, proved very successful, and 100% of the amount raised went towards covering accumulated vet bills.

"BARC is so grateful for this funding”, said Courtney Reichenbach, president of the rescue. She added, “Dealing with everyday veterinary expenses doesn't leave money left over for fundraising. This grant will allow us to hopefully generate even more income, which will help us pay on outstanding balances and help new dogs coming into the program."

Here are just a few of the many Boxers currently waiting to be adopted …

MCCOY

Also pictured at the top of our post is McCoy, who BARC fosterers expect will ‘make someone a great companion’. Until he was admitted into BARC’s foster program, McCoy had never lived untethered. He had been tied up for so long that his neck was horribly infected. Carrying several pounds of extra fluid due to heartworm disease, he was still 20 lbs. under his ideal weight. In the early stages of heart failure, his recovery seemed unlikely. And yet, that was not the full extent of his illness … tests revealed that his kidneys were not functioning properly. In spite of all of these medical woes, McCoy has had an amazing recovery, thanks to superb care for his body and his spirit. His transformation from an emaciated, dispirited pup into his happy, healthy self is nothing short of miraculous. In fact, his fosterers say that he is ‘a complete joy’.

ELLIE

Meet Ellie, who scores a perfect ten on any measure of cuteness.
Less than a year old, this Boxer mix is nuts for her toys and the occasional ice cube. In her current foster home, Ellie lives well with a small fur sibling. Equally happy loping about the yard or curled up in a lap, this adorable girl is ready for her forever home.

MURPHY

A nine-year-old Boxer mix, Murphy became one of BARC’s many owner surrenders after his pet parent died. Technically ‘special needs’, this affable fellow has been diagnosed with irritable bowel, but he’s very much housetrained. His adoptive family should install a doggie door to the backyard, so he can let himself outside whenever he needs to go. Always ready for a game of fetch, Murphy is athletic, gets along well with other canines and exhibits a trait common to many other Boxers … he’s partly made of Velcro (i.e., he’s a real people person)!

CRUISE

You’d be hard pressed to find a more handsome Boxer than Cruise. Highly affectionate, his enthusiasm can hardly be contained when his people are around. A born athlete, this three-year-old is trained, good with other dogs and has the cutest happy dance you ever did see. If you’re looking for a pup that’ll turn heads and melt hearts, Cruise is the canine for you!

On behalf all of the dogs who have experienced a vastly improved life due to the continuing efforts of this rescue, we offer BARC our great thanks. Their dogged determination to make a positive difference in the lives of so many Boxers made funding this grant request truly rewarding.

To learn more about this outstanding organization, we encourage you to visit their website at boxerarc.org (or email them directly at [email protected]). You never know … you or someone you know could end up finding your new best friend!

We are thankful to all of our readers and customers. Through your personal donations and continued patronage, you make all of our grants possible. Your compassion and generosity have helped to make the world a better place for abandoned, abused and neglected Boxers.

If you’ve had experience with an animal rescue organization deserving of special recognition and financial support, please encourage them to fill out one of our grant applications. Interested parties should call us toll-free at 877-387-4564 … one of our customer service agents will be happy to share all the details.