ABOUT RESCUE4ALL
The name Rescue4All came to be as an adaptation of the last line in the Pledge of Allegiance “And justice for all” and this is the Rescue4All Pledge of Animal Allegiance:
'We pledge Allegiance to the animals, suffering from cruelty and neglect. We are a refuge that exists to help you, to save you. One caring safe haven, enduring, with love and Rescue4All.'
First and foremost; I am an animal advocate. Animals are not property or a commodity — they are living, feeling beings that deserve the best. I believe in educating people about the resources available to do the best for their animals, as well as the importance of spaying and neutering. I am a fighter against animal cruelty, neglect and abuse. I do believe that a CHANGE is possible, and one day people will value animals not as a commodity but as beings and I know one day it will be a reality. Animals are a lifetime commitment for their ENTIRE life. There are always exceptions to every rule, but those are very rare.
My journey into animal welfare and the founding of Rescue4All has been an evolution since I was a young girl. As a child, I always brought home animals that I found and begged my mom to let me keep them. I would try to save any animal I could. There were times when my mom caught me attempting to give mouth to mouth to mice and gophers that were obviously not going to make it… but I didn’t care. I wanted to help. That passion has never left me.
In 2009, I was a Wholesale Mortgage Sales rep and had been for six years. Then, the economy took a nose dive and so did the company I worked for. I, like many others, was jobless. It was the first time I hadn’t had a job since I was 15, and I found myself not only feeling depressed but frustrated. Rather than focus on what wasn’t going right in my life I chose to DO something to take the focus off me and put it to better use.
October 17, 2009, was the day of my volunteer orientation at a local
shelter here in Spokane. The events that day led to the life-changing
decision that has made Rescue4All a reality today. I came home with
four foster kittens that were covered in ringworm. Most shelters do
not treat ringworm (a curable fungus on the skin) because they
cannot afford it and/or they do not have fosters that are willing to
take them. Those four little ringworm-infested kittens: Farrah (who
I "foster failed" and is now a permanent resident at the McAtee
House of Fur), Surly, Cali and Finn were the start of something that
I never planned nor expected.
I did not know then that being a “ringworm foster parent” was an extreme rarity. I converted one of my spare bedrooms into a kitty quarantine room for them to have a home-like environment with a cat tree, kitty condos, scratching posts and shelving for them to perch on to enable them to have activity while they were on the road to recovery. Getting them gathered up in crates and transporting them to the shelter for sulfur dippings (a treatment to kill the ringworm fungus) was a weekly commitment, but it was one of the easiest choices to make because their lives matter and are worth saving. Since October 17, 2009 I have fostered 91 cats and kittens with ringworm. I say that with delight because our efforts made a difference for those 91 lives.
Then, just two months later on December 18, 2009, I met Honey, an 8-month-old little pittie (Pitbull) Lab mix puppy. The shelter asked if I could come meet her and consider fostering her because she was not doing well in the shelter environment. When I saw the terrified shell of a puppy — shaking from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail, unable to make eye contact with anyone — it broke my heart. So, of course I said yes, I would take her. She was my first foster dog and my first pitbull, and I fell in love with her. To make a long story short, she is now a part of the McAtee House of Fur herd, and my second foster failure. Today more than 20 dogs have come through my front door as abandoned, and have left as adopted. They are all beloved pets with their forever families.
I have fostered for four separate rescue groups, one shelter, and those experiences taught me valuable lessons along the way. All of those interactions and dealings have made R4A a reality!
I decided to start Rescue4All because there are so many animals in need in the local community around Spokane. There are also, unfortunately, so many people who simply do not know better.
I will stand up and champion for ALL animals, and that is why Rescue4All exists — to help the voiceless, the innocent.
Virtually all of the animals that we take in are the souls that no one else is willing or able to. Our primary focus for Rescue4All is to save those animals that are in the shelter system with no other options and in danger of euthanasia. I believe animals deserve a second chance and the sole reason they are in shelters is because people have let them down.
Rescue4All means that all breeds are welcome. We do not discriminate. R4A is here to help those that are injured, ill, have serious medical issues, genetic defects (like Megaesophagus or Epilepsy) or behavioral issues. From young to old, we will lend a hand and a safe place.
The more foster homes we have and the more financial support we receive from our supporters translates to more lives we can save. So please help us to keep the living alive!
Our animals and volunteers thank you for all your support!
Sincerely,
Jamie McAtee, Founder & Executive Director of Rescue4All
Daddy, CGC & R4A Rescue Ambassador
Weston (megaesophagus), Brinkley (born with bilateral ectopic ureters), Hadley (megaesophagus & PRAA), Daddy, & Hitch (Megaesophagus & life time PEG tube)