Tempe's community has once again shown its generous spirit as Lost Our Home Pet Rescue faced an unexpected plumbing crisis that threatened to disrupt the care of its displaced animals. Being a haven for dogs and cats since 2008, the local nonprofit found itself grappling with backed-up pipes that resulted in a costly repair job, digging deep into its Kibble Café's concrete floor, Fox 10 Phoenix reports. Ben Jordan, president of Action Plumbing Heating Air & Electric, explained, "We discovered that not only was this area that was affected had holes in the pipes, but the pipe trailed on that way and back this way, and it was all rotted out."
With the final bill looming near $10,000, even after a generous discount by Action Plumbing, the shelter launched a GoFundMe campaign, and the community response was swift and supportive, raising enough money for plumbing and repairs. This included dealing with their turf area that had to be torn up, as Fox 10 Phoenix noted. In a bid to maintain operations during this turmoil, Lost Our Home Pet Rescue has made a call for temporary fosters to house dogs during the renovations.
Outside of this immediate crisis, the shelter is also looking to improve its facilities with external renovations set to improve "worn-out turf" and "drainage" in the outdoor yard, necessitating foster homes for the dogs from June 26 to July 3, as stated in a press release and reported by KTAR. The shelter seeks 20 to 25 temporary foster homes that would be crucial to ensuring the animals' well-being during the renovations.
Adding a deeply personal touch, Larry, a U.S. Marine Corps vet and former client of the shelter, has facilitated the upcoming renovations by partnering with a local landscaping company who has cut the cost of the renovation work in half. Larry, whose Jack Russell terrier mix B.J. was cared for by the shelter during his battle against "advanced, high-risk prostate cancer," is giving back to the organization that provided his companion with refuge, KTAR states. Larry's contribution underscores the continued relationship between the community and Lost Our Home Pet Rescue, extending aid far beyond financial to that of shared history and gratitude.
The shelter thanked everyone who supported their GoFundMe and is hopeful they’ll be fully up and running again soon. They’re still accepting donations through their GoFundMe page and are looking for people who can foster a pet for a week. This would immensely benefit the dogs during a time when their familiar grounds are being reconstructed, as Jodi Polanski emphasizes the importance of minimizing the disruption to the animals by saying, "Just one week only, the more dogs we can get out of here, the better it is for them. They won't have to be in this chaos without a place to go," as per Fox 10 Phoenix.
