Arf's German Shepherd Rescue, Inc. of Wisconsin

puppy OUR MISSION

AGSR specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of homeless German Shepherds, mostly acquired from Wisconsin shelters. These dogs have no advocates and are frequently scheduled for euthanasia (even puppies!) because there just aren't enough homes for all the dogs that need homes right now. Our foster homes are almost always full with shelter dogs, so we generally do not accept owner surrenders. If you think you need to give up your dog, please read the helpful article "Find The Dog A Home".

All adult German Shepherds are first temperament-tested, then fostered in AGSR volunteer homes. While in foster care, the dogs calm down from the stress of the shelter. They are fully vetted (spayed or neutered, vaccinated, checked for heartworm and internal parasites, dewormed, and microchipped). They are housetrained and begin basic obedience training (sit, off, down, come, etc). The fostering period allows us to get to know each shepherd's personality and is our most valuable tool when matching our dogs with their new homes.

We are all volunteers and there are not enough of us to respond to all the casual inquiries made to us so when we receive your Adoption Application, we know that you are sincerely interested in eventually adopting a German Shepherd. We will respond within 7 - 14 days to discuss your application and the qualities you want in your new German Shepherd.

If you would like to volunteer to become a foster home for AGSR, please fill out a Foster Home Application.

WHO WE ARE
(And how we wound up doing this...)

ARF's GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE actually started in 1999, when founder, Terri, and her husband Perry came upon a very sick German Shepherd puppy being sold outside the Weyauwega Exotic Animal Fair for $20. Terri knew she could use the Wisconsin Dog Rescue listserv to contact a shepherd rescue, so she paid* for the sleepy little fellow and promised her husband the pup absolutely wouldn't be staying forever. (Terri had owned two GSDs in the past and knew how attached she became to the breed). Mit Liebe German Shepherd Rescue asked the couple to foster the pup for just two months, until they had room to take him in. Pistol pistol-crooks (jokingly named because the worms, anemia, and the maggot living between the skin layers of his neck made him the most lethargic puppy ever) spent the rest of the summer sleeping at Perry's feet, or going for short walks at the dog park as he became healthier. Three weeks later, Terri was calling Mit Liebe back to say they HAD to adopt Pistol; he'd kicked in that Shepherd Charm and won the couple over.

After Terri became listowner for Wisconsin Dog Rescue, she decided volunteering for shelters and other rescues wasn't enough; she wanted to save the other "Pistols" out there, too. She filed the paperwork to become incorporated, followed closely by the 501c3 paperwork, and Arf's German Shepherd Rescue, Inc. was founded in March 2002.

IN MEMORY OF TERRI TINSLEY
JUNE 5, 1964 - DECEMBER 9, 2003

Terri Tinsley was killed in a car accident on December 9, 2003. Her passing created a void in the hearts of countless animals and people across the state of Wisconsin and the United States. Her joyous spirit, dedication to animals, tireless leadership and genuine compassion will never be forgotten. Terri left behind a legacy of love, hope and kindness. Terri was a beloved wife, incredible friend, dedicated rescuer and a true inspiration.

The Arf's German Shepherd Rescue, Inc.
Board

President	Lori R.
Vice President	Angela I.
Secretary	Joni K.
Treasurer	Shirley T.
Board member	Perry T.
Board member	Jodi W.

Lori lives with her family (mostly four legged!) and Rich (two legged!) in the Poynette area. Rich, , has trained German Shepherds for many years for working dogs. He has gone overseas several times (Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq) to work with various agencies (State Department, the UN, and OSCE) to assist in training dogs and setting up schools for democratic police techniques. They recently suffered the loss of their beloved Shobie to hemangiosarcoma cancer. They’ve since adopted Cheveyo (chay vay oh) and are currently training with him (perhaps he’ll be a search and rescue dog or maybe a therapy dog…who knows?). She also has Looney Tooney Marie (my 10 year old niece named her!) who is fondly referred to as our Shepittie. She is a Shepherd, Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Lab mix (she looks like a deer) and then Nala (or the Nalanator !) who is a “Freagle” (she is a French Brittany Spaniel/Beagle mix who was dumped off at Sauk County Humane Society).

Angela lives in the Milwaukee area and is a union actor (appearing in plays in the Madison/Milwaukee area), teaches at UW Whitewater and has a daughter Maria. Angela has three GSD’s Nala (her senior female), Rudy (her latest addition) and Roman. Angela is the Humane Society Coordinator for ARF’s so that means that they will contact her directly with any GSD’s they have that need to get into rescue.

Angela is also a volunteer and board member with Badgerland GSD Rescue (BGSR) so she is pulling “double duty” for GSD rescues! Angela also recently became an associate member of the APDT and will begin teaching at Best Paw Forward www.bestpawforward.net.

Joni has four dogs, lives in East Troy with her husband Mike and has extensive experience in both treasurer and secretarial duties from various other charities she assisted. Joni has helped out ARF's already at many of the pet expos.

Shirley lives in Lodi, WI with her non GSD Mica (rescue from the sauk county shelter and her husband Jerry. Shirley works part time at the vet clinic in town and has been around animals all her life.

Perry lives in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin with his three dogs, a cat and a Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot. He is the owner of Media Paws, LLC, the deigner of this website and also has a fitness business as an Independent Million Dollar Body Coach.

Jodi is a Certified Veterinary Technician with over thirteen years of animal experience. She has dedicated her life to the improvement of animal well-being through her work at various veterinary hospitals, a local humane society where she served as the Executive Director and the Madison Area Technical College. Jodi has experience with a wide array of animals. She currently teaches the Exotic Animal Husbandry class to future veterinary technicians at MATC in Madison. So she is ready for your iguana, snake, or hedgehog. She also showed and cared for Arabian horses while growing up.

Everyone on the AGSR Board is strongly motivated by a desire to always do what is in the dog's best interest.

Most people who are new to rescue ask, "Can we come to your house and see the dogs?" The answer is no, because the dogs aren't at our house, they're located in foster homes all across Wisconsin. We may have a dog here for a couple of days or maybe a weekend, but we don't permanently foster any dog at our home. After applicants go through the application process and have been approved, we match the dogs we have to our applicants' requirements; THEN they get to meet the dog.

To read more about AGSR policies and procedures, visit the Application area.

*It is not the policy of AGSR to PURCHASE dogs being sold by backyard breeders, At the time of this particular purchase, AGSR did not exist, and Terri was simply trying to help this dog get placed in a good home. Obviously, fate had other ideas!