Independent Animal Rescue

"I first encountered this rescue several years ago, I had been brought a litter of kittens who were only a couple weeks old that were sick and failing to thrive. I was completely devastated and didn’t know where to turn so I started reaching out to rescues. The only one to respond was in a neighboring county and immediately told me to bring them to their vet for treatment. If not for their help, I would not have the one who survived seven years later. I ended up fostering a litter of babies for them since I had experience and they were so supportive and provided everything. Outside of my personal experience, they have been a lifesaver for my hometown. There are very few resources for people in Person County, especially when it comes to feral cats and TNR. Though they are out of Durham County, they have done TNR on hundreds of cats from Person County. I am an admin for our local Lost and Found Pets group, and have sent many people their way to try to stop the overpopulation problem. I can’t imagine how bad things would be if they weren’t always so responsive and willing to help with not only TNR, but emergency medical cases as well. Recently there was also a case in Person County where a litter of seven one year old pups were left to be put outdoors in the elements after the rescuer who had them suddenly passed away. The post was shared over a thousand times but no help came after over a month. I reached out to one of their volunteers, Jacky, and she immediately made contact with the friend who was housing them to go meet them. She coordinated with multiple rescues who all helped to vet and take not only all seven of the pups who needed help, but another as well. In addition, she helped multiple others from the same property that were also in desperate need as their caretaker was unable to properly care for them. It truly amazes me how much they are willing to help."

— tiffany w.

Volunteer / foster, Supporter, Fan

"Independent Animal Rescue has helped me and my friends with several dogs in our community. They always respond to do what they can to help. They are an invaluable resource for animals in need."

— anissa l.

Volunteer / foster, Supporter, Fan

"My initial awareness of Independent Animal Rescue (IAR) was almost 6 years ago when the team of volunteers assisted with trap, spay/neuter, and release of a feral cat who had her second liter of 4 under my crawlspace. The kittens were adopted and mom, later named 'Sasha Fierce', was returned to my yard and the community has continued to care for her ever since. Summer of 2023 came a beautiful white tabby (later named Tommy), who my neighbor told me was from Sasha's liter more than 6 years ago. I cared for him as well, but reached out to IAR again for assistance as he had many sores, abscess on his ear that left a gaping wound, and needed to be neuter. I trapped Tommy and IAR provided medical care and neutering. I kept him safe for a few days, then released him. He remains in the community as well. In Jan 2024, I volunteered to take my niece's dog, Beauty (chocolate lab/pit mix), due to housing and financial issues. She had decided to surrender Beauty after I had her, but the dog had such a strong hold on me, that I decided to continue caring for her in hopes of finding her a furever home. I reached out to IAR again and they graciously accepted Beauty into their foster program. I am her foster mom and we are going through the process to prepare her for adoption. It's been such an eye-opener to see the care and dedication that IAR volunteers, staff, fosters, etc provide to the many dogs and cats in need in our community and surrounding communities. I thank them all for the assistance they have provided. I am starting a new path of fostering and I am extremely proud to be a part of such an amazing team of caregivers. I look forward to many years of providing a loving home and unwavering dedication to the dogs and cats of IAR who need and deserve a safe home with families who will provide them with tons of affection."

— angela b.

Volunteer / foster

"Independent Animal Rescue (IAR) is the epitome of a well-run, ethical, and impactful rescue. It is largely volunteer-run, but you wouldn't know it based on how professional it is. I've volunteered for over 2 years. Time and time again, I've been amazed at how effective and committed other volunteers and staff are to our mission. IAR makes a real difference in animals' lives, and I'm proud to be part of this group."

— tara k.

Volunteer / foster, Supporter

"Independent Animal Rescue is an amazing group of volunteers who rescue and place hundreds of unwanted cats and dogs in loving homes every year through fostering, events, socializing, etc. We also spay and neuter hundreds of community animals to reduce overpopulation. Finally, we support our adopters and animals after the adoption, feed feral cat and dog colonies, and take back our adopted pets if a person can no longer care for them."

— jacky r.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster

"I love Independent Animal Rescue. They have been doing important work for the community for many years and their dedicated volunteers are what make the whole system function. The hard work and caring spirits of the community members that dedicate their time and energy to help cats and dogs have bettered many furry friends lives in many different ways. The TNVR program for feral cats, the foster and adoption programs, and much more are such an important staple to this community. On many Nextdoor, Facebook, etc. posts, I will see people posting with lost or injured strays that they have found, and there is almost always a comment saying: "try contacting Independent Animal Rescue" because they have a reputation for helping out when no one else can. Needless to say, I think IAR does a lot of good."

— virginia b.

Staff member

"IAR is a wonderful community of committed volunteers who often take on multiple roles to keep the organization moving forward and saving as many animals as possible. IAR has a great reputation in the community and always does its best to meet animal lovers' needs, even when outside the scope of typical work."

— casey h.

Volunteer / foster, Supporter

"IAR is a true testament to the power of volunteers endeavoring to save dogs who absolutely deserve a second chance. I have been a foster volunteer with IAR for over two years and their dedicated team of mentors, coordinators, and administrators work selflessly and tirelessly daily to ensure that a dog will thrive in its foster home. IAR provides a wealth of excellent resources to help fosters properly acclimate and train their rescue dogs, and the dedicated mentors are on-call 24/7 to assist in any way by offering their expertise and guidance on anything dog-related. IAR also has one of the most effective and thorough vetting systems that ensure a dog finds a forever loving home with the most suitable family."

— eun-hae k.

Volunteer / foster

"I have volunteered with IAR for years and have adopted two dogs through the organization. IAR is committed to finding the best forever home for each dog who enters their program, via an extensive network of volunteer foster homes. The fosters are then in a position to speak to the dogs' unique personalities, and each foster chooses the best home for each dog. I love the ethos of the group's dog program, and will continue to volunteer for them as long as they'll have me! Currently, I screen the incoming applications for dogs in the program, but have also hosted adoption events, transported supplies, and fostered dogs."

— jennifer j.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster, Supporter, Fan

"The IAR network has been so influential in my personal life after dealing with the loss of my first dog. It’s been such a rewarding journey to provide pups with love and help them find their forever home. I THINK we may even have our first foster fail."

— katie b.

Volunteer / foster