The Appalachian Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) is a small group of animal lovers who are
working hard to help the many homeless dogs in the southwest corner of West Virginia.
There are no shelters or pounds in this area and often dogs are poisoned or left in
the mountains where they starve to death. Alexis Hunt, who lives in Delbarton, West Virginia,
is the guardian angel for these homeless dogs. She has been operating an informal rescue by
herself for the last six years. She feeds, vets, & cares for up to forty dogs and twenty cats
at any one time. The animals currently live outdoors in doghouses, without protection from
the deep snows of winter. Several times a week Alexis single handedly removes the dirty
straw from each kennel, burns it, & replaces it. This is a daunting task.
Veterinarian, Dr. Linda Knowles, generously allows Alexis to bring sick & injured animals
for treatment, even when unable to pay for the services. The vet fees are paid from Alexis’
own salary. This has created great hardship for her personally, spending nearly half her
annual salary on the animals. She needs funds to pay this ever-mounting veterinarian bill.
An operating fund for food, veterinary fees, & part time help are some of our long-term goals.
Alexis transports each adopted animal, long distances in her aging truck, which currently has
250,000 miles on it. Her truck does not have a rear cap, making it unsuitable for transporting
animals in freezing weather. Part of our long-term goals is to help Alexis get a new truck to
safely transport rescue dogs. It would be wonderful if a car dealer would donate a gently
used “King Cab” truck.
We have begun a capitol campaign to buy a piece of land to build a safe & warm shelter.
Grant proposals will be submitted to various charities. We are also looking to our devoted
friends to help us reach our goals. Please consider making a donation to the AARF Project.
We have set up three funds- the Building Fund, the Animal Care Fund and the Vehicle Fund.
Please send us an email if you are able to make a donation.
You can find out more about AARF by going to their website
Applachian Animal Rescue Friends
