Animal rescue group finds a home of its own

BY AMY BATE
ANDOVER — After 6 years of saving many animals’ lives and finding them homes, the non-profit animal rescue organization O.S.C.A.R. (One Step Closer Animal Rescue) has finally found a home for itself.
The dream to purchase a property including a kennel and adoption facility finally came to fruition thanks to several recent successful fundraisers. The “Stuff the Van” event this past winter brought in an anonymous donation of $75,000, an additional $25,000 from an estate which donated this amount to several animal organizations in the area and various donations from the community. Last week even more funds (about $10,000) were raised when New Jersey’s own band “The Nerds” played a fundraising event at the Mohawk House.
“It’s just amazing not only the outpouring of support to give us the ability to actually purchase a kennel but also to find a piece of property like this,” said Cassie Kowalchuk, founder of the rescue. "It's so peaceful here-we want to make this a place where animals and people want to be."
The property was a foreclosure and bank-owned, and although the purchase price of $400,000 seems a bargain there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
Located in Hopatcong but with an Andover mailing address, the kennel and a house is set upon about 6 acres and includes plenty of clear, fenced-in yards for dogs to run, a pond and a kennel that houses 40 dog runs with access to the yard via a small door. One area of the inside of the kennel building will be utilized as a cat quarantine and the adjacent room, which has very large windows and lots of natural light will be for healthy cats ready for adoption. The house is in the front of the property and will be utilized as a two room adoption center, storage area and has living quarters with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and 2 bathrooms. In time it will accommodate a full-time caregiver who will live on the property.
"But understand; it's a work-in-progress," Kowalchuk said. "The property was left idle for some time so there was a lot of debris to clear. All the runs have to be cleaned and sealed, some windows replaced, plumbing to fix and we are in need of 2 separate air units so we are able to have quarantine areas for sick animals.
“The kennel license is contingent on the air ventilation for the quarantine areas so we have to reconfigure it-which is expensive but in the long run the whole kennel will have central air and heat so that all the animals will be comfortable year-round. We also are in need of a generator in case of power outages to make sure the animals are safe and warm. We ripped out the carpets in the house, put up all new drywall in the inside cat kennel and we still have to finish the fence in the back yard which will cost almost $4,000. The driveway and parking lot are in need of leveling and paving which could cost upwards of $30,000. One of the biggest costs at this point are the air units and the driveway/parking lot."
Kowalchuk thankfully acknowledged R&B Painting for donating the power washing and sealing of the runs. "We have made so much progress thanks to volunteers as well as local companies that are donating their time and supplies.
“We just want people to know that we still need as much help as possible to really get the place up and running. We are hoping to have the kennel ready by late June/early July and the adoption center ready by September,” Kowalchuk said. “We are hoping to have several volunteer days for anyone who wants to help to come and do anything from clearing, cleaning to painting and organizing supplies. We will post these dates on our website.”
Kowalchuk is confident that the shelter eventually will be able to accommodate up to 80 animals. “We still want to keep our fostering program as well but this kennel will give us the ability to help so many more animals.”
O.S.C.A.R. does their best to keep costs down by giving medical attention such as de-worming, antibiotics and eye and ear medications but uses Advanced Veterinary Care in Franklin for vet checks.
“All our kittens are tested as soon as they are old enough for FeLV and FIV (Feline Leukemia and AIDS), all dogs and cats are vaccinated and treated immediately for any issues. We want to make sure all animals are healthy and ready for adoption,” said Kowalchuk. ““Advanced Veterinary Care has been a long-time supporter of O.S.C.A.R. and provides us with vet care assistance for our animals. We hope in the future to partner with AVC for a spay/neuter program. They are always amazing to work with”.
Kowalchuk founded O.S.C.A.R. in 2010. Since that time, O.S.C.A.R. has saved thousands of animal’s from desperate situations. Kowalchuk has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Accounting and is a senior accountant for a pharmaceutical company. Her spare time is spent on the rescue and making the shelter a reality. “I come here to the shelter every day before and after work. I pass right by it. There’s always something to do!”
When asked about ways people can help, Kowalchuk responded, “There’s lots of ways people can help. We’ll be having volunteer days when people can come work at the shelter. Another way to help is by buying a paver that will be part of a special pathway we’re creating at the shelter. There’s also sponsorship opportunities, a go fund-me account, and an Amazon.com wishlist where people can purchase items we need at the shelter. We know there are a lot of animal lovers out there that want to help so we’ve tried to create ways for everyone to be a part of this amazing project.”
For more information on how to help or foster go to <URL destination="http://www.oscaranimalrescue.org ">www.oscaranimalrescue.org
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