Aug. 15, 2019

Since moving to Sioux Falls last year, a nonprofit organization focused on pet adoptions has seen increased demand.

Almost Home Canine Rescue started in 2002 in Madison, taking in overflow animals from the pound and setting them up with temporary foster families.

Organizers saw a growing need in Sioux Falls for a group like theirs and decided to base operations here. AHCR’s mission is to care for neglected or unwanted animals and ensure they are adopted by appropriate families.

The operation is run exclusively by volunteers, and most work full- or part-time jobs in addition to their roles at AHCR.

Kayla Obeslo is the events and relations coordinator for AHCR, but she also works in telecommunication and wireless sales, and finds part-time dog-walking and dog-sitting jobs in the Sioux Falls area.

The volunteer-based structure allows all of the money donated or raised to go directly to the dogs and cats in AHCR’s care. Obeslo said that in the past 14 months, bills for veterinarian care have cost $170,000.

AHCR doesn’t have a facility or an office space, so the pets go directly to foster families until someone applies to adopt the animal.

The application process for animals in the care of AHCR is unique, Obeslo said, because the teams in charge of applications take every possible precaution to ensure animals are placed in the right homes.

The application asks for three non-relative references, and Obeslo said they often call two of the three to learn everything they can about the applicant.

After contacting references, AHCR does what Obleso called a “landlord check” to ensure whoever the applicant rents from or lives with is OK with the potential adoption.

“A lot of times people can buy a dog, and nobody checks whether or not they’re allowed to have it,” she said. “So we like to call and make sure there are no breed restrictions or rules against pets in general.”

If the applicant is already a pet owner, AHCR reaches out to the person’s veterinarian to make sure the owner’s current pets are well cared for and up to date on vaccines.

The final step in the application process is a home visit. A team assesses an applicant’s home to ensure there is adequate space for the type of dog the applicant has requested to adopt.

“For example, I live in a town home,” Obeslo said. “An energetic dog wouldn’t do well in that small space because there’s not a fenced-in yard or a lot of room for it to run around and burn off energy.”

Almost Home Canine Rescue will be at the Dawley Dog Day event from noon to 3 p.m. Friday in front of PetSmart to share more about its organization — potentially with a four-legged friend.

Dawley Farm’s Dog Day event offers treats, savings, surprises