{"id":224596,"date":"2026-04-09T09:43:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/224596\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:43:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:43:11","slug":"fort-lauderdale-no-kill-pet-rescue-celebrates-30-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/224596\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Lauderdale no-kill pet rescue celebrates 30 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Luna Luna Carvajal, 21, a cat adoption coordinator, holds Hera, who is up for adoption, at Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Sue Hansen still thinks fondly of Polly, the \u201cfattest beagle I have ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the early 2000s, a woman brought in Polly, a beagle that weighed well over 50 pounds, to Abandoned Pet Rescue in Fort Lauderdale. She wanted to surrender the dog because she was peeing everywhere. Staff suggested she bring Polly to a veterinarian, so she left in a huff. She tied Polly to a post outside the building instead.<\/p>\n

Abandoned Pet Rescue staff and volunteers did what they have always done. Polly got medical care, including a diabetes diagnosis and insulin, toys to play with, volunteers to walk her and a safe place to sleep. Eventually, she dropped all the excess weight. Polly was never adopted and spent the rest of her days in the shelter\u2019s front office.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sort of became our mascot,\u201d said Hansen, the shelter\u2019s treasurer and board member.<\/p>\n

Polly\u2019s story isn\u2019t sad. It\u2019s part of Abandoned Pet Rescue\u2019s mission as the only no-kill shelter in Fort Lauderdale. The non-profit is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n

\"Stalker, Stalker, who is up for adoption, reacts to being pet at Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you a renewed sense of hope and humanity, that there are still places in the world where people just care for each other and for any living being,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cA very common comment that I get on the street is, \u2018I don\u2019t know how you can do that. I could never go to an animal shelter. It\u2019s just so sad.\u2019 And I say, \u2018It\u2019s not a sad place. Come visit. I promise you, you\u2019re going to leave happy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Since 1996, Abandoned Pet Rescue has gotten over 10,000 cats and dogs adopted. The shelter takes in about 350 animals each year, providing each one with medical attention, including spaying\/neutering, vaccines, a microchip, testing for common illnesses, dewormer and flea and heartworm prevention. For an animal in basic health, that process costs about $485, which Abandoned Pet Rescue covers. It costs $65,000 a month to operate the shelter.<\/p>\n

The need is \u201cnever ending,\u201d said executive director Kara Starzyk. The shelter receives 30 calls and emails a day from people finding animals on the street or giving up their pets, which has become more common as South Floridians struggle with higher costs of living. Sometimes staff shows up to work and find cats left at the door. Space at the shelter, which houses 100 cats and 50 dogs, is limited.<\/p>\n

Abandoned Pet Rescue commemorated its 30th anniversary last month with a fundraiser that raised $45,000. The shelter is planning a capital campaign in a few months to expand and modernize its pet clinic, which it has outgrown, Starzyk said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a fancy building. It\u2019s old, it needs a lot of infrastructure repairs, but we keep it very clean and we\u2019re constantly working on projects to improve the facilities,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the majority of our money goes to caring for the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kara Kara Starzyk, executive director, is photographed with Jordan near the Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com An increase in need<\/p>\n

Hershey, a 14-year-old chihuahua, had loving owners who did not want to give her up. But after the death of a family member, they could no longer afford their housing. They had little choice but to bring Hershey<\/a> to Abandoned Pet Rescue, where they knew she would not be killed and hopefully rehomed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the family members still texts me, \u2018How\u2019s she doing?\u2019\u201d Starzyk said. \u201cI think it\u2019s such a relief for her to know that she\u2019s safe even though she\u2019s a senior down here and that we will find her a good home.\u201d<\/p>\n

While animals find themselves at Abandoned Pet Rescue and other shelters for a variety of reasons, Starzyk said the shelter has seen an increase in pets who are surrendered by their owners simply because they can\u2019t afford to take care of them anymore.<\/a> There are expensive vet bills and pet fees at apartments. Since the pandemic, South Florida\u2019s housing crisis has only exacerbated the issue at already overwhelmed animal shelters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really causing hardship on families. They could barely feed themselves or take care of themselves. Sadly, a pet is frequently the first thing that they have to give up to survive,\u201d Starzyk said. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing that makes Abandoned Pet Rescue a safe place not only for animals, but for families as well. It\u2019s peace of mind for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even popular, fashionable breeds are found alone in the streets of South Florida. There\u2019s Noodle<\/a>, a handsome goldendoodle who was recently found in Miami with his friend Coyote<\/a>, a hound. There\u2019s also Cashew<\/a>, a 2-year-old French bulldog who was found \u201ccompletely starved\u201d on the street last year. Now, she\u2019s happy, healthy and \u201ccan make someone very happy,\u201d Starzyk said.<\/p>\n

Cashew was the 24th French bulldog that the shelter has received since January 2024. That is likely because of over-breeding and a lack of education over the breed\u2019s health issues, Starzyk said. Breeds like French bulldogs can cost thousands of dollars at a breeder, but Cashew can be adopted for just $150.<\/p>\n

\"Kara Kara Starzyk, executive director, walks French bulldog, Cashew, at the Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Other animals were rescued from cruel or unhealthy situations. Jordan<\/a>, an energetic 2-year-old hound mix, was nursed back to health and properly trained at the shelter after he was found with a shock collar embedded into his neck over a year ago.<\/p>\n

Just months ago, Abandoned Pet Rescue and other local animal shelters had to rescue 20 chihuahuas from a hoarding situation in which the dogs\u2019 owner was about to be evicted from her home. Abandoned Pet Rescue took in six of the chihuahuas (who are all siblings and look alike) and got two adopted already. The shelter is adopting out the remaining chihuahuas (Fieto<\/a>, Baby<\/a>, Lola<\/a> and Missy<\/a>) in pairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good example of the importance of spaying and neutering. One or two can lead to 20 very quickly,\u201d Starzyk said.<\/p>\n

Staff member Alexa Matos performed the well-choreographed dance of feeding the chihuahuas, quickly separating them to make sure everyone gets their own food.<\/p>\n

\u201cChi-chis! Chi-chis!\u201d Matos called to them. \u201cIt\u2019s like a chihuahua rodeo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"From From left to right: Lola, Baby and Missy are up for adoption at Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com Going \u2018the extra mile\u2019 for 30 years<\/p>\n

Before there was Abandoned Pet Rescue, Hansen said, it was just her and a friend trapping, spaying and neutering cats together.<\/p>\n

Hansen and Kathleen Collette, a veterinarian, started a practice in Fort Lauderdale together. They got involved trapping the colony of feral cats living behind the strip mall the vet office was located in. Then, they expanded to dogs and other small creatures. In March 1996, Abandoned Pet Rescue was officially organized as a nonprofit. The group moved into its current building, an old veterinary hospital that was built by Collette\u2019s uncle in the \u201850s, two years later.<\/p>\n

Hansen, 78, the only original board member still serving, said that building was probably the biggest challenge Abandoned Pet Rescue has faced in its 30 years. The building was in such bad shape when the group moved in, she said, the roofer fell through the roof.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really walked into a huge mess,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cIt was what we could afford, and we just built from the ground up and had all these wonderful volunteers that came in and got it together for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A decades-old photo of cats lounging at Abandoned Pet Rescue, Fort Lauderdale\u2019s only no-kill animal shelter. The shelter is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Courtesy of Abandoned Pet Rescue <\/p>\n

The dedicated volunteers and staff at Abandoned Pet Rescue have been the key to the organization\u2019s longevity, Hansen said. There are ways from people of all ages to volunteer, from young people walking dogs and cleaning kennels to retired folks playing with the cats inside. Some volunteers work with the nonprofit until they pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a passion of mine. I just love it. I always want to be involved in APR until the day I\u2019m no longer here,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cIt\u2019s a community within a community. You just meet such wonderful people who are all trying to do the same thing, and you get to help a lot of animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starzyk said longtime volunteers like Dee McClintock, an 80-year-old who has worked with the organization for 18 years, are crucial to Abandoned Pet Rescue. McClintock said she\u2019s stuck to her passion of trapping, neutering and taking care of cats for so long because the need is just so high.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what keeps you going,\u201d she said. \u201cThen you see the cruelty and the things that happen, and you just try to make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many volunteers and staff members are attracted to Abandoned Pet Rescue because of its no-kill policy, like Luna Carvajal, the cat adoption coordinator. Growing up with seven cats, 21-year-old Carvajal said she always wanted to work with animals professionally, but working at a kill shelter would break her heart. As soon as she turned 18, she googled \u201cno-kill shelter\u201d and found Abandoned Pet Rescue. Now she works with families to adopt cats, \u201cwhich brings so much fulfillment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Luna Luna Carvajal, 21, a cat adoption coordinator, reacts next to Stalker, center-right, who is up for adoption, at Abandoned Pet Rescue on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The shelter is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in South Florida and is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

The senior cats at the shelter are especially close to Carvajal\u2019s heart, like Moo Moo, a senior cat around the same age as Carvajal\u2019s oldest pet cat, Ana Banana. Moo Moo, one of Abandoned Pet Rescue\u2019s longest residents, was finally adopted earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a very small chapter of what has been such a huge, helpful organization. It feels very rewarding,\u201d Carvajal said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of hard work. It really takes a stab at your heart when you can\u2019t help every animal that walks in, you can\u2019t help every family that walks in. But we do such a big part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abandoned Pet Rescue, 1137 NE Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Go to abandonedpetrescue.org<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Luna Carvajal, 21, a cat adoption coordinator, holds Hera, who is up for adoption, at Abandoned Pet Rescue…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224597,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[249,251,250],"class_list":["post-224596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}