Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge is Bergen County’s only non profit “no-kill” shelter located in the suburb of Oakland.
Written by George DeGiovanni, Best Friends NetworkThe staff and volunteers at
RBARI are dedicated to the welfare of companion animals in the community; protecting the abandoned, the abused and the unwanted animals that come into their care by finding these wonderful animals kind and loving homes. These homes are either permanent or foster homes until a suitable adopter is found. Each and every one of those animals that come thru the front doors gets lots of food, medical treatment, shelter and of course love.
Many times a year special cases are brought to RBARI. These cases are usually medical and behavioral problems. That is not a problem for RBARI as they are capable of rehabilitating these cats and dogs and getting them into loving homes. Taking care of these animals is a rewarding job but it does come with a high price tag which usually reaches into the thousands. Treatments for the animals can run into the thousands and then there is the general maintenance and care.
The History of RBARI:More than thirty years ago, two animal rescue organizations had a dream ~ a dream to establish a permanent shelter for homeless animals. The Bergen Animal Rescue, Inc, (BARI), under the guidance of their president, Russell T. Custer, had been fund-raising for years to raise the necessary means for building a shelter. Based in Teaneck, NJ and the surrounding towns, BARI was made up of mostly business people, who individually rescued animals and tried to find homes for them. Although they had the funds, BARI was unable to find a town that would allow them to build an animal shelter. The Ramapo Animal Refuge, Inc. (RARI) was the vision of Rosary Thomas, and a dedicated group of volunteers from the Oakland, NJ area. They fostered dogs and cats in their homes, fundraising to cover their expenses, and operated a telephone network for screening adopters.
In 1978, the two groups decided to merge and pool their resources. BARI had the needed funds and RARI had the manpower and a good relationship with the People of Oakland. Their dream and hard work became the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc. (RBARI). A small piece of property with a turn-of-the century farmhouse was purchased on Route 208 South next to 84 Lumber. When 84 Lumber needed the property for a driveway, another piece of property with a garage building was purchased by RBARI and the house was moved several hundred feet north. In 1981, thanks to the generous bequest of Mrs. Lillian Lammens of Ridgewood, RBARI was able to pay off some its mortgage and complete the needed renovation of the garage into an animal shelter. In the fall of 1983, our Gift Shop opened on the first floor of the old farmhouse.
As is the case with many organizations, RBARI underwent growing pains. Foremost among them was to reach an agreement about shelter policy. Some Board members felt that the only way to make a dent in the animal population was to try to find our shelter animals homes, but then euthanized them after a period of time to make room for new animals. Others felt RBARI should focus on quality rather than quantity - give adoptable animals an unlimited stay, and to only use euthanasia in cases of severe health or behavioral problems. The latter group won out and the shelter has come to be known as a "No-Kill" shelter.
In 1986, the State of New Jersey dropped a bombshell on RBARI; the planned construction of Interstate Highway 287 would take 40 feet off our property and cut off our access to Route 208. After 3 years of negotiation, and a fortune in legal and engineering fees, RBARI was compensated with an equivalent piece of property and fees. Work on the property, including a new access road "Shelter Lane" was completed in 1990.
After an extensive capital campaign and fundraising, the old RBARI shelter was razed. The staff worked out of trailers (where the animals were housed) on the RBARI grounds. A new, two-story building was built on the site. In January 1999, the new building was dedicated and adoptions have been increasing ever since. In 2002, under the supervision of shelter director, Christine Taylor, RBARI reached a new milestone of 1,070 adoptions for the year.
The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge looks forward to the future with confidence. By keeping in step with new technology available to shelters, establishing a humane education program, and hiring a full-time dog trainer, RBARI will better serve the needs of our community and the animals in our care. The RBARI staff, Board of Directors, hundreds of Volunteers, and our generous supporters will continue the dream of the founders of our organization.
The Senior Residents:Sunrise and Pippi have been at RBARI the longest. They are looking for a furr ever home. Please help get these 2 wonderful furr babies out of RBARI.
SUNRISE
Breed: Torbie/DSH
Age: ~10 yrs old
Sex: Spayed Female
Medical Information: Up to date on shots, Tested negative for FeLV/FIV, Micro chipped
Information: Poor Sunrise has been
at the shelter for 8 years! She originally was rescued from a hoarding situation with her brother Sunset. Sunset was adopted immediately, leaving poor Sunrise behind. Sunrise is timid at first but with time and patience, the right person will see her true personality come out. In the past year, she has really come out of her shell at the shelter- she now seeks out attention and is even a lap cat! She loves to be brushed and purrs when petted. She gets along with other cats and could go to a home with or without other feline friends. Sunrise just needs a calm patient home and a special person willing to give her time to adjust. Please, please give this girl a chance–
she would love to be able to live out her life in a real home.
PIPPI
Breed: Britney Spaniel/ Schnauzer mix
Age: 2-4 yrs old Sex: Spayed Female
Weight: approximately 30lbs.
Medical Information: Up to date on shots (Rabies, DHLPP, Bordatella); Tested negative for Heartworm, Lyme, and Erlichea; Has had full blood work done with normal results and Micro chipped.
Information:
RBARI pulled Pippi from a NJ kill shelter . She is absolutely adorable and is as sweet as can be. She loves attention and enjoys going on outings with our volunteers. Pippi is desperately seeking a human companion to give her lots of attention and affection, as well as exercise and clear household rules. Because Pippi has been passed around, she bonds very closely to her companions and has a tendency to become protective if leadership is not established from the beginning. RBARI’s training dept will offer a free lesson prior to adoption to help Pippi adjust to her new home in a positive manner. Also, a second in home private lesson will be offered to local adopters. Pippi would thrive in a relatively calm adult home as a single pet.
She has been waiting a long time for that special someone to come in and offer her the safe and loving permanent home she needs.
What you can do:
There are many Volunteer positions at RBARI that are just waiting to be filled. We are extremely thankful for all of our current volunteers and all of their hard work but we are always looking for more help with . . .
Foster Families – For shy, sick, or needy dogs, cats, puppies & kittens
Office Help – Answering phones, handing out Matchmaking Forms etc.
Kennel Help – Cleaning cages, feeding, and socializing the dogs & cats
We are also always in need of donations to help better care for our animals while they are staying with us. We receive many donations on a daily basis and we are thankful to everyone who has donated items to us. At this time we do have a few special requests in addition to our regular Wish List.
Dog Food – Nutro Brand Dog food for any age. Also Nutro food for weight control and senior dogs.
Videos – VHS tapes to play in our dog and cat kennels. ie. nature type videos, children’s videos, Animal Planet, etc.
CDs – Calming and relaxing music to play in our dog and cat kennels
Toys – All brands and types of toys for dogs and cats
Cat Beds & Scratching Posts – All shapes, sizes & types
How you can help:Adopt Sunrise and Pippi.
For more information on how you can adopt Sunrise or Pippi and if you wanna volunteer, please contact the RBARI staff at
By Phone: 201-337-5180
E-mail Us: AdoptLove@rbari.org
Fax Us: 201-337-2040
ALL ADOPTIONSTuesdays & Thursdays
from 1 PM to 8 PM
Saturday & Sunday
from 11 AM to 4 PM
BY APPOINTMENT ADOPTIONS Wednesdays
12pm - 4pm
Pictures of Sunrise and Pippi provided by RBARI. Information on Sunrise, Pippi and RBARI, provided graciously by RBARI