About CODAR

Castle-of-Dreams Animal Rescue (CODAR) truly makes dreams come true for all animals rescued through our organization. We save animals from high kill shelters throughout the east coast. Animals that come to us are taken into our network of foster homes, vetted, and given the proper care, love and attention they deserve, until they find the forever family they so desperately need.

Our main goal is to someday open a No-Kill shelter in NJ, where all the animals can live happily until adopted by a loving family. A REAL "Castle-Of-Dreams"!!

We plan on raising enough money to open our shelter through donations and various fund raising events that our creative & innovative volunteer staff coordinate.

Codar is always looking to add new volunteers that are willing to aid us in our mission. If you would like to help make Dreams Come True for homeless and abused animals, please e-mail us for an application. We also accept donations in food, blankets, treats, crates, and any other item that will benefit our cause.

If you would like to make a donation to our organization, or have any other questions, please feel free to E-MAIL us for further information.

Castle-Of-Dreams made the Asbury Park Press on 12/29/03!!!

Happily Ever After

Published in the Asbury Park Press 12/29/03
Castle makes dreams come true for rescue pets
By TAMMY MCKILLIP
CORRESPONDENT


Jackie Hastings says she has little time for a social life and no room in her house for a husband. The Keyport project manager for Mellon Investor Services and co-founder of Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue (CODAR) currently shares her home with not only her own three mixed-breed rescued dogs, but also seven foster puppies and two foster adult dogs.

"I have always loved animals -- all my life," she says. "I was volunteering at another animal rescue organization, along with my friends Alison Lynch and Lillian Quinones, and we just decided to form our own. Our ultimate goal is to open a nonkill shelter somewhere in New Jersey."

Funded entirely through private donations, Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue incorporated in June of this year and is in the process of getting its 501-C3 "not-for-profit" status, at which point it will apply for government funding. In the meantime, Hastings says she charges adoption fees of $100 to $200 to help offset the cost of shots, de-worming, flea treatments and spaying or neutering.

"We don't make any money off of the adoption fees," she says. "We use everything we bring in to help more animals."

Hastings says she treats each of her rescued animals "like kings, queens, princes and princesses until a forever family is found," and that all of the pets she fosters are given royal names, such as Lady Jada, Princess Stephanie and Sir Lance.

She says she rescues most of her animals from "high-kill" shelters in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia, where Carrie Hardin, a representative from Katie's Rescue in West Virginia, pulls puppies from shelters where they are in danger of being euthanized and then calls Hastings. The two women met online.

"They seem to have an over-abundance of puppies down south," she says. "Carrie goes around picking up the ones that are in danger of being put down, and then she calls me, and we meet in Maryland.

"She drives seven hours, and I drive four hours, each way. I pick up the puppies and put them in foster homes."

Hastings says she currently has about 20 volunteers, including five foster home providers, but she is always in need of people to help with transporting the animals, attending adoption days and public awareness events, doing home visits to check on adopted animals and fostering.

"We usually hold adoption days on Sundays from noon to 3, at PetCo in Parlin," she says. "We also do trade shows, such as the Super Pet Expo, which takes place in February and October, and we offer speaking engagements on animal welfare for schools and civic groups, where we talk about issues like pet overpopulation, the importance of spaying and neutering your pet, and why adoption is better than buying your pet from a pet store, which might be supplied by a puppy mill."

She says her organization accepts volunteers of all ages and that her youngest volunteers are 11 years old.

"They help us with the PetCo adoption days, and they show their love for the dogs by answering questions from potential adopters and playing with and cleaning up after the animals up for adoption."

In addition to volunteers, Hastings says her organization is always seeking donations of supplies, such as blankets, towels, cleaning solutions, food, toys and dog treats, as well as monetary donations.

She says that the vice president of Hartz Industry, Bill Judge, recently adopted a coon hound/Lab mix from her, and since that time his company has donated flea collars, raw hide chews, shampoo, toys and other sample items to her organization.

Each dog adopted leaves with a gift bag, she says, that includes these products, as well as coupons, dog food samples, dog information booklets, a dog bowl, brush, leash, collar and an identification tag.

Her Web site, www.castle-of-dreams.com is linked to the Petfinder's site, www.petfinder.com, and she says that people who adopt through the link are eligible for two free months of shelter-care insurance.

Those interested in adopting may fill out an online application.

"When we get the application, we revue it to see if the people have had pets and what they're looking for. We check their vet references and their personal references. We see if the pet they're applying for is a good match for their family, and then we do a home visit. Then we set up a meeting with them so they can meet the pet they're interested in. Only then, if it's a match, can they come and get their pet."

Currently, in addition to seven Beagle-mix puppies, Hastings says she has two adult dogs in need of a good home.

"Lance," she says, "a German-shepherd mix, was found in Bergen County by some very nice people. He actually jumped over their fence. That's how they found him. He likes to jump fences."

Hastings describes Lance as a "very smart dog," but a bit devious and spiteful. "When he knows he's not supposed to do something, he'll do it and look at you to make sure he has your attention. I guess he just needs attention.

"He gets along with everyone. He's just a bit leery at first, and so he barks. But if somebody walks toward him, he backs off. He's a good dog."

"Jada," she says, "is a 1-year-old Lab mix that must have been abused when she was younger because she's very fearful of people at first. But once she knows you, she follows you everywhere. She's very faithful."

Hastings says she frequently brings foster dogs into her home and that she's never had a bad experience with or been bitten by a foster pet, since most of them have been temperament-tested by the shelters they were in before.

"I just don't have time for a social life," she says. "I do the rescue work on the weekends and nights, after work. It's very difficult, but I try to balance it all as much as I can."

For information on donating to, adopting from or volunteering for Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue, call (732) 765-8378, or visit: www.castle-of-dreams.com.