Non-Profit Spotlight: ARNO

Overview

Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) is a New Orleans 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2006 that works to rescue and help abandoned and homeless animals. ARNO also helps animals in need of immediate medical attention, elderly, young, sick, neglected, abused or deprived of love. In addition to looking after the animals, ARNO also works on fostering, adopting, and reuniting lost animals with their families and spaying and neutering. 

Adopt/Foster

ARNO can help you find the perfect dog or cat if you need a furry friend. However, since COVID, there are no public hours, and to visit the shelter, you must make an appointment after your application has been approved. Also, all applicants must be made by residents; no out-of-state adoptions are currently being accepted. 

Adopting

To adopt, all you need to do is fill out the appropriate application form, depending on whether you want a dog or a cat. The application process includes a vet check, a home check, and landlord approval. Everything must be approved for the adoption to go through. If you already have a pet, ARNO will schedule a meeting for the animals to ensure they get along. 

The adoption fee is $200, but dogs over 40 pounds are $40 off this month. 

Fostering

Fostering requires filling out the same applications as adoption. ARNO will cover all medical care if accepted, but foster parents are expected to bring the pets to all adoption events. 

Volunteer

If you want to volunteer with ARNO, they accept volunteers 365 days a year! To volunteer, you must fill out an application, sign a volunteer waiver when you arrive on your first day, and sign in and out with a PIN each time. After filling out the application, ARNO will send you a welcome letter with additional information and instructions to schedule your volunteer hours. This follow-up should arrive within 48 hours. 

Volunteer hours are as follows: 

• 9 am – 1 pm: morning dog walking, kennel cleaning, feeding, and cat care. 
• 2 pm – 5 pm – chores, afternoon dog walks, kennel cleaning, playtime, cat socialization. 
• 6 pm – 9 pm – night dog walks, kennel cleaning, evening feeding, cat socialization, and location cleaning. 

Other duties while volunteering include doing dishes and laundry, sanitizing carriers, sweeping, disinfectant mopping, light housekeeping, and bottle-feeding cats. 

You must be at least 14 years old to volunteer. If you are 14, you will require a parent or guardian to volunteer alongside you. If you are between 15 and 16, you can only volunteer during the 2–5 window with a parent’s permission. For 17-year-olds,  any shift until 6 pm may be available, but it will only include cats and chores. Volunteers over 18 can handle dogs and volunteer at any hour. 

ARNO Capital Campaign

ARNO’s Almost Home Capital Campaign aims to renovate a new building for their no-kill animal shelter. They previously purchased the building through fundraising and now want to transform it from an office building into an animal shelter. They hope for the building to be insulated and climate-controlled, as well as provide a bigger outdoor space for their animals to undergo behavior training and have more time outside their kennels. For the cats, the new building will feature larger indoor space for them, as well as an area outdoors for the New Orleans feral cat colony. 

Events 

ARNO hosts adoption and fundraising events, including several events this month! First is the ARNO Adoptable Dogs at Lafreniere Park Farmers Arts Market on Wednesday, October 12, from 2 pm–7 pm. There will be a fundraiser, information on fostering and volunteering, and a chance to play with their pets! 

Next is the NOLA Dogs Race to the Rescue 5K on Sunday, October 16, from 7 am–10 am at the Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery. All proceeds will be donated to animal rescue organizations in South Louisiana. In addition to the 5K, there will also be a dog parade and the Heaven’s Pets annual Blessing of the Pets. 

The last October event is on the 22nd and is the Kendra Scott Gives Back with ARNO Adoptable Dogs at Kendra Scott Lakeside. This event will take place from 1–3 pm and is a great chance to meet dogs seeking their forever home. 

Donate & Subscribe

If you would like to donate to ARNO, you can do so in the following ways: 

• Ship to or drop off donations at their shelter 
• Mail checks to their administrative office
• Venmo @ARNO_Shelter
• PayPal

You can also opt to make your donations recurring if doing so on PayPal. 

In addition, you can join ARNO’s mailing list by filling out this form and marking which communications you’d like to receive. Your options are events and socials, donors, adopters, or fosters.