Animal Rescue Foundation
Encyclopedia
Tony La Russa
's Animal Rescue Foundation ("ARF") is a "No-Kill" animal shelter
based in Walnut Creek, California
. ARF saves abandoned and injured animals, as well as running programs to bring dog and cat visits to abused children, hospital patients, seniors and shut-in
s.
The catalyst for ARF came in May 1990 during a baseball
game between the Oakland Athletics
and the New York Yankees
when a stray cat wandered onto the playing field at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Terrified by the roar of the crowd, the frightened feline dashed about, eluding umpires and players. La Russa (then the manager of the A's) coaxed the cat into the dugout, secured its safety for the remainder of the game, then took responsibility for placing it with a local shelter.
To his dismay, Tony discovered there was not a No-Kill facility in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area
. When he learned the cat would be euthanized, he and his wife, Elaine found a home for her. His experience with this cat was the genesis for the founding of ARF, a No-Kill organization dedicated to bringing people and animals together to enrich each other's lives.
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
's Animal Rescue Foundation ("ARF") is a "No-Kill" animal shelter
No-kill Shelter
A kill shelter is an animal shelter where animals are euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption or due to lack of shelter space...
based in Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
. ARF saves abandoned and injured animals, as well as running programs to bring dog and cat visits to abused children, hospital patients, seniors and shut-in
Shut-in
Shut-in may refer to:*Shut-in , a river that's naturally confined within a deep, narrow channel*A shut-in is a person who is either unwilling or unable to leave his/her home, often due to disability, or a mental disease such as agoraphobia...
s.
The catalyst for ARF came in May 1990 during a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game between the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
when a stray cat wandered onto the playing field at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Terrified by the roar of the crowd, the frightened feline dashed about, eluding umpires and players. La Russa (then the manager of the A's) coaxed the cat into the dugout, secured its safety for the remainder of the game, then took responsibility for placing it with a local shelter.
To his dismay, Tony discovered there was not a No-Kill facility in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
. When he learned the cat would be euthanized, he and his wife, Elaine found a home for her. His experience with this cat was the genesis for the founding of ARF, a No-Kill organization dedicated to bringing people and animals together to enrich each other's lives.