One of the Animal Rescue Foundation's best friends died unexpectedly on April 19, 2009. Larry Palmieri, a twenty-year volunteer veteran of ARF was a fixture of the shelter and rescue community.

              Larry became involved with ARF after successfully surviving cancer. He wanted to stay busy and help others in need. Working with animals became his passion and it lasted until the day he died.

       Larry was a leader at the Animal Rescue Foundation. He was popular with the animals and volunteers alike; it was common to see him rolling around on the ground playing with a dog that was just rescued. Volunteers often sought Larry's advice. If you asked him for help with anything, you could be assured that nothing was beyond his reach and he would help you find a solution to your problem. Larry always based his decisions on one thing: the welfare of the animals. He led by example and was never afraid to get his hands dirty. We all admired Larry and looked up to him as a rescue role model.

       Larry took on the responsibility and maintenance of the aging shelter and grounds. Armed with duct tape, bungee cords, and plastic zip-ties, Larry made repairs so volunteers could continue their mission of saving cats and dogs. Looking forward, it's hard to imagine being at the shelter without Larry tackling his next project.

       Recently, Larry was asked to join the ARF Building Committee to share his vision of the new shelter that will soon be rebuilt. It is indeed a loss for this organization to move on without him, as his input and criticism are now needed more than ever.

       On behalf of all the animals and friends of ARF who knew and loved Larry, we want to say: Thank you, "Larry ARF", for spending what brief time you had on this planet loving us as much as we loved you.

Miss Wolcott's Outstanding Teen Erin Ward  is shown here with Sharon Morrelli of Exashar, where Erin hosted a Bake sale for ARF on Saturday December 19. Erin was very excited and pleased to be able to present an ARF Representative with a check for $1,000.  Erin has chosen ARF as her Platform to promote during her reign. This was the first of many fund raisers she has planned for the organization throughout her year. Great job Erin ARF and thank you.