Ohana Animal Rescue | Tempe, AZ
Rocky recruits some social media help to find a forever home for Aurora
Rocky brings in his team of experts and community volunteers to help an animal shelter devoted to helping the homeless pet population in the Phoenix area. As work begins to upgrade the dog kennels, Rocky turns to social media to help find an adorably quiet Beagle named Aurora a forever home! To help save another pet’s life, a law student looking for a loveable companion in his new apartment becomes interested in adopting.
Ohana Animal Rescue (“OAR”) has not been open very long. Dee Aroyo has only been rescuing pets since 2014. She set aside a career as an at-risk youth teen counsellor, finished raising a family, and after committing to living on one income (her husband Gabriel will also be on the show) she answered the call to rescue homeless animals. In three short years her 5400 sq ft. shelter has racked up to 150 animals (120 dogs, 30 cats) a month. This pet count places her at 1/3 the size of the local animal control facility, and has nearly doubled her adoption count from 430 to well over 800 this year. They do not euthanize their pets, find home for 90% of their pets, and keep the remaining 10% to live out their days. It’s a wonderful spot but the space has a lack of quality, defined kennels.
Dee searched her Hawaiian roots and language for the name of her beloved shelter and took the name Ohana, the Hawaiian word for “family”. Once an adopter or dog or volunteer comes here, they are “ohana”, family. But the biggest grace note of Ohana is that Dee herself is proof that anyone can do anything. With heart as well as family, she has built a pet and volunteer family of her own. She not only does the work day and night with no paycheck saving animals, she is also legally blind. It is because of her albinism. Gabriel, her loving husband and devoted partner in pet rescue, is her eyes and driver in the world that needs sight and transport. He is also a board member and has supported his wife’s calling to help with homeless pets. Together they make an inspiring couple, who beam love and belonging to pets and humans alike, even despite disability.”
