The Animal Rescue Fund has cats and dogs in residence at its home on Riggin Road, but it also has an animal not expected at most adoption centers — a pet pig.
His name is Chet and he is a one-eared pig. Chet has been with ARF since he was a piglet, along with 100 other dogs and cats.
ARF has animal adoption centers all across the nation; the ARF in Muncie was started 14 years ago by Terri Panszi.
Panszi worked as an X-ray technician at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, using her paychecks to house about 20 to 30 animals in a small building.
“She had a great love for animals, and she ran out of room in her house to rescue the animals,” Melissa Blair, assistant director at ARF, said.
Blair started as a volunteer many years ago because she saw Panszi needed help.
“I brought in a bag of dog food, and I’ve been here ever since,” Blair said. “I love the place. It’s a really cool place to be, and I love what we do out here and what we mean to the community and the countless lives we save every day.”
Blair said each day brings something new. ARF may take in one animal a day or 10, she said.
Some days, Blair said she finds herself rushing to save an animal found in a field or in the middle of the road.
“It’s kind of like being a fireman or a policeman because I never know what the day is going to bring,” she said.
ARF works with local veterinarians to treat the animals and keep them healthy.
It also tries to ensure the animals go to good homes through its adoption application process. It relies heavily on past pets and veterinarian records, Blair said.
“We are very particular here on our adoption process, I tell everybody,” Blair said. “I joke that we kind of go short of taking DNA tests.”
She explained ARF tries as hard as it can to make the animals’ new home their forever home.
“We try to put the right dog with the right family,” Blair said.
For someone interested in adopting a pet, she said, “It’s a lifelong commitment.”
Blair said the owner is that animal’s life and companion.
ARF runs completely on donations, and it receives a lot of its help from volunteers.
Courtney Sheets, a graduate student at Ball State and the event coordinator and Blair’s assistant at ARF, started as a volunteer, as well.
Sheets has been volunteering at ARF for five years; this is her first year as an employee.
“I started because I love animals,” Sheets said. “I grew up with animals.”
She said the conditions the animals came from and the fact that she could change that for a little while made it worth it.
“I would come and spend hours here, and it just made the day seem worthwhile,” Sheets said.
Sheets said she believes it is important to adopt an animal because there are so many homeless pets that need someone to take good care of them. Even though Sheets may get attached to some of the animals at ARF, she said she knows if an animal is gone when she comes into work, it means the animal went to a good home.
Blair said she is proud of ARF and what it started, what it offers and what it is still doing today.
“ARF is a little slice of heaven out here on Riggin Road,” Blair said.
For more information on ARF or the pets that are currently up for adoption, visit munciearf.com.
