World Animal Day at Sambil

World Animal Day is a long-standing tradition recognizing the importance of animals to humankind. Obviously, CARF couldn't just let this day pass without doing something...
Earlier this year, Sambil Curaçao asked residents of the island: 'What's Your Dream For Curaçao?'. Sarah Pinedo wished for a better treatment of animals. With 1138 likes, the dream of Sarah Pinedo received the most votes. To support her dream, Sambil invited everyone to come and celebrate World Animal Day on Sunday, October 4th at Sambil Plaza Punda from 12:00 - 5:00pm.

CARF was invited by Sarah to join the festivities. Of course, we don't say 'no' to a celebration. By selling books, candles, home decorations, and more, we were able to raise some money which will go towards feeding, medicating and taking care of our CARFIES.

Many thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate World Animal Day with us. A special thanks goes to Sarah and Sambil for hosting this event and for inviting us!

And of course, we hope you and your pets have had a pleasant, enjoyable and happy World Animal Day.

by Cassandra Bowers

CARF Meet & Greet October

On Saturday, October 3rd, some of our adoptable CARFIES were treated to a little road trip. Our volunteers came in early to pick them up and bring them to our Doggy Meet & Greet at Kaya Semikok B3.
Once there, they could run, play, discover, meet fellow CARFIES, cuddle and be cuddled, and sniff many new people.

The event took place from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. and had a nice turnout. We welcomed both young and older couples, families with children, and one-person households, all looking for a furry friend that would make a suitable addition to their home. Well, guess what? Some lucky CARFIES found their humans and have already moved to their forever home this weekend! Several other dogs are looking forward to moving to their new homes soon.

We would like to thank everyone who attended or participated in this event. Stay tuned for information about our upcoming meet & greets. Scroll down for our event pictures.

Hurray! This dog-loving couple visited our Doggy Meet & Greet looking for a playmate for their young dog Kaity. They spoke with some of our volunteers, met several of our dogs and eventually decided Julie would be the perfect match for Kaity. We couldn't be happier for our Julie. She has finally found her lifetime home with loving & experienced dog lovers, were three furry friends, lots of treats and plenty of cuddles await her.
"Now the temperature of this pool is just perfect, the size of the pool however might be an issue..." - CARFIE Tank, fooling around. Tank is still up for adoption in case you've been looking for a dog/pool boy.
Surprise, surprise! During our Doggy Meet & Greet, our volunteers were treated to bouquets of fresh flowers. It was such a sweet gesture and surprise and really made their (our) day. If anyone deserves it, it's our volunteers. Thank you, Ellen!
While hosting our Doggy Meet & Greet, we were pleasantly surprised by Lars who dropped by with dog food, food bowls and toys for our CARFIES. Totally 'pawsome'! Thank you so much for your donation and for helping our rescued dogs and puppies, Lars! Your donations will be put to good use and our CARFIES thank you.

Another heartfelt 'thank you' goes out to one of our dedicated supporters who dropped by at the event with a bag of dog food and treats for our rescues. Thanks a million - you know who you are! ;-)

Pictures in slideshow by Michèle van Veldhoven.

by Cassandra Bowers

Did You Know...

So many adoptable dogs are waiting for there fur-ever homes. That is why, on Saturday, October 3rd, CARF is hosting another Meet & Greet where you can come to meet, play and cuddle with some of our CARFIES.
This Saturday come and meet some of our adoptable CARFIES and see if we can help you find a new four-legged friend. There is no pressure whatsoever to make your decision there and then.

Date: Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
Time: From 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Address: Kaya Semikok B3, Curaçao

by Cassandra Bowers

Ice, Ice, Puppy

We've previously mentioned our 'pupsicles', a cool treat that are fun for you to make and even more fun for your dog to enjoy during these hot days. Check out the simple steps in this article.
Once you master the base recipe (and trust us, it really is as simple as can be...), get creative! Try making bigger 'pupsicles' to keep your dog entertained even longer, or add extra-special treats for him to find inside. Instead of water you can also use chicken broth or bouillon.

​ It’s inexpensive, long-lasting fun!

This is really all you need: one or multiple plastic cups, water, and dog food from a can (you might need a can opener). You can also replace the water with bouillon or chicken broth, or add some normal dog food (not from a can) or treats to the mix.
Open the can and divide the dog food over the plastic cups. Fill the cups halfway with food, then fill them up by adding water.
Trust us on this one, your furry friend is going to love this.
Put the cups into the freezer for a few hours, and ta-da! There you go, your 'pupsicles' or 'dogsicles' are ready.

by Cassandra Bowers

Bring Some Brazilian Spirit Into Your Home

Cuteness overload alert! On August 15th, we welcomed a momma dog and her litter of 7 puppies to the CARF family. Our 'CARF Brazil pups' are now ready for adoption. Don't say we didn't warn you...
The 'Brazil pups' were found by volunteers who spotted them in the bushes behind their yard. The puppies were ridden with fleas and ticks but after they had been cleaned up, our vet was able to confirm that they were in fairly good shape.

The seven pups were named after Brazilian top models: Adriana, Alesandra, Camila, Flavia, Francisco, Giselle and Marlon, hence their nick name 'Brazil pups'. Our vet estimated them to be only 4-5 weeks young so fortunately they had their mommy looking after them (puppies should stay with their mom until they are at least 8 weeks old)!

Over the last few weeks, our volunteers monitored and cared for momma dog and her puppies, and provided them with fresh water, flea and tick treatments, and deworming and vitamin pills. All seven puppies have now received their 2nd vaccination and have been cleared by our vet which means they are ready to move to their forever home.

Oh la la, Brazil! Would you like to bring the spirit, the charm and the warmth of Brazil into your home? Now you can! Send us a message at stichtingcarf@gmail.com for more information or to set up a meet & greet with the 'CARF Brazil puppies'.

by Cassandra Bowers

Save The Date: CARF Meet & Greet October

Looking for a lifetime friend or additional family member? You have come to the right place. Save the date because on Saturday, October 3rd, CARF is hosting another 'CARFIE Meet & Greet' during which you are welcome to come meet, play and cuddle with some of our adoptable doggies.
Our regularly hosted meet & greets offer people the opportunity to meet our adoptable dogs and talk to us about the possibilities of adopting or fostering one or multiple CARFIES.

The upcoming meet & greet will take place on Saturday, October 3rd from 10:00 - 11:30 am at Kaya Semikok B3, Curaçao. Whether you are looking for a lifetime friend, or just want to come over to give and receive some cuddles, we look forward to welcoming you! If you would like to drop by to donate pet food, used linens or other items for our CARFIES, you are obviously very welcome.

Please note that not all of our dogs attend each Meet & Greet. If you are planning on coming out to see a particular dog, it is best to send a message to stichting.carf@gmail.com to check which dogs are scheduled to be attending.

Keep an eye on this website and our Facebook page for information about this (and other upcoming) CARFIE Meet & Greets.

If you've been thinking about adopting a dog, feel free to email us at stichtingcarf@gmail.com to see if we can find you the perfect match.

by Cassandra Bowers

CARFIE Of The Week: Margot ♀

Meet Margot. Margot was born around March 1st, and she has since grown into a loving and most of all, a very playful girl. Are you going to be her favorite play buddy?
Margot loves to play whether it is with other dogs, with people, or by herself with her favorite toys. She thinks everyone is here on earth to be her play buddy, and who knows, maybe you are...?

Margot is looking for her lifetime home to where she can live with her human and play all she wants. 

For more information about Margot or one of our other CARFIES, please contact stichtingcarf@gmail.com. We will reply to you at our earliest convenience.

CARFIE Margot (right) meets CARFIE Drew (now Candy),
back in June 2015.

by Cassandra Bowers

Curaçaoan Stephany: "Don't people realize that dogs have feelings too?"

Curaçaoan and guest blogger Stephany was born and raised on Curaçao. After living abroad for seven years she move back to the island. "I noticed nothing had changed in all these years. When I returned, I still saw struggling and starving dogs everywhere I went. It was really hard to see...”

by Cassandra Bowers

Did You Know...

With over hundred rescue dogs in our care, we always have a lot of dog food to buy and many bellies to fill. All dogs get their daily breakfast and dinner, some CARFIES are malnourished and have to be fed multiple times a day.
If you would like to make a donation, we can always use dry dog food (preferably Purina Pro Plan) and stainless steel bowls to help feed all of these hungry mouths. 

If you think that you can help us out, please send us a message at stichtingcarf@gmail.com. Together we can set a day and time to drop off/pick up your donations.

by Cassandra Bowers

Dog Days Of Summer

Protect Your Dog From The Heat

"Dog days of summer? That means I'll be tanning on my lounge chair!" - Sam.

Feeling hot, hot, hot...

The 'dogs days of summer' are here, which means plenty of sunshine, rising temperatures and, well, uncomfortable sultry days. The dog days of summer can also be hard on your furry friends. So let's go over 5 different ways to keep your pooch cool and comfortable during this heat.

5 Ways To Protect Your Dog From The Heat

  1. Summer or no summer, your dog should have access to a spot in the shade and clean, fresh drinking water at all times. If you want to help your dog cool off, give him cold water but do not offer him ice water. As refreshing as it might seem, ice cold water can actually be dangerous for dogs.
  2. If you want to give your dog something to cool off, it is safe to give him homemade 'dogsicles' or 'pupsicles'. Just fill half a cup with dog food from a can, then fill the cup by adding water. Stir, then place the plastic cup in the freezer. Before giving your dog his 'pupsicle', make sure to hold it under the tab first so your dog's tongue won't stick to it. Instead of dog food, you can also use yoghurt or chicken or beef bouillon.
  3. What better way to cool down than by taking a jump into the pool? Give your dog his own pool by placing a plastic kiddie pool in your yard and filling it up with water. Fun guaranteed! You can consider placing the kiddie pool in the ground so big dogs can't chew it up or drag it.
  4. If your dog isn't too fond of swimming, you can wet a towel and get him to either lie down on it to cool off, or wet his body with it. Dogs sweat from the pads of their food, so don't forget to wet those paws.
  5. Regular brushing and combing your dog not only helps to keep his coat and skin healthy, it also helps him shed as much of his undercoat as possible which will leave him more comfortable.

Do you have any other tips? We would love to hear them! Please share them with us by placing your comments below.

by Cassandra Bowers

CARFIE Of The Week: Puck ♀

Meet Puck. This sweet black-and-white furred girl is approximately 4 years old. She is very loving and gets along well with people and other dogs. It's time for her to be a cherished family member. Will you offer her a second chance at life and love?
Puck is a very loyal and devoted companion and she really deserves a home and a family to call her own.Her forever home is preferably one with a high fence, wall or gate around it so Puck can't go exploring outside of the yard. Other than that, she's really doesn't have too many demands.

For more information about Puck or one of our other CARFIES, please contact stichtingcarf@gmail.com. We will reply to you at our earliest convenience.

PS: Last week's CARFIE Of The Week Kerley has been adopted this weekend! Here's to hoping Puck will get as lucky as her.

by Cassandra Bowers

CARFIE Of The Week: Kerley ♀

Meet Kerley. Kerley is a happy, sweet lady who is approximately one year old. Kerley loves hugging, cuddling and kissing people. But she also makes a great guard dog once she has settled in to her new home.

UPDATE 9/5/2015: Kerley has been adopted!

Kerley has experienced quite some suffering in her short life but, despite this, she is very sweet-natured and friendly.Let’s get this girl into a fantastic forever family where she can spend the rest of her life being absolutely adored.  She’s a whole bunch of fun and she deserves a loving family!

For more information about Kerley or one of our other CARFIES, please contact stichtingcarf@gmail.com. We will reply to you at our earliest convenience.

by Cassandra Bowers

Who Let The Dogs Out? | Walking Dogs On Curacao

Guess what... our volunteers did! We love walking dogs in the early morning. On Sunday, August 30th, a bunch of dedicated volunteers gathered to take some lucky CARFIES for a morning walk at the salt flats. And boy, did our CARFIES enjoy themselves!
The ride there was smooth; the dogs behaved really well in the cars. And once we started walking, both dogs and volunteers had a blast. Not only are these walks a good way to get rid of energy while having fun, it also prepares the dogs to get used to car rides and walking on a leash. This might help them get adopted faster. At the end of the walk, all CARFIES were treated to homemade dogscicles to cool off.

Recipe For Homemade Dogscicles

Want to surprise your own furry friend with a homemade dogscicle?

  • Fill a cup halfway with dog food from a can, then fill the cup by adding water.
  • Stir it, then place it into the freezer.

That's really all it takes! Instead of dog food from a can, you can also use bouillon. Adding a few ice cubes to their water bowl will ensure the water stays cooler longer too. Do not give your dogs ice water.

by Cassandra Bowers

Did You Know...

Blankets, bath towels, hand towels, sheets, pillows, pillowcases, bathroom rugs...? Yes please!
We're always in need of (old) linens to provide warmth and comfort to our rescue dogs.

If you would like to donate your old linens to CARF Curaçao, please email us at stichtingcarf@gmail.com to set up a time to drop them off or have us pick them up.

by Cassandra Bowers

Buddy, The Friendly Barker

Became a CARFIE:  2015.04.24
Was adopted:          2015.07.09
New Name:              Brody

On April 24th, 2015, we received a message from someone saying that they had spotted a skinny stray dog who was clearly in need of help. She couldn't take him in herself, but she could tell us where we could find him: Cas Abao Beach. With its clear turquoise water, waving palm trees and white sandy beach, Cas Abao is a true paradise. But for Buddy? Not so much. We can only guess how this poor soul ended up here, but we knew that he wouldn't survive here much longer. Buddy was in bad shape, he was very skinny and you could count every rib and see his spine. He was also covered in hundreds of ticks and at fleas. It was time for action.

A volunteer offered to drive out to Cas Abao to check if Buddy was still there. She couldn't leave until after she finished work so it took a few hours, but we eventually received good news. Not only did she found Buddy, he had let her pick him up without much resistance. The volunteer had placed Buddy in her car and they were now together on their way to the shelter.

A few days later Buddy was able to move to his foster family. When he first got there, he was really shy. He would watch their every move and didn't make any attempts to leave his spot in the corner of the room. Eating from their hands? He'd rather not.

It wasn't until a few days later when we let Buddy meet with some other dogs. We weren't sure how he would react, but we soon found that this was the best thing we could have done. Buddy easily made friends with the other dogs and he started to copy their behavior. When our volunteers heard him bark for the first time, they were surprised by how loud his bark was. This quiet, timid dog would one day make a great guard dog!

Buddy slowly began to trust people and he started to enjoy his new life. He spent some more days at a second foster family before moving to his forever home.

Buddy is now named Brody, and is living happily with his loving human and a furry friend called Bailey.

"To see Buddy transform from a skinny and timid dog that was scared of everything and everyone into a happy and confident dog has been amazing. I couldn't be more happy for him that he found a forever home. He really deserved this life, this chance." - CARF Volunteer.

If you would like to receive more information about becoming a foster parent with CARF Curaçao, please contact us at stichtingcarf@gmail.com.

by Cassandra Bowers

CARF Meet & Greet

Old dogs, puppies, big dogs, little dogs, fluffy dogs, shiny dogs, tall dogs, short dogs, noisy dogs, hairy dogs, family dogs... You name it, we got it.
With over 100 dogs in care, it's a full house at CARF. That is why, on Saturday, June 27, CARF hosted yet another 'CARFIE Meet & Greet'. Our regularly hosted meet & greets are a chance for you to come out and meet our adoptable dogs and talk to us about the possibilities of adopting or fostering one or multiple CARFIES.This time, the 'CARFIE Meet & Greet' took place from 10:00 - 11:45am during which all dogs were on their best behavior (well, at least, for most of the time). Multiple individuals, couples, and families came out to meet, play and cuddle with the CARFIES.

Keep an eye on this website and our Facebook page for information about upcoming CARFIE Meet & Greets.

If you've been thinking about adopting a dog, feel free to email us at stichtingcarf@gmail.com to see if we can find you the perfect match.

by Cassandra Bowers