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Dog standing in grass and smiling

Hello there, we have a dream to help dogs and cats and the people who love them.

We want to make spay/neuter and veterinary care accessible to everyone.

Our leadership team

ARC not only provides high-quality, high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter services to pet owners, but also to our partners. We offer our Spay/Neuter program services to local shelters, animal service agencies and rescue groups for whom we further reduce our fees in the spirit of collaboration working toward a true “no-kill’ goal.

Laura with her dog

Laura McCann

Executive Director

ARC in the Community

Board of Directors

Founded by Ira Barsky and Edward H. Sarbey in 1999, ARC has grown through the support and leadership of local professionals, business owners, and philanthropists.

Ira Barsky

Chairman Emeritus and Co-Founder

Edward H. Sarbey

Chairman Emeritus and Co-Founder

Chris Jones

Board Chair

Bill Kaser

Treasurer and Secretary

James Trivisonno

Member

Jeanne Wagoner

Member

Walt Carey

Member

Melissa Meserve

Member

Honorary Board

We are excited to recognize the following honorary board members for Animal Rescue Coalition.

Joanna Pace-Brackett

Koni Findlay

Karin Gustafson

Judith Ragona

Suzann Soran

Carol English

Our story

The beginning

With an abundance of animals and a shortage of homes, shelter dogs and cats are euthanized by the thousands every day. Our local shelters were no exception. Ira Barsky and Edward Sarbey wanted to end this crisis. So in 1999, they brought together leaders from local animal welfare organizations and Sarasota County Animal Services to make a plan. With collaboration, they found a way to spread the word and make a difference. They made spaying and neutering available to as many pet owners as they could reach. Animal Rescue Coalition (ARC) was launched.

Hitting the road

In 2002, ARC went on the road bringing Low-Cost Spay/Neuter surgeries to different locations. With their mobile spay/neuter unit, ARC was able to go where the animals needed them.

A place to call home

In 2013 ARC opened a 3,800 sq./ft. fully equipped, state-of-the-art surgical facility. The clinic, formerly a machine shop, was specially configured to allow the staff to execute a nationally known Humane Alliance high-volume, low-cost operating model whereby every detail about surgical flow, kennel set-up, clinic layout and surgical tool placement had already been proven by this nationally recognized organization that is now a Program of the ASPCA. Clinic staff attended training in the Humane Alliance facility in Asheville, North Carolina and maintains a relationship with that organization to this day.

On the road again

With the Clinic operations well in-hand, ARC decides it is time to expand their outreach. In 2015, with continued support from donors, generous grants and loving citizens, ARC purchased a specially designed transport vehicle to extend the reach of the clinic’s spay/neuter programs. The team at ARC is back on the road offering free round-trip transportation to communities within a 60-mile radius. This program is currently scheduling in DeSoto and Charlotte counties.

History of ARC

See a glimpse into our past and follow us for our future.

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