Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation - ARF

Lorrie along with her husband Sully were recently honored with The Hope Award for their decades long work with newborn kittens with ARF. Lorrie has long been a firm believer that the human/animal bond has beneficial benefits for everyone involved, and so have always been strong supporters of her local animal shelters.

In 2007, Lorrie and her family started fostering young kittens that were too young to be placed with a permanent family. The Sullenberger's work with the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) to care for kittens who are too small to be placed immediately with a family, caring and feeding for them (often by bottle) until they weigh two pounds and can be spayed or neutered before being placed in a long-term home. These kittens often have been abandoned and are malnourished and ill so it is like saving a life everyday, Lorrie says.

Their track record isn't perfect, however. Like many other foster families, they became what ARF calls "foster failures." One special kitten stole their hearts and never quite made it back to ARF. Kitty, as she’s lovingly called, remains the family's pet to this day.
In the spirit of full disclosure, Lorrie is the dog lover in the family while Sully is the cat person, but ARF's mission fits perfectly with a philosophy Lorrie has always believed to be true: People Rescuing Animals...Animals Rescuing People®.