About Us
We Are the Animal Rescue of the Rockies
A Foster-Based Rescue Built on Compassion
Animal Rescue of the Rockies is a foster-home-based rescue organization — we do not operate a shelter facility and can not accept owner-surrendered pets. Our focus is to move pets from overcrowded shelters to a comfortable forever home.
Founded in 2003, ARR began with a small group of friends who wanted to create a more compassionate alternative to traditional shelter environments. Today, we’ve helped more than 10,000 dogs and cats find loving forever homes.
Instead of placing animals in kennels, we work with dedicated foster families who provide safe, nurturing home environments while pets wait for adoption. Living in foster care helps animals socialize, heal, and transition more smoothly into their future homes.
Working Together to Save Lives
ARR partners with rescue groups and shelters throughout Colorado and surrounding states to help animals in need whenever we can. From transport and fostering to adoption support and rescue coordination, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do.
Every rescue is made possible by compassionate people opening their homes, volunteering their time, and stepping up for animals who deserve a second chance.
Foster homes are always needed, and pets are waiting every day for someone willing to help save their life.
Board of Directors
Karen Martiny
President & Executive Director
Karen founded Animal Rescue of the Rockies in 2003 and is actively involved in the organization’s activities, also serving as Executive Director. Prior to founding ARR, she served as president of L.A.P.S. (League of Animals and People of the Summit) in Summit County, Colorado for two years. She also volunteered at the Summit County Animal Shelter for several years, winning an award for Volunteer of the Year in 2002. Karen has attended several workshops at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah – including “How to Start an Animal Sanctuary,” “Dog Behavior and Handling I & II,” and “Feline Literacy.” Seeing a need for an alternative to municipal shelters, she helped organize ARR to provide foster homes and adoption services for homeless pets. She was active in the R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program at Upper Blue Elementary in 2003 and 2004, helping children with reading difficulties learn to enjoy books by reading out loud to dogs. Karen has over 30 years of experience in administration, marketing, business, and public relations. She has attended several Best Friends National Conferences over the years, whenever her schedule allows. Karen and her husband, Vic, share their home with 2 rescue dogs and 5 rescue cats.
Kelly Rushing
Vice President & Secretary
In addition to her work with Animal Rescue of the Rockies, Kelly is a reading interventionist for elementary aged students. She joined ARR in 2010 and helped with small dog fosters and adoptions for a year before taking over the entire Dog Division, overseeing all dog operations and volunteers. Kelly is passionate about the work that ARR does and has fostered dozens of dogs over the years. She currently lives in Denver with her own dog, Stuart, and her two "granddogs", Dot and Cleo.
Kristin Parsons
Board Member & NoCo Cat Coordinator
Kristin was introduced to ARR in 2013 through a friend who volunteers for ARR. Fostering kittens and cats is her passion, and she is a huge animal lover. For over a dozen years, she has coordinated the adoptions of thousands of lucky cats and kittens through ARR. She volunteers at a monthly TNR clinic, bringing kittens and abandoned former pet cats into ARR’s foster home system. She shares her home with five cats, three dogs, and a cockatiel. She, her husband and three children live in Berthoud. Kristin attended the Best Friends National Conference in 2014.
Laura Schafer
Board Member
Laura has dedicated more than 25 years to animal welfare through volunteer leadership and hands-on service. She has served as a board member, spay/neuter clinic volunteer, and foster parent with Longmont Humane Society - and as a volunteer feral cat trapper, spay/neuter clinic volunteer, and board member with Northern Colorado Friends of Ferals. She has recently joined the board of Animal Rescue of the Rockies. Laura also supports the nonprofit community by writing grants for several animal welfare organizations, helping secure funding for lifesaving programs, primarily focused on improving the lives of cats.
Before retiring, Laura built a successful career as a project manager with IBM, HP, and Wipro. She lives in Northern Colorado with her husband, Paul, their dog, Berta, and their cat, Ellie.
Sasha Galbraith
Board Member
Sasha has supported Animal Rescue of the Rockies since its inception, both financially and as an early volunteer at Breckenridge events and the ARR Thrift Shop. After retiring from an international career as a business management consultant, she became more actively involved, first serving on the Advisory Board and now on the Board of Directors. Sasha oversees ARR’s financial assets and investments. In her spare time, she competes in Mondioring, FastCAT, Barn Hunt, and Conformation with her Belgian Malinois and Berger Picard.
Join Our Lifesaving Community
Whether you foster, adopt, volunteer, or donate, you become part of a caring community working together to make a difference for homeless pets.
Working Towards the Day When Every Pet Has a Loving Home
ARR pulls homeless dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters and places them in loving foster homes until their forever homes are found. We promote spaying and neutering to reduce pet overpopulation and encourage quality relationships between pets and their people through behavior resources and training.
