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Who We Are

NYCSR is an all-volunteer, foster organization. We don’t have an office. We don’t have a shelter. All of our dogs are kept in foster homes and all of our administrative work is done by volunteers in their "spare" time.

Our History

NYC Shiba Rescue was founded in April 2007 by eight members of the local Shiba meetup group: NYC Shiba Inus and Their Human Companions. Here are some milestones from our first year:

  • March 29, 2007 – We pulled our very first Shiba from an area shelter and realized something big was about to happen.
  • April 28, 2007 – Eight volunteers got together for our first meeting, formed the initial Board of Directors, divided responsibilities, and made a game plan.
  • May 5, 2007 – The first official NYCSR adoption contract was signed.
  • May 8, 2007 – NYCSR became a member of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals.
  • August 8, 2007 – The NY State Department of State signed and filed our non-profit incorporation papers.
  • September 15, 2007 – We participated in our first public education event, The AKC’s Responsible Dog Ownership Day.
  • March 6, 2008 – The IRS determined that NYC Shiba Rescue, Inc. is eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3).
  • April 17, 2008 – With 26 dogs adopted out already, we held our first official fund raiser event and celebrated our first year anniversary!

Although the economy has forced us to take a step back recently, we are still working hard to continue to fulfill our mission to rescue and rehome Shibas and to educate the public.

Our Structure and Operations

Our corporate Board of Directors is made up of three of the original eight volunteers:
– Jenna Gates, founder, former President, current Treasurer
– Zennia Barahona, current President, former Treasurer
– Sara Newman, Vice President

The entire organization is currently being completely reorganized to break responsibilities into easier-to-manage chunks so that NYCSR is more effective, flexible and scalable and less dependent on just a handful of volunteers.

If you’ve read this far, feel free to view our current organization chart (including positions that need to be filled). Even better, please consider volunteering some time to help us continue to save dogs and educate the public.