The mission of MarrVelous Pet Rescues Inc., a Florida 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to provide immediate counsel, care, medical treatment, and shelter for animals in need until permanent adoption is achieved. We promote education for responsible animal care, spay & neuter, microchipping, and training. MarrVelous Pet Rescues & Adoptions was officially formed in April 2007. Joy Martin, Broker/Owner of Marr Properties and American Caribbean Real Estate, has always been teased about having an ability to have animals find her. On a camping trip in Central Florida, there was an abandoned hunting dog that suffered hind muscle atrophy from his elongated time spent in a cage. Park Rangers asked for someone to please take the dog so he would not have to be put down. Joy and her husband Brad volunteered to take the dog and brought him home, got him a veterinarian for treatment, and began searching for a new home for him. Since Joy has a real estate company, filled with animal lovers (although some needed to be converted), she thought why not put him in our real estate ad? Well, the next thing you know, someone came in wanting to adopt "Trooper." On Easter Sunday 2007, while out horseback riding in Homestead, Joy, Brad and several friends found a big planting bucket on the side of the road – inside was our first litter of dumped puppies left in the sun to die. Unfortunately one of the sweetest pups, known as Molly, had an intestinal obstruction from eating a plant pod and required life-saving surgery. We sent out an e-mail and got a generous response with donations to cover her surgery. Sadly, little Molly did not survive, but everyone involved decided that it was time to get more serious about helping rescue more animals. It was then that our initial Board of Directors was formed and we began the process to become a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue dedicated to finding homes for animals in need. Through this process, we have discovered many other animal lovers.