A.R.K. / Association to Rescue Kritters

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A.R.K. / Association to Rescue Kritters

The A.R.K was officially founded by Ruth and Denny Fruehauf in 2001. At that time, Critter Alley, a rehab center downstate was closing it's doors.

They started rehabbing out of their home for many years but quickly realized they needed more space. Ruth and Denny had worked with Critter Alley on a few occasions. Critter Alley donated the remaining assets, including caging and a few education animals over to Ruth and Denny. It was then that the A.R.K Association to Rescue Kritters was officially born. With over 25 years of experience, Ruth is

still the director at the A.R.K. She and her team of volunteers carry out the day to day care of wildlife, education, and fundraising. The A.R.K is a non-profit organization solely run on donations and volunteers.

08/28/2026

All season long, our team at A.R.K. Association to Rescue Kritters works tirelessly to treat turtles hit by cars.

Over time we have achieved a very high success rate for shell fracture repairs and releases. However, some injuries are too severe, leaving humane euthanasia as our only option to end a patient's suffering.

Yet, even in loss, there is hope.

X-rays help us assess bone damage, but they also reveal if a female turtle is gravid (carrying eggs). For the mothers we cannot save, we are able to carefully harvest her eggs. Every single egg is marked, tracked, and safely incubated by our team.

Yesterday, one of our Map Turtle clutches decided it was finally time to start introducing themselves! Like clockwork, these tiny survivors are pipping and hatching. Plus, when candled, we can see that our Blanding's Turtles are not far behind!

If you see a turtle hit on the road, please do not count them out. Bring them to us... you might be truly amazed at the outcome.

A massive thank you to our incredible volunteers and supporters for making this lifesaving work possible. Because of you, a tragic loss has transformed into a future for the next generation.

Welcome to the world, little ones!

08/26/2026

QUEEN OF HEARTS RAFFLE UPDATE!

Week 34 is officially in the books, and the jackpot is growing!

Last week, we sold $994 worth of tickets, bringing our total weekly sales to $1,988.

Last night, we drew Robb Kornoelje's ticket for envelope #32, which revealed the Nine of Clubs! While it wasn’t the Queen, it was still a $50 winner!

This means the hunt continues next week.

Here are the updated numbers after yesterday's drawing:

Queen of Hearts Jackpot: $17,833.80
ARK Association Portion: $11,924.80

A massive thank you to all of our incredible volunteers who make these drawings possible, our amazing Ambassador animals who attend the events with us, and every single one of you who buys a ticket to support our rescue efforts. We truly appreciate your support!

If you want to purchase tickets for next week, visit Travlers Bar in LeRoy, or shoot us a message on Facebook. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PRESENT TO WIN!

We hope to see you all next Tuesday for our next drawing. Let's make it our biggest one yet!

08/17/2026

The first 8 northern raccoons out of more than 100 in our care have officially been returned right back to their home county!

This is truly the most rewarding time of the year.

A heartfelt thank you to the rescuers who found them, the fosters who raised them, and all the supporters who made this possible.

We could not do this without you!

08/06/2026

On Monday, our team responded to a call from Baldwin, Michigan, about a grounded juvenile Bald Eagle.

First, a massive THANK YOU to the finders! They stayed and watched her for the two hours it took us to drive to the location. Your dedication kept her safe! Since we were already on our way to visit our friends at North Sky Raptor Sanctuary in Interlochen, we teamed up to pull out all the stops for her medical evaluation.

Here is what we know about the condition of Bald Eagle 26-1484:

Weight & Condition: She weighs 2.8kg with a very low body score of 1.

Bloodwork: High white blood cell count and dehydration, but thankfully negative for lead!

Injuries: X-rays show non-displaced fractures in her major and minor metacarpal bones (already starting to heal). She also has a corneal puncture wound in her left eye and arrived covered in flat flies.

Current Care Plan: She is receiving around-the-clock NSAIDs, oral and topical antibiotics, and subcutaneous fluids. After a 24-hour rest period, she has successfully started eating skinless salmon!

Her prognosis remains guarded, but we are incredibly hopeful for her recovery. Thank you to our partners, supporters, and community for making this life-saving work possible!

07/29/2026

Yesterday came full circle as we teamed up with our amazing partners to release an American Bald Eagle back into the wild!

The patient first arrived in our care from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) after being found injured near Saginaw, Michigan. Once he healed and started flying in our cage, we transferred him to the incredible LTBB Archie Kiogima Jr.-ba Migizi Aviary and Rehabilitation Center for advanced flight conditioning to ensure he was fully ready for the wild.

Yesterday, our organizations all went out together to watch him take to the skies...strong, healthy, and completely free.

A massive thank you to the MDNR and LTBB Aviary. Wildlife rehabilitation truly takes a village, and we love working alongside such dedicated teams.

Happy Freedom Flight Batman!

07/25/2026

We’d like to send a heartfelt THANK YOU to the amazing sponsors of our 2026 Wildlife Expo! Thanks to their incredible generosity, this year’s expo was a huge success.

Please check out our business sponsors and support those who support our mission of helping injured and orphaned wildlife!

Our Business Sponsors:

Bob Fierke - Misteguay Creek Sugarbush

Wild Birds Unlimited of Traverse City https://order.wbu.com/traversecity or https://www.facebook.com/share/18hiDqZJNw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Minnow Bucket @ Exit 222 https://www.facebook.com/TheMinnowBucketatExit222/

Mid Michigan Chiropractic http://www.midmichchiro.com/

St. Helen Barber Company https://www.facebook.com/p/St-Helen-Barber-Company-61571843324066/

Mona's Cleaning Service

The Dumpster Bandit www.thedumpsterbandit.com or https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Dumpster-Bandit-100089600547614/

LakeAffect

Our Generous Community & Family Sponsors:

The Shafer and Hartshorne Families
The VanWormer Family
Brandy and Brooke Prosch
John and Judy Jones
The Kareiva Family
Lanette Vanwagenen
Mark and Peggy Kay
Jennifer Boyce

We would also like to thank all of our donors from the silent auction, and our very own A.R.K. Volunteers.

We could not do this vital work without each and every one of you. Together, we are giving local wildlife a second chance at life!

07/15/2026

!!! REMINDER !!!

Join us this Saturday for the 2026 Annual Wildlife Expo hosted by ARK (Association to Rescue Kritters)!

This is a completely FREE event packed with fun activities for all ages.

Where: Open space next to the Public Library
(4431 West Houghton Lake Dr, Houghton Lake, MI)

When: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

What’s happening:

- Meet live animal ambassadors
- Scavenger hunt & games
- Teddy bear surgery with Dr V
- Face painting
- Silent auction
- Snacks

Stop by to meet your wild neighbors and learn all about wildlife conservation. We can't wait to see you there!

07/14/2026

Hey guys, it’s Bandit the raccoon here!
I brushed my hair and snuck out because I heard there is a giant pile of shiny things at Travlers tonight.

They tell me it's the Queen of Hearts and the Jackpot is expected to be OVER $13,000! That buys a lot of premium snacks...

I'm crashing the party as the special guest tonight, so come say hi, grab your tickets, and watch the drawing with me!

Drawing Time: Tonight at 7:30 PM
Location: Travlers Tickets: $2

See you tonight! Don't let someone steal the Queen before you do!

***If you have questions about buying tickets, please message one of the Queen of Hearts Commitee Members tagged in this post.
DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO WIN

07/12/2026

We have already cared for over 1,200 animals this season at the Association to Rescue Kritters. Among many others, we currently have 126 Northern Raccoons, 11 Red Foxes, 3 Eastern Coyotes, and 3 Bobcats growing and learning everything they will need to be successful after release.

In the wild, Canine Distemper and Feline Parvo (Panleukopenia) are deadly, highly contagious viruses. To safely release our current wild orphans, we need 801 lifesaving vaccine doses to protect them against these diseases.

The Animals & Doses:

- 126 Raccoons: 756 doses total (Raccoons need 3 rounds of BOTH vaccines).
- 11 Red Foxes & 3 Coyotes: 42 doses total of specialized distemper vaccine.
- 3 Bobcats: 9 doses total of feline parvo vaccine.

The Process & Requirements: Wild babies need 3 booster rounds spaced 2–3 weeks apart to build immunity. Strict medical quarantine and rigorous sanitization are required between every litter

At just $5.50 a dose, your donation can help these animals return to the wild.

Click "Donate" below to fund a shot, or SHARE this post to help us spread the word! Thank you for saving Michigan's wildlife!

06/30/2026

Our incredible foster mother vulture is doing an amazing job raising her family! She is currently caring for four babies...two of her own and two orphans we introduced to her nest.

Watch this quick video to see her in action feeding her hungry brood. We are so proud of her dedication to these little ones!

Address

3878 S Maple Valley Road
Saint Helen, MI
48656

Telephone

+19893893305

Website

http://www.arkritters.org/

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