D’ARCY’S ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRE

It started in 1998, in a basement in Winnipeg.

While working at a veterinary clinic, D’Arcy Johnston began taking in stray and abandoned animals that had nowhere else to go. Before long, more than 30 cats and dogs were sharing the family home with D’Arcy, his wife Sharon, and their two young daughters.

In 2000, that grassroots rescue became D’Arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre. Four years later, it became a registered charity.

Today, more than 25 years later, D’Arcy’s ARC is one of Western Canada’s largest “for life” animal shelters. They’ve rescued and rehomed more than 17,000 cats and dogs, with every animal staying in their care until the right home is found.

Without government funding, they rely on the support of their community to keep going. Their main centre on Century Street supports rescue, adoption, boarding, and pet supplies. Annie’s Attic  brings together a thrift store and cat café experience in the North End, with all proceeds helping fund animal care.

The shelter has grown. Their commitment to animals hasn’t.