ROTA Animal Welfare League Logo (Rota Animal Welfare League)

The Rota Animal Welfare League (RAWL) formed in 1989 with the primary mission of “connecting animals with loving, caring, forever families.” They are located on base at Naval Base Rota across from the drive-in theater and your new furry friend could be right there waiting for you.

RAWL is there to help the DOD community and their pets when, for whatever reason (PCS, personal issues, etc.), a service member can no longer keep their pet. RAWL shelters the animals and finds them new homes. I had the pleasure of speaking with the President of RAWL, Scott Muruska, and he told me all about this wonderful organization and how the local community can get involved.

Muruska has been around animals all his life. Whether they were pets growing up or he was working with animals in the 4-H Club in school, his life has always involved them. He knew that when he and his spouse moved to Rota that he wanted to volunteer and RAWL was a way to connect with animals and his local community. He has volunteered with RAWL since 2018, eventually becoming one of 10 board members and has served as president since 2023.

Hercules the dog chilling in the backseat of a cat (RAWL Facebook Page (facebook.com/rawlpets))

While he finds that the most fulfilling part of working with RAWL is when a bad situation with an animal becomes a good one, such as a malnourished and scared animal finding it’s personality and a new, loving home, he also enjoys working with the community.

For those who cannot have pets of their own, or for those who can and just love helping other animals, RAWL offers opportunities for people with base access to volunteer.

“There’s a lot of people here that are stationed here, single soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines who can’t have animals....We have the cat shift [and] the dog shift. We have a groundskeeping shift [and] a housekeeping shift. And, if somebody is a volunteer and they’ve been through the volunteer training, they can just come and hang out with the animals if they want.”

Charlie the cat on the prowl looking down at something off camera (RAWL Facebook Page (facebook.com/rawlpets))

According to Maruksa, at any one time, RAWL has 8-12 cats and 3-5 dogs that are in need of a home. RAWL also hosts many community events which lets you meet some of the animals outside of RAWL’s traditional hours. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with RAWL, their next community event or adopting one of the animals in need, go to their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/rawlpets.