They made agreements with animal shelters, helped animals with rehabilitation, and discovered new families for dogs, cats, and horses.

Rescue Ink is a non-profit animal rights protection organization which originated from a group of volunteers in New York. The group consists of bikers, powerlifting champions, former military personnel, police detectives, ex-bodybuilders, and lawyers. The group was at its peak of activity from 2008 to 2014.

“Some people like to think of us as superheroes. The truth is, we are super animal lovers (and protectors). Through the years, and through many caseloads, obstacles, and downright challenges, we remain strong and dedicated to our mission.”

Rescue Ink cooperated with the police and public organizations. They did all in their power within the boundaries of the law to protect animals from abuse. Their work depended entirely on donations.

The team received approximately 1,000 to 3,000 messages per day via e-mail alone from different people all across the world and around 250 calls per day.

During the years of their activity, they rescued a lot of dogs, cats, horses, pigs, chickens, and fish. And once, they even rescued a five-foot boa constrictor.

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In an interview in The New York Times, the bikers said they were in very different situations: some sold purebred dogs only because they needed money for drugs, other people organized dog fights; some even tried to poison a group of homeless cats not far from their home. Once, they had a report about a serial cat killer from Pennsylvania.

Here's something important you should know: Rescue Ink only investigated the cases of animal abuse: if they managed to find a criminal, Rescue Ink contacted the police. If an animal owner did not take good care of the pet, they would build a dog house or help in some other way.

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With their work, Rescue Ink proved that all of them have big, kind hearts. One of the participants of the organization spent 1.5 weeks carrying a small kitten with him everywhere as he needed to feed him every few hours. Another biker once got into a pond near a sewer to save a duck.

The bikers spent years teaching adults and kids to make them realize that animal abuse is wrong and dangerous.

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Most of the time, abusers are people that have similar features: they're insecure, impulsive and ruthless because of problems at home or in their relationships.

The organization believes that animal abuse is only the first step for such people. Later, because they feel like they cannot be punished, they become more secure, and they can abuse someone else like a kid, a woman, or an older adult. This is why it is so essential to prevent all cases of animal abuse.

Sometimes, bikers needed to save pets whose owners died and no one else cared about them. In those cases, the bikers contacted shelters and took the animals there on their own. At some point, they set up their shelter, but it was damaged during a hurricane.

The two photos below were taken near the shelter, and you can watch a video about the shelter here.


The bikers visited such owners and talked to them. If the owner did not want to agree, they called the police. Most of the time, animals were rescued.

In an interview with People, the team explained their appearance is a considerable advantage when it comes to negotiating with violent owners.

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They could approach an abuser much closer than the police could. Their intimidating look was their way to help the animals that needed it.

The team members have changed several times: some people left, and some others joined. Here are some participants:

Batso Maccharoli is the powerlifting record-holder in Connecticut, United States. He's one of the most recognizable members of the team. In the 2009 photo, he is 76 years old. Now he still has an active lifestyle.


Mikey Ink is a bodybuilding champion and vegetarian.


Anthony “Big Ant” Rossano is a man who is 6’1″ tall and who weighs 324 lb. He is a person who can convince someone with just his appearance. The pit bulls, cats, and rabbits he rescued live in his house.


Joe Panz is one of the founders and the leader of Rescue Ink.

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There's a book about every accomplishment that Rescue Ink has made. It is called Rescue Ink: How Ten Guys Saved Countless Dogs and Cats, Twelve Horses, Five Pigs, One Duck, and a Few Turtles.

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The National Geographic channel made a whole reality show called, Rescue Ink Unleashed.

Each year, about 10,000 dogs die as a result of illegally organized fights. Each day, there are reports of animal abuse, and it’s not just direct physical violence but also the indifference of owners to the animal’s needs. Organizations like Rescue Ink give hope for building a happier world.

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