Arnika Jusko was born in Krakow, Poland on February 28, 1979. She has been an animal lover her entire life, but that tells only part of her story.

Arnika came to the United States when she was 14 to pursue her dreams here. She became a student of film, photography and cinematography. She learned to speak English and spoke better than most native English speakers.  Arnika was exceptionally talented, bright, well-read, well-traveled and interested in the world. There was no one box or label that did Arnika justice. She was creative and artistic and that shown through in many ways, including with brilliant party decorating ideas that were executed flawlessly. She was also a small business owner and a licensed real estate broker. She was a thrill seeker who loved to drive fast and she skydived hundreds of times notwithstanding a few close calls. Arnika had a great sense of humor and often wore t-shirts with funny sayings to everyone’s amusement.

As smart and talented as Arnika was, what truly set her apart, was her thoughtfulness, kindness, loyalty and selflessness. For 20 years, she worked for 2 families and quickly became a beloved member of those families. She would do anything to assist these family members, her friends or her family. She was extraordinarily perceptive as to how people, and especially children, were feeling and what they needed at any given time. And whatever the circumstances, she made sure she was there for them.

Arnika always tried to make life easier and better for those around her – and she succeeded.  Those who knew her knew it was a privilege to have her as a friend. Arnika’s compassion and perceptiveness was not limited to people, but extended to animals as well. She always took the time to truly understand what the animals around her needed. She had a unique ability to engage and play with cats and dogs and they loved her in return.

When Arnika would adopt a cat, she would always look for a black one because she knew that black cats had lower adoption rates. In that spirit, and in her memory, we have established the Arnika Jusko Black Cat Rescue Fund. The proceeds of this fund will support the work being done by Precious Pets Almost Home Association in our efforts to rescue and rehome black cats. And in this way, we hope to honor Arnika and keep her legacy of kindness, love, and commitment alive.

Because of the generosity of donors to this fund, we were able to rescue Jesse from an outdoor stray colony and Trevor from from the streets after literally being pushed out of the house and told not to come back in. We were able to schedule advanced diagnostic testing for Kayla. Lastly, we were able to complete the vetting of Wendell, Dottie, Sage, Wilhelm, Kora, and siblings Stormy Girl, Astro, and Smudge – their final vetting prior to listing for adoption.

Additional donations will allow us to continue our life-saving work for black cats in the Chicagoland area.

Donating to the Arnika Jusko Black Cat Rescue Fund is as easy as 1 2 3!

1) You can use our Paypal link, donate here

2) You can send a direct deposit via Zelle: admin@ppahrescue.org

3) Or you can send a check to:

Precious Pets Almost Home, PO Box 411855, Chicago IL 60641