‘Life is too short to sit idly by. We need to be the change we want to see in the world!’

Rocky Point

“My parents instilled a love for animals in me at a young age. We always had pets growing up, and they taught me to respect all living things. When I was 12, I volunteered at Bideawee, a local animal shelter, and I fell in love with helping animals. I worked at North Shore Animal League while attending college.

“Through my years in rescue, I noticed that so many people had to get rid of their pets because they couldn’t afford them even though their homes were good. So I helped start Paws Unite People in 2013 and serve as its president. It’s a place where animals get the rehabilitation they need to be adopted, and the people who love animals can get help, too.

“We’ve been busy. Since our founding in 2013, we’ve provided temporary housing to over 200 pets belonging to victims of domestic violence or families who lost their homes during a temporary setback.

We’re currently helping Afghan animal rescuers who are refugees while they are waiting for their U.S. asylum cases to be processed in Pakistan.

“We covered rent, vet bills and food costs for 32 families during COVID-19. We’ve provided financial assistance to over 400 families on Long Island for emergency vet expenses, allowing them to keep their pets. All funding — from grants and donations — goes 100 percent to our programs. We have no paid staff.

“One of my favorite stories: We pulled Jobe, a Yorkie, from the Town of Islip shelter. He was emaciated, had a skin infection from allergies, and was blind from untreated dry eye. We worked months to get him healthy.

“Once his skin healed and he was at a healthy weight, I consulted eye specialists to see if they could restore his sight. Jobe was 5 years old, and the thought of him being blind for the rest of his life due to neglect made me miserable. We were told Jobe’s vision could be restored, so they did the surgery and gave him back his sight. He’s now living as a service dog for a woman with multiple sclerosis.

“We support rescues abroad, too. We’re currently helping Afghan animal rescuers who are refugees while they are waiting for their U.S. asylum cases to be processed in Pakistan. We are building an animal clinic in Kenya for the Maasai tribe. I’m proud of my involvement with Paws Unite People. Life is too short to sit idly by. We need to be the change we want to see in the world!”