Each year AFRP chooses one or two outstanding and committed individuals to receive the Devoted Animal Friend of the Year (DAFY) Award. These individuals are members of the community who go above and beyond time and time again to assist AFRP in accomplishing our mission.

With great pleasure and deep appreciation we announce the co-recipients of the 2006 Devoted Animal Friend of the Year (DAFY) Award. Karen Homes of Town and Country Pet Sitting and Laurie Chadwick of Bed & Biscuits are remarkable women who have turned their livelong love of animals into successful businesses. Dedicated to improving the lives of all animals, including the abandoned and homeless, Karen and Laurie have created a bridge between profit and animal welfare by opening the doors of their boarding facilities to embrace shelter and rescue dogs and cats.

With a bright smile and an easy friendliness, Karen Holmes of Town and Country Pet sitting in Prunedale cheerfully provides a safe haven for Animal Friends dogs in transition. Willing to care for large, untrained dogs that would be too difficult for many of our foster homes to handle, Karen has provided them the safe, loving environment they require for days, weeks and sometimes months while they await an adoptive family or a foster home.

Compassionate and dedicated, Karen has cared for up to 9 AFRP dogs in her facility at one time. Along with providing excellent daily care and exercise, she administers medication when necessary, and helps facilitate adoptions. Karen has accepted dogs on very short notice, and has been willing to provide a “last chance” to dogs with behavioral issues that were not doing well in the shelter environment. It is clear that each of these special dogs become very dear to Karen, and she enjoys hearing updates about how they are doing in their new homes once they are adopted.

Laurie Chadwick is a true animal advocate in the Santa Cruz area. Owner and manager of Bed & Biscuits, Laurie provides foster care at her kennel for AFRP and several other animal welfare organizations as well. She typically cares for up to 15 rescue dogs and cats at her facility at no charge. Laurie and her dedicated staff go above and beyond basic care of the animals, providing training, socialization, exercise and even complimentary “makeovers” for dogs and cats in need of grooming. Laurie and her staff carefully screen potential adopters to ensure a good match, and also sponsor free monthly information sessions for people who have adopted a shelter animal.

A generous and active figure in the Santa Cruz animal community, Laurie consistently donates goods and services to local fundraising events and raffles, participates in dog parades and adoption events, and has provided gift packages to families with newly adopted animals from the county shelters. Laurie was instrumental in forming a group to oppose the practice of gang-kenneling (housing multiple dogs in the same runs without owner consent.) For the past year she has sponsored a Good Times ad featuring an AFRP dog or cat, and thanks to that exposure, many AFRP animals have found loving, lifelong homes.

Join us in congratulating Karen Homes and Laurie Chadwick for their dedication to the welfare of homeless animals. The 2006 DAFY Award presentation took place on Sunday, December 10, at our Ninth Annual Holiday Party.

2005 DAFY Award Recipient

Barbara DeGroodt (and Barney and Chase), From the Heart Dog Training

Please join AFRP in congratulating Barb DeGroodt of From the Heart Dog Training and Doggy Day Care for being named AFRP’s Devoted Animal Friend of the Year (DAFY) for 2005! Barb is being recognized for her unwavering dedication to animal welfare and for integrating rescue work into every aspect of her business.

The list of Barb’s contributions on behalf of animals is extensive. She provides pro bono and discounted behavior counseling for AFRP foster homes and adoptive homes, she provides pro bono and discounted doggy day care and training classes for AFRP foster dogs, she helps AFRP by assessing dogs in shelters to help place them in appropriate foster homes, she has fostered dogs from both the Monterey County Animal Shelter and the City of Salinas Animal Shelter, she writes educational articles for the AFRP newsletter, she sponsors an adoptable animal ad in the Monterey County Weekly once a month, she regularly sponsors animals on the AFRP website, she donates 10% of the proceeds from training classes to AFRP, she helped AFRP raise thousands of dollars during our major gifts campaign, she has coordinated two highly successful fundraiser/adoption events with proceeds going to AFRP and other local shelters, she traveled to Mississippi with our AFRP team to help care for and rescue Animal Refugees of the Katrina Disaster, she is giving a pro bono training class for the rescued Katrina dogs and their foster people, she is a major sponsor of our Eighth Annual Holiday Fundraiser, she holds a pro bono animal behavior question and answer session at the County Animal Shelter each month, and she serves on the Monterey County Animal Control Advisory Board.

And last but not least, Barb does all of the above while sharing her dry wit, unique sense of humor, and infectious laugh with all who know her. AFRP and the animals of Monterey County are certainly lucky to have Barb De Groodt on their side.

2004 DAFY Award Recipient

Rayne Coleman, City of Salinas Animal Shelter

In 2004, the DAFY Award was awarded to Rayne Coleman of the City of Salinas Animal Shelter. Rayne was recognized for her deep compassion for animals, her unwavering dedication and her creative and relentless resourcefulness. This is a woman who does not give up when the welfare of an animal is concerned!

Rayne has worked at the City of Salinas Animal Shelter since 1999. Her title is Animal Services Office Assistant, but she is so much more than that. In addition to her office duties, she also coordinates all animal rescues. Each year Rayne works diligently to send over 700 animals to rescue groups throughout California.

Time and time again Rayne has gone above and beyond the call of duty to find safe haven for animals at the shelter that are at risk of being euthanized. Since 1999 she has stayed in close contact with AFRP to alert us to the animals in the shelter that are at the greatest risk of not making it out alive. She has also developed connections and relationships with rescue groups, humane societies, and sanctuaries all over the state in an effort to save the lives of as many sheltered animals as possible. Rayne’s efforts have helped the Salinas Shelter reach a 60% save rate which is excellent for an open door animal control agency.

The City of Salinas facility has the daunting task of sheltering approximately 3,000 stray and owner surrendered animals each year. This is often a frustrating and heartbreaking task for shelter employees. All of us at AFRP are honored to work with Rayne Coleman and the entire staff at the City of Salinas Shelter to save as many lives as possible.

2003 DAFY Award Recipients

Dr. Tom Boekbinder, Carmel Holistic Vet Clinic	Dr. Anndrea Fling, All Pets Vet Hospital

In 2003, the DAFY Award was awarded to Dr. Tom Boekbinder of Carmel Holistic Veterinary Clinic, and to Dr. Anndrea Fling, of All Pets Veterinary Hospital in Salinas.

Dr. Boekbinder and Dr. Fling are being recognized for their tireless generosity, deep compassion for animals, skilled veterinary care, and for fostering numerous AFRP animals throughout the year. About 80% of the dogs and cats rescued by AFRP are in need of major or minor medical treatment before adoption. These two vets have helped AFRP with everything from routine spays and neuters, to serious life-saving surgeries. Dr. Boekbinder and Dr. Fling have consistently gone ?above and beyond? in their excellent care of AFRP animals.

AFRP was honored to present Dr. Boekbinder and Dr. Fling their DAFY awards at our Sixth Annual Holiday Party in December 2003. Please join us in congratulating and thanking these two wonderful animal friends!