This week on All My Children Wear Fur Coats we had the pleasure of speaking with Betsy Gamberino, Vice President of the SPCA of Ocala. Betsy grew up in rural Pennsylvania where she was active in showing Quarter Horses as well as volunteering for several animal and agricultural organizations. She attended Penn State University obtaining Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Animal Science and Biology. She began a career in Science working as a Research Support Assistant for the Penn State University School of Medicine in Hershey, PA. In 1996, she moved to Ocala, Florida and continued her career in science at the University of Florida Department of Psychiatry. Following her work at the University of Florida, she accepted a position an Instructor of Equine Science and Biology at the College of Central Florida. Five years ago she met Lilly Baron, the President of the SPCA of Ocala, and joined the organization becoming a Board Member and an advocate for animal welfare. Currently, she lives on her farm in Ocala and remains an active equestrian while enjoying her 10 cats, her dog Pearl, 4 Guinea Pigs Larry, Ted, Bandit, parker and 3 horses. Read more
All My Children Wear Fur Coats had the pleasure of speaking with Kristen Baltrum, founder of Annie and Millie’s Place. Kristen has a Master of Arts from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN and has served for almost three decades in Christian Public Leadership. Following the death of her sister, Annie, who experienced homelessness with her dog Millie, Kristen started Annie and Millie’s Place as an outreach to those who are often denied services due to their unwillingness to surrender their animal. Kristen’s own transformation story of understanding how important the human-animal bond is for those whose home is the streets inspires her to help others have the same change of heart. Through her willingness to speak openly about the struggles her family experienced, she hopes their story can be a change agent in human-animal services. Kristen and her husband Rob have two adult children, and currently live in Colorado with their two English Bulldogs. Read more
Leave No Paws Behind is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation located in California. They are an all breed, all foster- based rescue, specializing in seniors, terminal and end of life animals, and pets with special needs. Leave No Paws Behind was founded in June 2011 by Toby Wisneski who wanted to make a difference in the lives of senior animals abandoned in the shelters. Toby had a soft spot in her heart for the aging animals who, after living so many years with the only humans they ever loved, suddenly found themselves abandoned and left to die on a cold shelter floor alone and wondering. Toby, who herself was the human mommy to a beautiful senior dog of 13 years, could not believe the number of senior pets that found themselves suddenly in peril at a time when they needed their humans the most. Read more
