Page 39 - Club Braman Magazine Spring/Summer Edition

FURRY FRIENDS ADOPTION,
CLINIC AND RANCH
Braman BMW Jupiter in support of local animal rescue e ort.
By Robin Hodes
The heartwarming stories are so boun- tiful they could ll an entire library. Take Phoenix for example.
Originally named Thor, this gentle pit bull was saved from the jaws of death and literally rose from the ashes. He had been set a ame by a horri cally abusive owner and rescued in the nick of time.
But it’s not only Phoenix’s life that was saved. Young husband, father, and veter- an Corporal Derek Butler had been su er- ing severe post‐traumatic stress disorder and was on the verge of taking his own life several times. Thanks to the “Shelter to Service” program of Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch in Jupiter, from which Phoenix was the rst animal to graduate, Corporal Butler received a fresh start.
The mission of Furry Friends, the Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta,
is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re‐home every animal that comes through its doors. Their policy is strictly no‐kill. Since 1985, the organization has relied on the generosity of the community and local businesses such as Braman Motorcars
of Jupiter that helped support animals available for adoption this past year.
Patricia Deshong, President of Furry Friends as well as the face of the organi- zation, receives hundreds of urgent mes- sages about dogs about to be put down. As hands‐on as can be, Deshong works tirelessly with her sta to nd these pets a new family. “It is staggering how many adoptions take place in a week alone,” said Deshong. “We are averaging 150 adoptions a month.”
She attributes their success (775 adop- tions took place in 2016 and in 2017, over 1100) and low return rate to how they
do things di erently than other animal adoption centers. “Some shelters misdi- agnose dogs, but we really do our home- work,” she said. “We evaluate closely. We look for triggers. We do our research to nd out how the animals were previ-
Patricia Deshong, President of Furry Friends,
takes a pose with a grateful guest of the Ranch’s hospitality
ously cared for. And, our trainers work with the animal’s behaviors, familiarizing themselves so they can o er proper instruction, advice and preparation to the adoptive family,” Deshong added.
While Furry Friends is currently located just down the block from the Braman Jupiter dealership, it looks forward to its new home—an almost 15,000 square foot facility in Jupiter Commerce Park. “Our new facility is divine,” says Deshong, who lies awake at night with a mix of ex- citement about the new adoption center and state‐of‐the‐art clinic, and fear about whether it will come to fruition. The capi- tal campaign seeks to raise approximate-
ly $3.1M, and still has another $2M to go to make this dream a reality.
For Deshong, it is not just a job but a way of life, and together she, and businesses like Braman, encourage would‐be donors to give charitably to this wonderful cause. “The animals, and the people, are depending on it,” says Deshong, who hopes that with the continued e orts of Furry Friends, these amazing beings can continue to transform lives and pay it forward.
For more information or to get involved, visit: furryfriendsadoption.org
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