Home-to-Home was founded in 2006 by Georgina Carney, Cat Gareth and Dana Rice. The three of us are life-long owners and adopters of dogs, cats, horses and other creatures. Each of us has worked or volunteered for at least one animal shelter. Through our work caring for, training and finding homes for shelter animals we came to recognize a need shared by the animals, the animal shelters and the pet owners of the communities in which we live. The need was for an alternative response to the plight of homeless animals.
Hundreds of homeless animals pass through our local shelters every year. We saw how the huge number of needy animals strains the finances and capabilities of our shelters. We know from experience that dedicated shelter staffs and volunteers also feel the strain when the volume of animals means that some must be either turned away or euthanized. We witnessed, too, the difficulties for animals like Chelsea - to whom Home-to-Home is dedicated - whose temperaments make them particularly vulnerable to the stresses within a crowded shelter environment.
(See Why a Home-to-Home adoption)
The burden on our shelters and the toll on the animals moved us to create Home-to-Home as an alternative pet adoption service. We drew on our own experience and on knowledge gained from many talented trainers, gifted educators, people who have spent lifetimes caring for animals and, of course, from the animals themselves. Home-to-Home is designed to reduce the number of homeless animals entering our shelters by helping animals move from one home directly into another. (See the Home-to-Home Mission Statement)
By exploring the Home-to-Home website, you will find animals available for adoption along with information and resources to assist all pet owners whether they want to adopt a pet, find a home for a pet or find the solution to a training or behavior problem so they can keep a pet at home. We plan to expand our services and resources as time goes by and invite you to revisit Home-to-Home often. We look forward to the opportunity to learn from you, too. Please contact us anytime with your comments and suggestions.
So many wonderful people have helped and encouraged us in the creation of this service that it is impossible to name them all, but we would like to extend a special thank you to Andrew Marietta, Mike West, Jennifer Lockwood and the Council of Community Services of New York State, The Clark Foundation, Doreen De Nicola for her work on the Home-to-Home logo, Ronnie Diane Reiman, Esq. for her invaluable advice and assistance, Jane Ketcham and Lynne Kemen for sharing what their cats have taught them, and Charlie Reiman for contributing the cost of our phone services every month.
Georgina Carney has worked in some capacity with animals her whole life. While in graduate school her volunteer experience with a local animal sanctuary cemented her desire to dedicate her life to animal rescue and welfare. A move in 2003 from the NJ suburbs to a beautiful 80 acre farm in upstate NY is the start of her journey towards fullfilling her dream for a sanctuary for all animals.
Cat Gareth walked and groomed dogs and volunteered in the education department of the ASPCA in NYC before moving upstate in 1988. She owned and operated Cat's Dogs, a boarding kennel in Franklin, NY for seven years. She worked as Kennel Manager and K-9 Line Coordinator for Susquehanna SPCA, is currently a member of the dog care staff at Glen Highland Farm/Sweet Border Collie Rescue in Morris, NY and is certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizenship Evaluator. She owes more to dogs than she can ever repay, but hopes Home-to-Home is a start.
Dana Rice has been a regular volunteer at the Susquehanna SPCA, as well as Glen Highland Farm Border Collie Rescue. In addition, Dana spent several years as an obedience trainer in New Hampshire. Currently Dana, and her husband Ray, are enjoying the canine community in Cooperstown, NY through their store Dog Wild Canine Supply .
Susan Monnelly moved from New Hampshire to New York in 2004 to be the first Canine Caretaker at Glen Highland Farm, a full-time on-site rescue person assisting with the dogs in the barn. She worked day in and day out making sure all the rescue dogs were in superb health and very well loved. She lived in a house on the property caring for 4-6 rescue dogs with special needs as well as her own six canine friends. In August of 2008 she moved back to New Hampshire to be closer to her family. She still fosters dogs for Glen Highland Farm and now assists Home-to-Home with their web site needs drawing from her years of experience as web developer.