Pilots N Paws and Duffy’s Friends work together in animal rescue effort
by Kristina Gabalski
Neighbor Evie Campbell joins Lori Mufford in holding two puppies recently flown up with ten other dogs from North Carolina by Duffy’s Friends, a Brockport rescue group founded by Lori in 1999. Included in the picture is Brody, a three year old Lab-Terrier mix who is Lori’s pet. The two puppies, Pirate and Blondie, are ten-week-old Shihtzu mix; they were rescued from a hoarder, a family that had a large number of dogs but did not take proper care of them.Thanks to a group of caring animal lovers in Brockport, hundreds of dogs rescued from high-kill shelters in North and South Carolina have found loving homes and happy lives in this area.
“Hundreds of dogs are put to sleep each week in these shelters, only because they are homeless,” says Laurie LoMonaco, Media Manager and foster mom with Duffy’s Friends, Inc., a rescue group based in Brockport.
“We have contacts in the shelter areas who pull dogs for us and house them until they have transport to Rochester,” LoMonaco says.
On Saturday, June 16, two puppies (from the same litter) were flown into Ledgedale Airpark by John Greco, a Pittsburgh businessman who often flies the dogs at his own expense through the Pilots N Paws group from Goldsboro, North Carolina to Rochester or Brockport.
Subaru is the largest corporate sponsor of Pilots N Paws, LoMonaco says, so she invited Spurr Subaru to be part of the welcome committee at Ledgedale.
Lori Mufford (holding Samuel John, a 16 week old rescue who was flown in mid-April and is owned by Mackie LoMonaco), John Greco (Pilots N Paws pilot) and Randy Spurr of Spurr Subaru were on hand to greet the new puppy arrivals on June 16. Provided photo Spurr presented Duffy’s with a check for $200 that will provide eye surgery for one of the dogs flown in.
“Spurr Subaru in Brockport supports Duffy’s Friends,” Randy Spurr said, “and is proud to represent Subaru, a national supporter of Pilots N Paws. Spurr Subaru will again be holding a pet costume party in October that will benefit Duffy’s Friends,” he added
LoMonaco says the puppies flown in June 16 were the third litter Duffy’s has pulled from the same hoarder since the end of January.
“Animal control… was called in,” LoMonaco says. “Her dogs had never even been outdoors, much less to a vet. People don’t realize how bad the conditions are in the south for dogs.”
Four puppies were born in the litter – two stayed in North Carolina, one because it was critically ill. They will be sent here in the coming weeks, LoMonaco says.
John Greco’s plane being unloaded of crates containing nine dogs and one Siamese cat. John said they were wonderful passengers until landing and then they started stressing a little. Greco is part of the Pilot N Paws program. Provided photo“The other two did come and were sick. The male was very sick. Both were taken to and stayed with Dr. Edwards at Brockport Animal Hospital. The male was given a feeding tube and meds through IVs,” LoMonaco explains.
The puppy made a miraculous recovery and both have been adopted together by a woman in Penfield. “All the puppies had Coccidia to varying degrees. While the tests came back negative, they were also exhibiting signs of Parvo,” LoMonaco says. “All are doing wonderful now and will be very healthy dogs.”
Lori Mufford, the founder of Duffy’s Friends, says the group was incorporated in 1999 and is dedicated to matching shelter dogs to loving homes in the Rochester area.
“Our main goal is to assist any overwhelmed shelter that requests help to provide a shelter dog a second chance,” she says. “Not all breeds are good for all people and we hand-select the dogs coming from the shelter that are deserving of a chance to be adopted. It is not the fault of the dog that he finds himself in the shelter, but the inexperience and non-commitment of his first owner.”
The rescue group is named for Duffy – a beloved dog Lori adopted in the 1990s when she would walk through animal control and buy dogs scheduled to be put to sleep.
“My love for a throw-away dog provided me with the reason to keep helping the animals,” Lori states on the group’s website, www.dufffysfriends.com.
She notes that Duffy’s Friends interview prospective adoptive families and match the dog to the family based on criteria concerning (the) dog’s energy level, temperament, training ability, and other characteristics.
“We have placed over 500 dogs in five years and the (number of) dogs returned to our program is less than one percent,” Mufford says.
Laurie LoMonaco, who has been with Duffy’s friends for about seven months, commends Mufford for her dedication.
Lori, Pirate and Blondie smile for the camera. Lori travels to Henrietta every Saturday and brings dogs to the Petco store for adoption. (Check out Petfinder.com). She has brought over 500 dogs from North and South Carolina in the past five years and has been working with shelters for 20 years. There are contacts in the shelter areas in those states that pull dogs for Duffy’s Friends and house them until they have transport to Rochester. Spurr Subaru in Brockport provides help to the program.“Lori has a heart like no other when it comes to any animal,” she says. “People who are not involved in rescue do not understand that it is a full-time job in itself. Lori oversees everything. You really need to have compassion to be involved in rescue of any capacity. Lori always puts the welfare of each dog first to ensure each dog gets the best possible home. Lori once told me one of the things that makes her the happiest is the families who come back and adopt a second dog from Duffy’s Friends. We have all established friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Dave and Monica Salin of Greece adopted Bennie from Duffy’s in August 2010 and Genny in March 2012.
“My husband and I have been so lucky to have found Duffy’s Friends,” Monica says. “We have two wonderful rescues: Bennie and Genny. The people who volunteer their time and money into saving animals from high kill shelters are unsung heroes. It takes a lot of work and money and not all animals can be saved, but the volunteers leave no stone unturned in giving these pets a second chance to live full happy lives and move into homes like ours where love awaits them and in return we receive love that only a pet can give a human.”
Benita Greenfield volunteers with Duffy’s Friends and fosters, coordinates foster homes and coordinates rescue transportation from North Carolina.
Volunteering with Duffy’s Friends has been an especially rewarding experience, she says. “By fostering dogs and placing them in good homes, I get to save the lives of great dogs and I learn about many different dogs and enjoy their personalities. Saving the lives of these adoptable animals will remain necessary until we can educate more people on the need to spay and neuter their pets. I also am fostering two wonderful cats who lost their “mom” to cancer a few months ago. Adoptable cats are even harder to place than adoptable dogs.”
Anyone who would like to find out detailed criteria required for adopting a dog from Duffy’s Friends (or would like to find out more about volunteering with the group) can visit www.duffysfriends.com. You can also Google “Petfinder Duffy’s Friends” Lori Mufford says.
“This is an internet site that will list every dog and cat that is being offered for adoption in the United States. It is a national registry for every rescue group and one of the best ways to find an animal needing a new home,” she says.
Mufford adds that during their adoption interview process, Duffy’s Friends selects families that are willing to attend basic obedience classes, crate train and other tools that are necessary to ensure a successful adoption.
