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On November 10, Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center’s Founder and President, Dori Scofield, was named a winner of the Long Island Business News’ Health Care Heroes Award in the Category of Veterinary Medicine/Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Volunteer Hero. Later that night, she received the Pioneers in Progress Award from Last Hope Animal Rescue, Inc. during the organization’s 30th anniversary dinner.

Ms. Scofield has loved and cared for dogs since she was very young. She started grooming champion show dogs at 13, and became a professional groomer at 17. Even as a teen, she was very aware of the homeless animals on Long Island and vowed to one day open a shelter in her own area. Upon opening a grooming shop in 1979, she donated her services to shelters, offering to groom their dogs to make them look more adoptable. After her four children were born, she retired from grooming and dedicated her life to Long Island’s orphaned domestic animals.

At the onset, Save-A-Pet, Ms. Scofield found the stray cat overpopulation overwhelming, so she began to trap and neuter feral cats. Last October, she opened C.L.I.F.F.S., a clinic to neuter feral cats, which works alongside Save-A-Pet’s “Trap, Neuter, Return” (TNR) program. Knowing that a pair of reproductive cats can produce up to 400,000 offspring in just seven years, it is her hope that C.L.I.F.F.S., over time, will greatly decrease the feral cat population on Long Island.

Save-A-Pet has played an integral part in the Long Island community, in the lives of humans and animals alike. Each year, Ms. Scofield’s organization works to educate and inform people through programs like their annual children’s summer camp program, Critter Camp. They raise funds continually to sponsor clinics for microchipping, spaying and neutering and they contribute to their animals’ lives with genuine tender loving care. Save-A-Pet works closely with Brookhaven Town Animal Shelter and, with the help of many of the same doctors and volunteers that helped to start the organization, all pets that come to her shelter are spayed and neutered, vaccinated and tested for all diseases to save as many lives as possible. When it comes to adoptions, every caution is taken and prospective families are thoroughly screened and matched with the most suitable pet available. They also have a program for accepting animals after their owners have passed away.

Since 1993, Save-A-Pet has placed thousands of cats and dogs in loving homes and helped thousands of families who, for many reasons, cannot keep their pets. With the generosity of the public, Ms. Scofield will continue her mission.

Save-A-Pet provides spay-and-neuter services and endeavors to educate the public, especially children, on the importance of pet sterilization, responsible pet ownership and the humane treatment of animals. Her organization rescues the unwanted and overlooked from shelters, providing them with a second chance. Many of these animals suffer from illnesses and medical problems that require expensive treatment. Ms. Scofield has rallied around these forsaken pets, establishing the Save-A-Pet Emergency Medical Fund to provide the necessary treatment that will deliver them back to good health and render them suitable for adoption.

Ms. Scofield faced her share of tragedies. On August 5, 2008, a fire swept through her house, killing seven dogs and four cats that were rescued by Save-A-Pet, including her beloved dog and constant companion, Gianni. While her house was being rebuilt, she and her family lived in a trailer on the property. She decided to stay on the property to take care of her animals rather than moving to or renting another house. Later that year, on Christmas Day, a person broke into and vandalized Save-A-Pet, destroying some of the cages that housed these rescued pets which escaped. Two of the animals died from this event. Most recently, the tragic loss of her beloved son Daniel has left her with yet more heartbreak and anguish.

Somehow, she finds the strength to work through these tragedies and continue her necessary and vital work. Her grief and the tragedies she experienced have served as a reminder that, when tragedy strikes, solace can be found in the response and outpouring of the love and support friends, family and community provide.

 

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Dori Scofield (right) accepts the Long Island Business News Health Care Heroes Award from Susan Somerville, RN (left), at Long Island Business News' Health Care Heroes Awards Ceremony.

Dori Scofield (right) receives Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation’s “Pioneers in Progress” Award from the organization’s president, Linda Stuurman (right).

Her dedication and hard work was recognized by the Town of Brookhaven. On March 26, 2009, she was one of 11 women honored by the Town of Brookhaven Office of Women’s Services at the 23rd Annual Women’s Recognition awards for her work as a Community Service Professional.

Ms. Scofield has raised awareness on the issue of “puppy mill” puppies being bought and sold at local retail pet stores. Every Saturday, she is out there — rain or shine, regardless of the temperature — protesting in front of pet stores that sell these puppies to unsuspecting customers and urging that people adopt an animal instead. When a local pet store took legal action to quash the protests, the judge found in Save-A-Pet’s favor and allowed Ms. Scofield and her loyal supporters to continue their protests. Thanks to her efforts, a pet store in Stony Brook has closed, preventing future sales of “puppy mill” pets.

In coordination with Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization based in Utah, Ms. Scofield brought back hundreds of adult dogs through the Pup My Ride program. These dogs were used to breed puppies that were later sold to retail pet stores. When these animals become too old or too ill, they are deemed useless by the puppy mills. On July 4, 2010, Ms. Scofield worked with Best Friends Animal Society and Pets Alive, based in Middletown, NY, in rescuing 120 beagles from an abandoned cosmetics laboratory in upstate New York, where they were used for testing of inhalants.

Ms. Scofield also keeps busy by organizing Save-A-Pet’s annual fundraising events such as Hounds on the Sound, the Fur Ball and the Ruff Riders Rally. She also launched “Clunkers for Critters,” in which people can donate their used vehicles to help benefit Save-A-Pet and its pet adoption, spaying and neutering, feral cat TNR, humane education and public awareness programs. Last year, she opened Castaways, a retail pet store in which all proceeds go to benefit Save-A-Pet and the animals it helps. In May 2010, she opened the Barkin’ Basement, a thrift shop in downtown Port Jefferson with proceeds also going to Save-A-Pet.

In July of 2010, Ms. Scofield took on the position as Director of The Brookhaven Animal Shelter and Adoption Center as well as continuing her work at Save-A-Pet to expand her mission of saving even more lives. Brookhaven is the largest municipality in New York State and serves over half a million residents and its animals.