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Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center

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Sunny Docherty wanted to do something different for her birthday this year. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

This past April, Setauket Elementary School fourth-grader Sunny Docherty decided to spend her birthday a little differently. Instead of brainstorming a list of gifts to ask for, Sunny asked only for her family and friends to donate to Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue & Adoption Center. Sunny heard of the nonprofit organization through family friends, Natasha and Jim Commander, who are regular volunteers there. 

Save-A-Pet, located in Port Jefferson Station, is currently saving animals from kill shelters in the South. Volunteers are fervently dedicated to helping the most overlooked members of our community — our animals. In addition to caring for mistreated pets and finding them a home, Save-A-Pet also provides any necessary medical attention.

Volunteers like the Commander family, who live in Stony Brook, walk the animals, socialize with them and treat them with love and care, eventually teaching them how to trust again. Many of the animals have been abused, but volunteers like the couple are working at reversing the trauma through “love and exercise,” as Natasha Commander said.

The truth of her statement is exemplified in her foster dog Muddy, who was saved by Save-A-Pet. After only a week with the family, Muddy is dutifully attached to the Commanders. He’s laying at their feet, wagging his tail and appearing to smile.  

Sunny was introduced to Save-A-Pet through the Commanders and, of course, Muddy. “It’s an incredible thing that they do — [kill shelters] shouldn’t kill animals,” she said.

Dori Scofield, president of Save-A-Pet, said she “loves when kids in the community get involved. They truly help the organization tremendously.”

Scofield emphasized the significant impact kids have on the organization. 

“Kids are huge contributors,” she said. 

From a roll of paper towels to small drives outside of grocery stores, Scofield makes it clear that no contribution is too small and no person is too young. Age does not impede a person’s ability to make a difference. 

Photo by Sabrina Artusa

Thanks to Sunny, Save-A-Pet will be receiving $156 — money that will be put toward the care and medical needs of the animals. Scofield said that they “always have animals in dire need of surgery,” so Sunny’s contributions will be put to good use. 

While affectionately petting Muddy, it becomes clear from Sunny’s smile that she is proud of her decision to donate. Sunny definitely embodies her name. As her mother Carré Griggs said, “Sunny was born sunny.” Her father, Jim Docherty, said that he is “not surprised at all” by Sunny’s charitable deed. 

Her impact extends beyond the monetary donation. One of her friends has also decided to trade gifts for donations. In fact, Sunny herself credits one of her friends — who has donated her birthday money in the past — for inspiring her to do so this year. 

“I don’t think kids want presents anymore,” Griggs said. “They want to help.”

Sunny hopes to inspire people to get involved. To anyone moved by her story, she said, “Do something, donate or foster a dog in need.”

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Animals were up for adoption at Save-A-Pet's Hounds on the Sound event in Port Jefferson 2015. Photo by Bob Savage

By Leah Chiappino

Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter is looking to expand its reach to the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts where the organization plans to open a sanctuary.

The Port Jefferson Station-based animal shelter is due to close on a 20-acre property that contains a barn, house and space for a veterinary facility this month, according to shelter president Dori Scofield.

Starting around the holiday time, the sanctuary will be open to older or disabled dogs and cats that have had a difficult time finding a home.  The sanctuary’s first residents will be three dogs currently residing at the shelter from Mexico who were hit by cars and are now paralyzed.  However, they will still be available for adoption.

In the spring, Scofield hopes to welcome farm animals, such as pigs and goats that have been “faced with slaughter, factory exploitation, auctions, and whose lives have been wrought with fear and loneliness,”
she said.

The facility won’t just benefit animals. The shelter president said Save-A-Pet has plans to use the sanctuary to “provide an educational program where people can experience the individual personality of each animal, to become kindred spirits and therefore begin to understand the changes we must make in our own lives to stop the exploitation of animals for food and consumer products.”

The organization has fundraised what they need to make a down payment through a capital campaign and has mortgaged out the remainder of the cost. However, Scofield says the sanctuary still “desperately” needs funds. 

“I am nickel and diming my way through this just like I did with Save-A-Pet,” she said.

Scofield is looking for volunteers to provide services such as plumbing, electrical work and carpentry to assist in some capital repairs needed on the Massachusetts property. They are also looking for veterinary assistants and volunteers willing to care for the animals at the property, while building a staff of volunteers in the Berkshires. 

“Everything we have at Save-A-Pet we will need there,” she said.

Save-A-Pet will be hosting an Uncorked Love fundraiser at Madrian The Wine Bar at 209 Main St. in East Setauket set for 7 p.m., Nov. 7. Tickets are availble at Save-A-Pet located at 608 Route 112. All proceeds will go to the sanctuary.

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About 100 small dogs were rescued by Save-A-Pet in Port Jeff Station from an upstate home over the weekend and now up for adoption. Photo by Alex Petroski

More than 100 four-legged, furry friends are looking for a new home.

Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Port Jefferson Station assisted in a rescue at a home in upstate New York Dec. 16 and 17, and as a result, the facility all at once has taken in more than 100 dogs, which are now up for adoption. The center was founded by Dori Scofield in 1994, who said this was by far the largest one-time influx of dogs it has ever had to deal with. She said about once a year Save-A-Pet is asked to assist in large-scale rescues, but this occurrence is “totally out of the ordinary.”

“Luckily we didn’t have that many [animals currently] but I had already set up three transports, so now I can’t say no to the ones I already committed to, so I have 16 more dogs coming, and they’re big,” Scofield said.

About 100 small dogs were rescued by Save-A-Pet in Port Jeff Station from an upstate home over the weekend and now up for adoption. Photo by Alex Petroski

The dogs from the upstate home are small, mixed breeds and overall they are in good health, according to Save-A-Pet Vice President Lynne Schoepfer.

“Stop in, meet them,” she said. “One is sweeter than the next. They all need homes. We’d love to have them all in homes by Christmas. They’re just really, really nice dogs.”

Schoepfer said the home was in “deplorable” condition when they arrived over the weekend. The rescue required two trips back and forth to get all the animals to the Port Jeff Station center. The owner of the home reached out to another group to help her, according to Schoepfer, which contacted Save-A-Pet asking if it could get involved.

“Unfortunately what happens is people think they’re doing good, and they don’t spay and neuter, and they just keep on taking in and then all of the sudden you have over 100 dogs in your house,” she said. “The woman was overwhelmed to say the least.”

In the short term, the facility is in need of money to feed the dogs and administer medical care, garbage bags, paper towels and rubber bath mats to help house the dogs until their adoption. A fundraiser will be held Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. at Portside Bar & Grill to help Save-A-Pet deal with its new tenants. Those interested in adopting can visit saveapetny.org to fill out an application, and can see photos of all of the available dogs on the Save-A-Pet Facebook page. Donations can also be sent through the website.

“We’re all about saving the animals and getting the animals in a safe environment, getting them re-homed into some place that’s going to love them and take care of them and do the right thing by them,” Schoepfer said.

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