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Our Mission - Friends of
Foley is an all volunteer, non-profit organization working to
build a brighter future for homeless animals; a future where
all animals are given a chance at life, and a safe haven to
reside until a loving, forever home can be found.
"Friends of Foley" is an all volunteer
non-profit organization that is made up of individuals who all
have the best interest of animals at heart. FOF is currently
focused on planning and raising funds for the development of
a state-of-the-art animal welfare center that will be located
in the town of Bristol, Rhode Island. The center will incorporate
Bristol, RI's no-kill animal shelter, a humane education center,
a low cost veterinary clinic and space to offer animal oriented
community programs and activities. It is our hope that this
center will motivate other cities and towns to move towards
more progressive practices in animal care and control. There
is no municipal funding available for this project; we are solely
dependent on our fundraising efforts, private foundation support
and most importantly donations from caring individuals like
you! We know that we have a long road ahead but with your help
we can succeed.
Friends of Foley work in partnership with the
Bristol, Rhode Island Municipal Animal Care and Control Division.
The Bristol Animal Care and Control and the shelter it runs
are leading the way in Rhode Island in modeling practices that
support and encourage the human/animal bond and that embrace
the growing national "no-kill" movement.
Much as it "takes an entire village to
raise a child"; Friends of Foley believes that it takes
a whole community working together to solve the issues of homeless
animals. Foley's Friends come from throughout the East Bay area
of Rhode Island and represent all aspects of the community.
We are always looking for new, enthusiastic volunteers to join
us on our mission. Please contact us if you are interest in
adding your talents to our group.
To learn more about Bristol, Rhode Island's
Animal Care and Control Division and to read our "Happy
Ending Tails" click
here….
On May 23, 2007, Bristol Rhode Island became
the first municipal shelter in the state of Rhode Island to
be declared a "No-Kill" facility by town council decree.
This town council referendum re-confirmed Bristol's twenty-five
year effort which has established a facility that focuses first
and foremost on the health and well being of the animals taken
into their care. All needs of the animals impounded at the Bristol
Animal Shelter are evaluated and addressed on a personal and
individual basis. Animals suffering from sickness or injuries
receive the best in medical care. Every effort is made to successfully
address their health issues. The potential costs of these treatments
are never taken into consideration, with focus always being
foremost on the animal's best interest. Age, illness, and/or
behavioral issues are never taken into consideration when an
animal is evaluated. It is our belief that all animals deserve
a chance, and given time and patience, each animal has a home
waiting. See our "Second Chances" section for
more information and stories of some of our furry hard luck
friends and if you are interested in more information about
Bristol's No-Kill philosophy and practices please call or e-mail
us.
The issue of homeless pets and the traditional response of
widespread euthanasia as a solution is one of our society's
tragic failures. Friends of Foley and the Bristol Animal Shelter
are proud to be part of a growing movement to seek a better
solution. Please view this video and at the end we hope you
will be motivitated to support us in our efforts to change the
way things are done!
In
Hope: An Animal Shelter Story
The volunteers of Friends of Foley (FOF) and
Bristol's Animal Control Officers believe that EVERY animal
deserves a chance at life. This includes animals that need behavioral
therapy, animals that may need extensive medical care, animals
with special needs, older animals, feral cats, and other types
of pets who often are not given a chance even at other "no-kill"
facilities. FOF firmly believes that there is a home for every
animal, regardless of the animal's special requirements. The
secret is in finding the perfect match for each animal (and
human) and in treating each animal and each potential adopter
as unique individuals; a concept that should be at the core
of celebrating the true bond between humans and their pets!
We also believe that one of the best ways to end the tragedy
of homeless pets is to work to eliminate the reasons they become
homeless in the first place. This includes promoting wide spread
low-cost spay/neuter options and ensuring adoptions only to
lifelong homes.
Our own volunteers have adopted some of these
hard luck animals, read about Foley and his second chance friends
here: Meet Foley and his
Friends
"If you talk to the animals, they
will talk to you and you will know each other. If you do not
talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know
you will fear. What one fears one destroys." - Chief Dan
George
Our current efforts are largely
focused on the development of new, model, state-of-the-art,
animal shelter for the town of Bristol. This new shelter will
provide the space that Bristol's Animal Control Officers, (ACO's);
need to fully develop a model program that can be shared with
other communities around the region. Our hope with the construction
of the new shelter is to establish standards in animal care
that will begin to influence practices in other cities and towns.
Please visit the "Bristol's Future Animal Shelter"
section of our website for all of the details on the shelter
and to view the latest updates. Please visit our fundraiser
section for the latest ways that you can help support our efforts!
"There
are but two roads that lead to an important goal and to the
doing of great things: strength and perseverance. Strength is
the lot of but a few privileged men; but austere perseverance,
harsh and continuous, may be employed by the smallest of us
and rarely fails of its purpose, for its silent power grows
irresistibly greater with time." - Goethe
Dyanne Gilbree, President
- has twenty-five years of experience in the animal care and
control field, serving as Bristol, Rhode Island's animal control
officer, and currently as the Bristol Animal Shelter supervisor.
Dyanne is a graduate from the Providence Police Training Academy/
Animal Control, the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training
Academy/ Animal Control Certification, and the Rhode Island
Police Reserve Academy. Dyanne was one of the first animal control
officers to be certified in Rhode Island, and was a founding
member of the Rhode Island Animal Control Association. Dyanne
has been instrumental in establishing the Bristol Animal Shelter
as a highly respected, professional agency that focuses first
and foremost on animal health, comfort and rehabilitation. She
has received awards from the RISPCA, Volunteer Services for
Animals, Full Channel TV, the Rhode Island House of Representatives,
and PETA. Dyanne has three children, and two grandchildren.
She lives in Bristol, RI and shares her home with her husband
and a Great Pyrenees Mountain dog, a golden retriever, a minhuahua
and four cats. All of her companion animals are shelter rescues.
Dr. Michelle Lampe - Dr. Lampe graduated from the
University of Florida in 1998. After completing a one year internship
in Connecticut, she practiced for a year at the same hospital,
treating emergencies and helping to train interns. After that,
she spent the next five years at a large emergency and referral
practice in Rhode Island. Since then, she has moved to Swansea,
Massachusetts and had founded the MASS-RI Veterinary ER. She
currently resides in Swansea, MA with her husband and dog.
Lori Sendroff, Treasurer - has been
a long-time volunteer with the Bristol Animal Shelter and with
the feral cat rescue organization PawsWatch. She has a Liberal
Arts Degree and has managed Alfred's Gifts & Antiques, a
well-known antique store in Bristol, Rhode Island for the past
10 years. She is involved in all aspects of running the business
and through this work is also very involved with other Bristol,
RI merchants and downtown businesses. Prior to moving back home
to Rhode Island she managed a daycare and preschool at the largest
American Consulate in the world, located in Germany. In this
job she was instrumental in developing a successful and well-respected
school and in bringing the school and daycare from the red into
the black for the first time in its history. Most of her free
time is spent volunteering with PawsWatch and the Bristol Shelter,
primarily focusing on implementing the trap-neuter-release approach
to feral cat management in the East Bay area of RI. Working
with animals is something that Lori always wanted to do and
she considers any opportunity to make their lives better, a
dream come true. Lori lives in Warren, RI and shares her home
with her six "rescues" - her husband Danny and five
cats Matisse, Maverick, Morisot, Maddison and Morgan!
Jennifer Federico, Secretary - has
been an animal control officer in the town of Bristol, RI for
the past 8 years. She was born and raised in Bristol, Rhode
Island and has a bachelor's degree in marine biology from Roger
Williams University. Prior to being hired by the town of Bristol
she worked for Mystic Aquarium as an animal trainer. In addition
to all of her work experience with animals she volunteers with
PawsWatch, a local volunteer group, helping to control the feral
cat population in Bristol and Coventry. In addition to all of
her animal expertise, Jen is very organized and computer savvy
and helps to keep the Board and organization running smoothly.
She lives in Coventry with her husband Barry; their six cats
Lucky, Siam, Briar, Trixie, Tha Baby and Demetrius and a rabbit
Biffy, all of which they rescued. They also enjoy sharing their
backyard and pond with area wildlife, including deer and river
otters!
Board
Members
Josue Canario - Is
a 20-year veteran of the Bristol Police Department and has served
as the Deputy Chief of Police for the town of Bristol since
2004, having previously served as Lieutenant. Prior to joining
the Bristol Police Department he served on a special narcotics
task force for the state of Rhode Island. He is a life long
East Bay resident. Originally from Warren, he now lives in Bristol
with his wife, three children and their two dogs. He is a graduate
of Roger Williams University.
Richard Federico is
the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of
Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company (FIIS),
a division of Fidelity Investments. FIIS is a leading provider
of investment services and products to financial advisors at
brokerage firms, banks and insurance companies. He has been
with Fidelity since 1996 and in his current role since 2004.
Previously he worked for Anderson Consulting and Price Waterhouse.
He has a BS in Accounting from the University of Southern Maine
and a MBA from the University of Rhode Island. He is a life-long
resident of Bristol, Rhode Island where he currently resides
with his wife, twin daughters and their dog, a Pug named Tinkerbell.
Rick and his family are long-time supporters of the Bristol
Animal Shelter and its work.
Raymond Gallison -
has served in the RI House of Representatives, representing
District 69 since 2000. He is a Deputy Majority Leader and is
the chair of the Municipal Government Committee. Ray also serves
as Vice Chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Council
as well as the Committees on Veteran's Affairs and Separation
of Powers. He received his Juris Doctor (JD) from Southern New
England School of Law, and is a practicing attorney, admitted
to the bar in Massachusetts. He lives in Bristol with wife Dianne
and has two sons, both of whom are members of the Bristol Fire
Department along with serving as EMTs.
Thomas P. Langdon, J.D.
- is an associate professor of Business Law and the Director
of the Sovereign Bank Center for Business Support at the Gabelli
School of Business, Roger Williams University. Mr. Langdon is
also Director of Personal Financial Planning Programs at the
Gabelli School of Business, and is an adjunct professor of taxation
at Georgetown University, Fordham University and the American
College. He is a principal in Langdon & Langdon Financial
Services, LLC a Connecticut based tax planning and preparation
firm, and is an attorney admitted to the bar in Connecticut
and Pennsylvania. He received a BS and MBA from the University
of CT, an MS in Financial Services from the American College,
a Juris Doctor (JD) from Western New England College School
of Law, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Taxation from Villanova
University School of Law. He holds numerous designations, including
Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Advisory in
Philanthropy (CAP). He is a nationally recognized speaker and
the author of numerous publications. He has extensive experience
related to charitable giving, with particular expertise in helping
develop legal structures that allow donors to satisfy their
own needs while making charitable contributions.
John M. Lannon is
a well-known Bristol land developer who has owned and operated
his own construction company for the past 20 years. John is
a native Bristolian and attended the Bristol Public Schools
until enrolling in the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
In addition to his work, which specializes on site development;
he has served as president of the Bristol County Builders Association
and has been on the board of directors for the Rhode Island
Builders Association. John has been a coach for Babe Ruth Baseball
and Midget Football and is an active volunteer with Rhode Island
Special Olympics. He has served both the Bristol Comprehensive
Planning Commission and the Zoning Enabling Commission. He is
a member of the Crestwood Country Club and resides in Bristol
with his wife, Pat and their two dogs. John has two children
and four grandchildren.
Barbara S. Poole,
PhD, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, FLMI, is currently Associate Professor
of Financial Services at Roger Williams University in Bristol,
RI. Prior to her recent move to Roger Williams, Dr. Poole was
at The American College in Bryn Mawr, PA, where she co-authored
several textbooks in financial planning and insurance. Her additional
teaching experience includes corporate and personal finance
on the graduate and undergraduate levels at Central Connecticut
State University, St. Joseph College (in CT), and the University
of Connecticut. She has received national attention for her
research in the areas of behavioral finance and personal financial
decision-making. She has garnered awards for her research, including
four Outstanding Paper awards conferred by the Academy of Financial
Services. Her work has been published in academic journals that
include Financial Services Review, the Journal of Retirement
Planning, and Benefits Quarterly. She also currently serves
on the editorial boards of several academic and practitioner
journals. Prior to her academic career, she ran her own financial
planning practice, where she specialized in pre-divorce planning.
She also has considerable experience working in the charitable
arena, helping donors maximize their investments. She continues
to serve as an advisor to the practitioner community with her
consulting practice for financial planners, and has worked on
exam development for the Certified Financial Planner Board of
Standards.
Edward Wakem,
DVM has owned and practiced veterinary medicine at the Bristol
Veterinary Clinic since 1982. Since 2004 he has also served
as a Field Veterinary Consultant for Companion Animals for Fort
Dodge Animal Health, traveling throughout the eastern United
States. He has also been an instructor in Veterinary Sciences
at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He has served as both
President and Treasurer of the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical
Association and also served as the Rhode Island delegate to
the American Veterinary Medical Association from 1997 - 2006.
He was appointed to three, two-year terms on the RI Board of
Examiners in Veterinary Medicine and served as chairman from
1996-1997. He was instrumental in writing and securing passage
of several key pieces of legislation, including the current
veterinary practice act and the veterinary drug code. He served
in the Veterinary Corps of the US Army Reserve from 1985-1998
and since 1998 has served as a Public Health Officer in the
Rhode Island Air National Guard. Dr. Wakem's current interest
is in the threat posed by biological warfare agents and on emerging
diseases and their potential threat to public health. He is
a frequent lecturer on related topics. He lives in Tiverton
with his wife Susan and their many four-legged friends.
Victoria White
is a long-time resident of Bristol and a well-known volunteer
in the town. Vicky is the mother of three children. In addition
to her work as publicist for the Bristol Art Museum, at the
Bristol Visitor's Center and at the Mount Hope Farm; she is
President of the Bristol Paw Park and is very active with the
Boy Scouts of America. She is a member of the Bristol Substance
Abuse Task Force, an animal lover and volunteer, and is a founder
and co-host of "Talk Bristol" which airs on WQRI 88.3FM.
She attended Roger Williams University and the University of
Rhode Island, majoring in writing.
Although
the Bristol, Rhode Island Animal Shelter is a model shelter
in its philosophies and the care it provides to its animals,
it is behind the times in terms of its physical space. While
the staff does everything in their power to maintain the facility
it simply does not meet the needs of a modern day animal sheltering
program.
Plans are in the works to develop
a new, state of the art, community animal shelter. Friends of
Foley is working with the state and the town to secure an appropriate
site within the town to locate this new facility. Stay tuned
to our website for more information on this.
We have contracted with an architectural
firm rauhaus freedenfeld & associates to design our new
facility. We are excited to be working in partnership with a
firm that brings so much depth of expertise in the design of
shelter facilities. You can learn more about them on their website
at www.rfarchitects.com
A "green building design that ensures a facility that is
kind to the earth as well as the animals
and which allows for reduced long-term operating costs for the
town of Bristol
A low-cost veterinary clinic that will be available for use
by other area shelters and rescue
groups
Accommodations to allow for the site to serve as an emergency
shelter in the case of natural
disaster
A humane education center
Healthy cat and kitten rooms where our feline friends can live
in home like environments
Spacious indoor/outdoor dog runs
Dog exercise/play center
Quarantine rooms
Intake rooms
Kitten and puppy nurseries
Obedience training classrooms
Adoption retail store
As plans progress there will be numerous opportunities for individuals
to help support our efforts. The building will have naming opportunities
for individuals or corporations wishing to sponsor a room or
area of the building on behalf of themselves or animal friends.
There will also be opportunities to make "memorial"
contributions, which will allow you to have a place to permanently
immortalize a dearly departed loved one
(furry or human).
This is a major undertaking and
we will need all of the help that we can get! Please visit our
"How You Can Help"
section for further details and other opportunities to donate.
We hope you will check back
often and tell your friends about our site. We will update this
site with new information on the facility, including plans and
drawings, as they become available. You can also watch our donation
counter as it tracks our progress towards our goal!
Contact Us At:
FriendsOfFoley@fctvplus.net
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