About Us
Adopt A Dog Foundation, Inc. was founded by retired police officer Patty Pereira on January 4, 2011, and received its Non-Profit 501 (c)(3) status on March 29, 2011. We are located in Stuart, Florida in Martin County.
As a child, Patty moved with her parents to Mexico City where she felt compassion for the packs of hungry dogs roaming the streets. Patty and her friends would try and find ways to provide food for the dogs, and would sometimes sneak them home and hide them in her bedroom. Needless to say her parents never knew what to expect when they opened her door, and yet they always paid the veterinary bills. “Thank you”!
When she was younger, Patty’s dream was to become a veterinarian. At seventeen she became a veterinary technician and worked for Dr. David Greenfield in Dade County. But life sometimes takes you in a different direction. Patty became a police officer for the City of North Miami and retired from that agency. Then moved to Jupiter, and went back to work as a police officer for the Jupiter Police Department.
While in law enforcement Patty was assigned various duties. She worked in the patrol division, undercover robbery and prostitution unit, teaching the DARE program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), developing the curriculum, administering and teaching most of the Citizens’ Police Academy. Shortly after that she created and supervised the first NMPD Mobile Patrol Program. Patty also coordinated the Juvenile First Offender Program and was assigned to the Crimes Against Children and Elderly Unit.
While working in these units, Patty was known by the North Miami community as the “Officer Friendly” who tried to rescue all the people and animals. Somehow this earned her the department’s much sought after title of “Hoarding Expert”.
Yes , way before Animal Planet’s ANIMAL HOARDING SHOW there was Officer Patty and her partner Officer Carol, who would be assigned the very hazardous “Cat Ladies” and “Dog Hoarders”. The cases whose situations had just gotten “a little away from them” You know, that glamorous detective job (as seen on TV) of climbing through homes full of feces and urine, with no air conditioning, 98 degree Florida weather, filled with stuff, people and animals that needed rescuing, and so the story began....
Along the way at both agencies, there were many wonderful and kind officers that dedicated their time, money and effort to rescue many children, seniors and animals. They never hesitated when called upon, and to which a great big thank you is owed. The Thanksgiving food drives, the Christmas toy drives and to all the officers who took home the unwanted four legged creatures, “Thank You”.
Police work teaches an officer to become results/solutions oriented in spite of rigid rules and restraints. All that experience taught Patty to “think outside the box” in her approach to problem solving. Patty has decided to use those same skills to follow her childhood dream of rescuing dogs who are surrendered to “high kill” shelters. Patty invites you to join her in helping to make a difference in rescuing these loving and innocent dogs from being euthanized.
We can no longer sit by and watch what is happening in our country. The facts are that in 2013 between Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND (100,000) dogs and cats were so called “humanely euthanized”. While the “humanely” is debatable, the real fact is they were killed for lack of space. Just three south Florida counties, over one hundred thousand!!! That number is hard to imagine, but it happens every day in every county in our country. Believe it or not, some states still gas and asphyxiate animals. Wow, that’s humane!
We believe that most people are good, and that they want to do the right thing. The problem is that animal welfare is not usually a government priority, at least not until they find themselves in a crisis such as a rabies, distemper or parvo outbreak. Then the money is mysteriously allocated for anything needed. It’s called “Management By Crisis” which seems to be the standard. There is a breakdown in animal care and safety education. There is a lack of resources that are needed if we are ever going to solve the pet overpopulation problem.
ADOPT A DOG FOUNDATION, INC. is dedicated to making a difference. We believe that although we may not be able to save every dog, that the following saying truly applies:
“Saving just one dog won’t change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog”.
Please join us and help make a difference.
Patty currently resides in Stuart, Florida with her two dogs.