OUR FIRST 25 YEARS
This page was originally intended to provide our viewers with the history of our organization: how we were founded, the process of building the organization, finding our beautiful home at Safe Haven, and the many significant events over the last 25 years of rescue, adoption and low-cost spay / neuter services.
In response to our 25th Anniversary Issue of Pet Tidings, we received a beautifully written letter from our first Shelter Manager, Gary del Mastro, describing not only the beginnings of PFOA, but more importantly, the heart and soul of our organization. Gary has graciously given his permission to share his thoughts with all of you.
November 9, 2025
Dear PFOA,
As the original live-in shelter manager and caretaker of the cats at Safe Haven, I was beyond thrilled to see the 25th Anniversary Issue of Pet Tidings—–the newsletter I proudly created way back then and published when I wasn’t otherwise attending to the needs of the resident cats, the adopters, the volunteers or the staff!
Along with several other devoted folks I was there from the inception, searching for a suitable building, testifying before the County Council in the effort to get our license to operate, overseeing for weeks the workers who were preparing the interior of the building, and rounding up and organizing the volunteers (as every one of us was at the time) who were intent on making our shared dream of a state-of-the art no-kill shelter come to fruition.
When I ultimately moved on from my time at Safe Haven I had been personally involved in the adoption of 750 cats. To see that number has risen to almost 4,000 is an incredibly satisfying testament to the dedication of all of those who have become involved over the years.
I can’t tell you how happy I was to see among the names of current board members, staff and volunteers, five who were with me there from the beginning: Sharon Palmer, Donna Criscione, Della Floyd, Kimmie Kitts and Nancy Campbell. I once read that the average pet shelter worker burns out in less than three years due to the physical and emotional stress of the work. The fact that those five individuals have endured for 25 validates the belief that the love of and dedication to animals is right up there with the greatest love of all.
We dreamed big when we went about the process of opening the first of its kind sanctuary in our community. Kudos to all of you who are keeping that dream alive! May Safe Haven’s light never go out.
Warm regards,
Gary Del Mastro
