Pet Peeves founder reflects on 20 years, $1.5M in giving

When discussing rescuing animals, Janine Dion has been known to say, “It takes a litter.”

The litter, Dion believes, are the numerous people who contribute to the success of Pet Peeves, the organization she founded 20 years ago to help animals in need on Long Island.

An outgrowth of Dion’s combined love for animals and desire to give back to the community, Pet Peeves has raised funds and awareness for Long Island’s animal shelters and rescue groups, giving out more than $1.5 million.

Now, after 21 years at the helm of Pet Peeves, whose tagline conveys its mission as “The Voice of Long Island Pets,” Dion will wind down the organization by the end of this year, but plans to stay involved with animal welfare.

“I hope to continue to speak on behalf of the many groups that we’ve supported, educating the public on the need for support and their missions,” said Dion, 61, of Huntington.

Getting off the ground

Dion credits her parents for modeling altruism for their four children and instilling in her the drive to help others.

“Any pet that came into our home was from a rescue or from the neighborhood as a stray,” said Dion, who grew up in Carle Place.

As she embarked on a career as a young person, Dion said, she was determined to juggle work with her interest in helping homeless animals, children and senior citizens.

Starting as a receptionist at Crest Hollow Country Club in 1983, Dion moved up the ranks, eventually rising to vice president of sales and marketing for the Woodbury event space. After a few months off to focus on her organization, in October 2020, Dion became sales director at the senior community Atria on Roslyn Harbor, where, she said, she’s fulfilling her desire to work with older people.

Dion said she was inspired by Crest Hollow’s owner, Joseph Monti, who raised millions of dollars for cancer research, to meld business with philanthropy.

“He took me under his wing and not only trained me in the business, but set the example for me as to how to combine your career and your heart,” Dion said.

Bonding with business associates and colleagues, Dion said she realized that many of them supported her vision of raising money for local shelters and rescue groups, “never thinking this would become a not-for-profit that would support thousands of needy pets.”

With a small group of colleagues advising her, Dion started Pet Peeves in April 2001 and formed a board of directors with five professionals working in law, accounting, marketing, public relations and advertising. Supporting Dion’s mission, Monti hosted a small think tank on animal advocacy, followed by the first Unleash the Love fundraiser in October 2001. Dion then ran the organization with assistance from fundraising volunteers and the oversight of its board of directors, which at its high point numbered 12 members.

“So many fabulous corporations and organizations joined in,” Dion said, noting that Unleash the Love fundraisers became an annual event, typically raising more than $100,000 for shelters and rescue groups on Long Island.

The group has also organized food drives for shelters and pet pantries on Long Island as well as fundraisers for humane education, including some geared toward helping children understand the vulnerability of animals.

“To prevent abuse and neglect later in life, education is key,” said Dion, whose future goals include creating a humane education program for schools.

Among Pet Peeves’ beneficiaries has been HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers), a Westchester organization that teaches children how to treat pets like family members, and to groom and provide for their medical care, along with the health and behavioral benefits of spaying or neutering, which can make them less aggressive and prone to escaping.

For the dogs — and cats

Since its inception, Pet Peeves has had a three-pronged mission: to support animals in need, provide humane education for children, and offer pet therapy for senior citizens.

In addition to public fundraisers, Pet Peeves has raised money through grants and corporate and individual sponsorships. For its own giving, Pet Peeves has sought out 501(c)(3) nonprofits with responsible boards of directors, majority of volunteer staff and that permit frequent site visits.

“Our strict vetting process assured our donors that our grants went directly to the care of homeless animals or to the core of the mission and never to administrative costs,” Dion said.

Each year, the all-volunteer Pet Peeves has donated funds to various initiatives, from a humane education program at a library and an equine group that rescues horses to a hospital program for geriatric and pediatric pet therapy.

Paws of War, a regular Pet Peeves beneficiary, provides rescued helper dogs to veterans with PTSD and brain injuries.

“Paws of War is important because it’s helping both ends of the leash,” Dion said.

Funding from Pet Peeves goes into each dog’s training, a costly and intensive year-and-a-half process, said Robert Misseri, co-founder of the Nesconset-based organization.

The rescue dog quickly becomes the veteran’s best friend and soon learns to provide different tasks, he said.

“But some of the most valuable parts of having one is just that: a true companion, a trusted friend,” Misseri said.

Another organization Pet Peeves has supported over the years is Almost Home Animal Rescue and Adoption’s Training Wheels Program, which assists pets and their owners in “economically challenged areas.”

Before Suffolk County passed a law in 2011 against tethering or chaining dogs outside, notes Linda Klampfl, president of Almost Home, based in Patchogue, her team would provide doghouses and visit about 120 homes monthly, delivering food, monitoring the dog, providing medical services (including free spaying or neutering), education and crates to help get the dog back into the house. Since the legislation was passed, the organization has focused on food, supplies, education and medical care.

“It’s so variable, because it depends on what the family needs,” Klampfl said. “But, we’ve also done Toys for Tots for the kids of the families, because we’re into making a better community, animal- and people-wise.”

In addition to donating to Last Hope and Save-A-Pet, Long Island Parrot Association, Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue and wildlife rescue organizations, Pet Peeves has been a stalwart supporter of Helping PAW (Promote Animal Welfare), an East Meadow nonprofit that provides low-cost spaying and neutering of domestic, stray and feral animals.

“Much of our budget over the last 20 years has gone to trying to help control the overpopulation and the encouragement of spay/neuter in households and for outdoor animals,” said Dion, adding, “There are many people that literally drop their pets off to a shelter because they can’t afford the vet bill.”

For spaying or neutering, for example, Helping PAW charges $180 for dogs up to 10 pounds, which Dr. Diane Levitan, founder of the organization, says is lower than the average.

“We have way too many animals out there without homes, and we certainly don’t want more,” Levitan said. “And certainly it helps improve the health of animals, to a large extent, as they get older.”

Helping humans, too

Pet Peeves has also supported groups that typically don’t come to mind when thinking about pet rescue. Among them is Long Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which has an initiative to create a space to accommodate pets in shelters.

“Very often if a pet is left at home when a family flees due to domestic violence, the husband or partner at home will threaten to hurt the animal and use it as leverage,” Dion said.

For Long Island Cares and Island Harvest, Pet Peeves has helped stock their pantries with pet food.

“Now, families can come and pick up food for themselves, but rather than sharing that food with their pets, they can pick up pet food and snacks,” Dion said.

Grants from Pet Peeves have enabled Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton to spay and neuter thousands of the animals rescued from around the country.

Pam Green, executive director of the shelter, said Pet Peeves has “been an invaluable resource and has done an amazing amount of work in the field of animal welfare with their grants.

“They’ve also funded veterinary care and anything related to the health and welfare of the rescues we take in,” added Green, whose shelter usually houses 75 to 100 cats and dogs.

Dion and her husband, Tom Dion, recently adopted Topo Gigio, a Yorkshire terrier mix — and one of the many dogs and cats they’ve rescued over a quarter-century.

“Someone left him at Kent Animal Shelter and said they couldn’t handle him as he is a feisty little boy,” Dion explained. “But we find him to be absolutely delightful.”

Noting that her greatest joy comes from speaking about animal advocacy, Dion says she wants to continue to mentor others and carry on her campaign encouraging pet adoption exclusively from shelters or rescue groups.

“My hope is that the legacy of Pet Peeves serves as an example for future generations,” Dion said. “I want it to be a model and example of compassion and advocacy for not just pets, but humans and all living creatures.”

How to help

These groups, which Pet Peeves has supported over the years, welcome donations and help from the public.    

Paws of War, 127-6 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset; 631-406-6595; pawsofwar.org

Almost Home Animal Rescue and Adoption, 646 Medford Ave., Patchogue; 631-627-3665; almosthomeli.org

Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, 3300 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh, 631-425-1884; lasthopeanimalrescue.org

Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue & Adoption Center, 608 Rte. NY-112, Port Jefferson Station, 631-473-6333; saveapetusa.org

Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue, 864 Lumber Lane, Bridgehampton, 631-537-7335; amaryllisfarm.com

Helping-PAW, 220 E. Meadow Ave., East Meadow, 888-PET-FIXR (888-738-3497), helping-paw.org

HEART, P.O. Box 738, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 10543, 347-766-7650; teachheart.org

Kent Animal Shelter, 2259 River Rd., Calverton; 631-727-5731; kentanimalshelter.com

Pet Peeves’ website, petpeeves.org, will remain live indefinitely. Says Janine Dion, “I am available to mentor and speak about my Pet Peeves experience and steps needed to grow a personal passion into a career of giving back.” To contact Dion, email petpeeeves2001@gmail.com.