“Adopt a friend”— the prevailing motto of the morning of Feb. 18th, 2016 at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce’s Networking Breakfast at Embassy Suites by Hilton was also the underlying intention of the monthly opportunity event. With nearly 50 attendees walking through the greeted ballroom doors, all were eager to escape the stagnant humidity outside and exchange business cards over enthusing morning batter and a bountiful breakfast.
The guest speaker at this month’s Networking Breakfast sponsored by Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary was Elizabeth Richer Campo, Senior Vice President of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, who provided encouraging information on the non-profit’s many animal welfare services. Notably celebrated as February’s Arcadia Business Icon was Mark Schaefer Associates LLP., represented by Chamber secretary treasurer Gil Stromsoe, a long-standing partner in the firm as well as a helping hand within the community.
Working in animal welfare for over 11 years, Elizabeth is a certified animal welfare administrator, the highest achievement possible, making her impact upon the Pasadena Humane Society deeply insightful. She shared a brief history of the Humane Society, saying that when first incorporated, it was organized to help children and animals before the city assumed accountability for people (the first adoption was two children). The PHS provides services that range from domestic animal adoptions to addressing wildlife issues to picking up stray neighborhood dogs to safeguarding the city’s resident peacocks. The PHS also offers behavior correction and training in order to support a healthy relationship with owners and pets so that those pets stay with their families and out of shelters. Though the Pasadena Humane Society is an open door facility, Elizabeth asks for the continued help from the community – be responsible pet owners by spaying/neutering pets and by coming to a shelter first when considering a new addition to the household. The non-profit agency is only able to offer the many services it does for animal welfare through the support of its volunteers and donors, making its continued leadership within the community contingent upon the consideration and aid of local residents.
