Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue Saves Lives One Dog And Cat At A Time

Wellington High School graduate Justin Bartlett was only 24 years old when he was tragically killed in a car accident. Now, more than a decade later, countless lives are being saved in his honor.

Tucked away in a shopping center at the northwest corner of Southern Blvd. and State Road 7, professional animal lovers work rigorous hours to save dogs and cats at Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, giving them a new lease on life.

Peter Torres, the organization’s founder, was a friend of the Bartlett family. As a token of his appreciation to the Bartletts for supporting his previous rescue organization, as well as of Justin’s love for animals, Torres named the organization after him. The nonprofit, no-kill rescue consists of an adoption center, an animal hospital and a thrift store.

The organization maintains high standards when adopting out animals. In order to assume ownership of a Justin Bartlett pet, interested individuals must first complete an application and then be approved by one of the rescue’s adoption counselors. Applicants are asked to include information on subjects such as their previous pets, family veterinarians, HOAs, the type of home they live in and references.

According to Torres, the in-depth process applicants must complete is a necessity, as an unfit owner can be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of the pet. The case isn’t always that the owner is irresponsible, but that the dog and owner may not be the best fit for each other’s lifestyles.

Torres used the example of a newly married couple, living in a one-bedroom apartment, in search of a husky or German shepherd. The couple may be perfectly fit to own a dog, but not one as high-energy as these particular breeds.

The goal of the rescue is to find the animal a loving, permanent home.

“Dogs need someone to look up to, and once they have that trust in you, they’ll do anything for you,” Torres said. “But if today it is you, and six months from now it’s somebody else, they feel that, and they know it.”

Despite the team’s best efforts, Torres said that dogs walking out of their doors don’t always end up staying at its new home. Sometimes the owners decide it’s too much effort to own the dog, and sometimes, to their own disappointment, the dog has behavioral issues.

The rescue has a dog trainer for such cases, and if the owner is willing, the trainer will evaluate the dog and see what can be done. If it’s a fixable issue, he tells the owners what to do, and they decide what action to take from there.

The evaluation is at the cost of the organization. Another amenity they offer is a free vet visit within seven days of the adoption, and if the dog or cat has an ailment, the clinic will treat it free of charge.

In addition to these services, all the pets adopted through Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue have had at least two sets of vaccines, are dewormed, fecal tested, spayed or neutered, and microchipped. While donations and adoption fees are beneficial in keeping the rescue in business, additional funds are always needed.

Justin Bartlett’s CFO Debra Mammino, who is also an adoption counselor, hospital and rescue manager, and “jack of all trades,” is in charge of transferring animals to adoption events. Where a company bus used to be utilized for such purposes, both vehicles are currently out of commission.

The buses, which include crates and supplies for the animals, are expenses that have had to be put on the backburner, as more serious needs must first be met.

“On Saturdays, I have seven or eight dogs, and I’m trying to fit them into a little Xterra because the buses aren’t working,” Mammino said.

Torres must keep the focus simultaneously on saving animals while also carefully watching the bottom line.

“You cannot bite off more than you can chew,” he said. “You cannot rescue more than you can handle — financially, mentally and all of the above.”

According to the nonprofit’s founder, animal rescue workers tend to fight emotional exhaustion because as much as they want to save them all, they simply cannot. It all takes quite a toll on the team.

“And it takes a toll on me,” Torres said, “but at least I always find a way to think positive.”

Mammino also has to battle against the challenges of the work. Her plan of attack? Puppy love.

“When I have a bad day, I go home, sit in the middle of my floor, and get all the puppies out that I’m fostering, and [they] just jump on me,” Mammino said. “And that soothes it.”

Mammino advises anyone overwhelmed by the bleakness and severity of animal suffering in the world to simply “save the ones you can.”

If you’re looking for a new pet, perhaps a visit to Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue is in your future. If not, Torres urges people to visit one of the many available shelters and animal rescue organizations.

“If you want to go to any other shelter, that’s OK,” he said. “You’re saving a life.”

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue is located at 10405 Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. If you would like to learn more about fostering or adopting through this local nonprofit, call (561) 684-1010 or visit www.justinbartlettanimalrescue.org.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue Where Dogs Get A New Lease On Life

Over the last decade, Big Dog Ranch Rescue has found a home for more than 31,000 dogs, but founder Lauree Simmons clearly recalls her first canine client back in 2008. It was a lab mix named Angel, who was pregnant, homeless and living under a tree in Miami.

Two days later, Angel gave birth to 10 puppies in Simmons’ garage. In many respects, Angel is the “acorn” that blossomed into the tree now known as the Big Dog Ranch Rescue.

Today, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is dedicated to rescuing and providing a happy, safe and loving home for dogs while providing families with healthy, loving and loyal canine companions. Located on 33 acres in Loxahatchee Groves, the rescue is a cage-free setting. In fact, it is the largest cage-free, no-kill shelter in the U.S.

“We have built a happy environment for dogs,” explained Robin Friedman, Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s director of development. “Our focus is rescue. We save dogs from shelters that are on the list to be euthanized, and we accept owner-surrender dogs. We also try to find homes for rescue dogs by networking with other shelters like us.”

At Big Dog Ranch Rescue, dogs are saved and then given a new lease on life. While the organization’s name indicates that it’s a safe haven for big dogs, in reality, dogs of all sizes can be adopted through the organization.

“We have at least one of every type of dog,” Friedman said.

Currently, roughly 500 grown dogs and 100 puppies live at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. But once dogs arrive here, they are often adopted in less than three months, Friedman said. Puppies are adopted the quickest.

Once dogs arrive, they are fed healthy food and given lots of TLC. “Big Dog Ranch Rescue is the way the rescue experience should be for all dogs,” Friedman said. “We rescue dogs of all sizes, provide the necessary medical care, and find them their perfect forever homes. Big and small, we save them all.”

Most of its dogs come from shelters in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. However, during natural and humanitarian disasters, the organization reaches out to help.

Following devastating hurricanes, Big Dog Ranch Rescue provided food drops and rescued dogs from Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands and the coastal U.S. And recently, following a request from monks saving dogs from the Chinese dog meat trade, the organization began work with an Asian counterpart to provide assistance.

The dogs from China are often less than a year old. “Getting healthy dogs delivered from China has its challenges,” Friedman said. “Logistically, it’s difficult, but we figured it out.”

Friedman emphasized that her group remains local-focused, but humanitarian issues and disasters trigger their efforts to save dogs from other parts of the country and the world.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue is also specially equipped to house pregnant dogs,

Canine mothers and their puppies are housed in Puppyland, which features 10 small structures, each one specially equipped to care for mother dogs and her litter. Puppyland is sponsored by Rachael Ray Nutrish, which also donates most of the food fed to the dogs at Big Dog Ranch Rescue.

Other programs help senior citizens and cater to military veterans.

According to Friedman, Seniors for Seniors is focused on getting older dogs, which are at least six years old, trained to visit senior citizens living in retirement homes. Seniors, who often want an older canine companion, can also adopt a senior dog.

“Our Seniors for Seniors program improves the lives of senior citizens,” Friedman said. “We are also currently training 24 dogs to become companions for the Veterans Service Dog Training Program. It helps veterans with PTSD.”

If you are interested in supporting Big Dog Ranch Rescue and love to have a good time, the third annual Big Dog Ranch Rescue Valentine’s Night Out helps unite the local horse and dog-loving communities. The next one is set for Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.

“It’s a great time and attracts strong interest from Wellington’s dog-loving equestrian crowd,” Friedman said. “We are fortunate to have many fosters, adopters, donors and friends from the equestrian world.”

Adoption fees vary. For example, puppies are $350, adult dogs are $250 and senior dogs are $150.

While these adoption fees generate money for Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the majority of its income comes from outside sources. Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s biggest benefactor is the Fleming Family Foundation.

“We rely mostly on donations,” Friedman said. “Adoption fees cover a fraction of the costs to save a dog. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to further our mission to save more lives.”

Big Dog Ranch Rescue is located at 14444 Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. If you feel that you can provide a happy, safe and loving home for a dog, drop by between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., call them at (561) 791-6465 or check out the list of available dogs at www.bdrr.org.

Students Excelling In New Horizons Dual Language Spanish Academy

The Dual Language International Spanish Academy Program at New Horizons Elementary School in Wellington educates students to become fully bilingual, biliterate and bicultural.

According to Principal Dana Pallaria, the dual-language program at New Horizons allows her students to reach the high standards that are necessary for becoming productive members of the community.

The dual language program at New Horizons has been in place for 15 years. The program partners with the Department of Education in Spain. With this partnership, New Horizons has become an international academy. This means that the school receives resources by way of visiting teachers from Spain, who come to the United States for three years to teach not only the Spanish language, but also the culture of their home country. 

New Horizons was the first of three schools in Palm Beach County to receive this accreditation. For half the day, students receive education in English, while they learn in Spanish the other half.

“At New Horizons, we have approximately 675 students,” Pallaria said. “Approximately 450 students are in the International Spanish Academy in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a full-immersion program. The students learn English and Spanish in both reading and science.

There are multiple benefits to a dual-language program, she explained.

“The reason we see it as being so important is that our students have the opportunity to excel in a foreign language,” Pallaria said. “The research shows that early entry into the International Spanish Academy, or any [foreign] language, produces very high SAT scores, which gives our students the benefit of getting into college. It increases listening skills, memory skills, and they have greater cognitive development.”

Aside from educational benefits, there are many other positive outcomes.

“It gives the student a multicultural appreciation, and they become bilingual at an early age,” Pallaria said. “It also opens up opportunities for careers in their future. Graduates from the International Spanish Academy in Palm Beach County will receive a diploma from Spain, as well as one in the United States, when they complete their high school education.”

The program is aimed at both English-speaking students and those who are from bilingual homes.

“We tell our families that [the programs] support their home language, it values their culture, it values other cultures, especially for our students who are English-speaking, and are in the program to learn Spanish,” Pallaria said. “The program increases their vocabulary and their ability to communicate with more people in the community.”

There are approximately 60 teachers at New Horizons, and 24 are certified to teach the dual-language program. The teachers must pass a language assessment, be certified, and be able to teach reading and science in both languages. Each teacher is responsible for two core subject areas.

Once a student enters the dual-language program in elementary school, they usually continue their dual-language education in middle school and high school.

New Horizons language coach Melissa Arcos explained a normal day in a student’s education. “Typically, a student will start their day on the English side,” Arcos said. “They will receive instruction in reading, writing and math. The students break for lunch, and then switch to go back to learn in their Spanish class. They will receive instruction for reading, writing, science and social studies, but in Spanish.”

In this way, it is a full-immersion program. “When they are in the Spanish classroom, the student will only hear Spanish. The teacher will communicate in Spanish only,” Arcos said. “All of the resources she uses will be in Spanish, as well.”

It is important for a dual-language program to begin early in a student’s education. It is best for a student to be enrolled in kindergarten, but a first or second grader still has a window of time to participate.

“We start as early as kindergarten,” Arcos said. “But we do encourage parents, because it is such a wonderful gift to give our kids, even if they are in first or second grade, it is not too late. By the time we hit third grade, we would have to evaluate the student, because at that point, we are expecting the language to be established, so that we can focus now, not on acquiring the language, but learning with that language.”

Teachers in the dual-language program at New Horizons are from all over the world, including Spain, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Venezuela and Mexico.

“All of the mix of cultures represents a different aspect of learning for our students,” Arcos explained. “We are actually teaching the children to listen to it and understand it, so they will eventually start trying it. It’s not a formal language class, like this is how you write a sentence or spell. We are actually teaching the student to listen to the language and pay attention to it, slowly acquiring the understanding.”

Communication can be difficult when visiting another culture. If there are no language skills to communicate, one is forced into having to find a way to speak. “With children, we are tactful, because we don’t want to cause any kind of frustration,” Arcos explained. “This is the beautiful thing about doing this at the elementary stage, where we can use videos and music, where teachers can be silly and act out what they are trying to communicate.”

The lessons are not repeated in a dual-language program. For instance, the student who receives lesson one in English, will move to lesson two in Spanish. They are not receiving the same lesson in both languages. Learning the language this way represents a challenge for the student.

“Students must keep up with what’s happening,” Arcos said. “This is where it is extremely important that both the English and Spanish teachers communicate. This is why we refer to them as partnerships, because they need to communicate what students are struggling with when having difficulty understanding the lessons.”

For those students learning Spanish, the teacher is going to have to give more support in English, Arcos noted, while for those learning English, the Spanish teacher will have to give more support in Spanish. “Our students are also a great tool,” Arcos said. “They are strategically put together so that an English speaker can help a Spanish speaker in English, and vice versa.”

To learn more about the Dual Language International Spanish Academy, call (561) 651-0500.

Synchronized Ice Skating Is Growing In Popularity, Even Here In Florida

Steve Lomax, together with his children (10-year-old Sofia and 8-year-old Austin), have come up with a family-friendly way to beat the summer heat. They leave their home in Wellington and head to the nearest ice skating rink.

“I started coming here when my other daughter, Natalie, was taking ice skating lessons,” he recalled. “She was four at the time. Soon, I was taking them, too. Now, it’s our family’s second home.”

Eventually, Natalie channeled her talents into soccer, but Steve, Sofia and Austin are now practicing every week for a big Theatre on Ice competition coming up on Aug. 17 in Virginia. As part of the Palm Beach Skate Zone synchronized ice skating team, they will present the production number “Arabian Nights,” a nod to Disney’s Aladdin.

“Because the production needs performers of all ages, it’s a chance for me to compete alongside my children,” Steve explained. “It’s a good chance for us to be together. We wear costumes, we have a script, there’s music, and we skate to it. I get to play Jafar. My son is Abu, the little monkey, and my daughter is one of the gypsies.”

Although this is the family’s first trip to the bi-annual competition, Steve has been featured in local Skate Zone shows, appearing as Dark Vader, a Nutcracker and the Grinch.

As the popularity of synchronized ice skating soars coast to coast, Palm Beach Skate Zone keeps pace with the trend by hosting teams for ages 5 to 7, 7 to 11, 12 and up, and the Theatre on Ice group for ages 6 through adult. The program is coached by Debra Fertig.

“Synchronized skating has been around since late 1950s,” Fertig said. “The first team was formed in Ann Arbor, Mich., although, back then, it was known as precision skating. There are 8 to 20 skaters on a team, with 90 percent of them female.”

Ann Arbor’s “Hockettes” team — similar to Radio City Music Hall’s “Rockettes” — was formed to entertain spectators during intermissions of the University of Michigan Wolverines hockey team. Because the emphasis was on precision and timing, it resembled a drill team routine in its early days.

Today, there are about 600 synchronized skate teams in the United States alone, with talk of making it an Olympic sport.

“Synchro offers skaters the ability to compete and immerse themselves at higher levels than individualized skating,” Fertig said. “When you train as an individual, it takes a tremendous amount of time, money and dedication with very slim chances of becoming a national or international competitor. But synchronized skating allows team members to compete at regional, sectional, national and international levels. You’re not doing spins, you’re doing these intricate patterns on the ice. It makes it easier to rise to a higher level.”

Competitive levels include synchro skills, preliminary, pre-juvenile, open-juvenile, juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, senior, open collegiate, collegiate, open adult, open masters, masters and adult. Synchronized skating uses the same judging system as singles, pairs and ice dancing. The discipline is primarily judged on skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, interpretation and difficulty of elements. What makes the sport so unique is the incredible teamwork, speed and intricate formations.

Each level performs a free-skate program that requires elements such as circles, lines, blocks, wheels, intersections, “moves in isolation” and, at higher levels, lifts.

“Moves in isolation” are when one or more skaters separates from the rest of the group and performs freestyle moves. For example, three skaters may separate and go into sit spins, while the rest of the team is in a circle formation. The three skaters will then join the group again and carry on with the routine.

In competitions, teams are required to perform step sequences, ranging in difficulty with each level. In the junior and senior divisions, teams are required to perform a free-skate, also known as a long program, as well as a short program. Generally, the short program is more technical in nature, where the free-skating program is longer and provides an opportunity to showcase expression, emotion and interpretation. Novice, junior and senior programs also include sequences where the whole team does moves such as bellman spirals, 170 spirals, unsupported spirals, spread eagles and more.

Fertig is particularly pleased to see that figure skating, a discipline that formerly focused on one individual, has grown to be so much more.

“The benefits of synchronized skating are that it is a team sport, so it brings together skaters and their families in practice, performing and celebrations. It brings all ages together,” she said.

There’s another benefit as well. “The number of colleges and universities who have synchro skating teams is growing,” Fertig noted. “Skating makes you a standout on your application. If you are a synchronized figure skater, you can aspire to their team.”

Over the years, North American teams have developed more creative and innovative routines, incorporating stronger basic skating skills, new maneuvers and more sophisticated transitions, which naturally necessitated greater speed, style and agility.

Due to this growing interest, the first official international competition was held between Canadian and American teams in 1976. With the internationalization of the sport, it has evolved rapidly, with increasing emphasis on speed and skating skills, and highlight elements such as jumps, spirals, spins and lifts that originally were not permitted in competition.

“I’m all about having kids have an activity,” Fertig said. “You often don’t think about ice skating in South Florida, but when you come to the rink, you make friends. It’s a win-win. I want to give them a sense of belonging. They get together, wear the team jacket, exercise regularly and learn to be a team player. It is similar to Rockettes on ice; we dress alike and do the same things. The challenge is to be as one — making lines, circles and blocks, as one. They learn respect, patience and skating skills.”

To learn more about the synchronized ice skating team at Palm Beach Skate Zone, call (561) 963-5900 or visit www.pbskatezone.com.