Debbie

Working Toward a Kinder World

Debbie grew up in a real-life enchanted forest, amid the lush woods, lakes and wildlife of New York State. The natural world sparked her love of animals at an early age. She watched tadpoles mature into frogs and birds frequent her bird feeder. Her family kept a menagerie of animal companions, including dogs, turtles, hamsters, mice, tropical fish and George the iguana, who grew to be 5 feet long. As an adult, Debbie learned to scuba dive and built a saltwater tank for her invertebrate companions.

The animal love of Debbie’s life is Buffy, a Persian cat, whom she rescued four years ago. At first, Buffy was extremely shy and anxious and lacked a full coat of fur. Over time, Buffy has blossomed, growing less timid—and more strikingly beautiful!—thanks to Debbie’s patience and abundant love.

As an animal advocate and philanthropist, Debbie is deeply touched by animal suffering. “Animals are innocent beings that can’t speak for themselves, and most have emotions and feelings just like we do. We are the ones who must care for them, to help them to navigate our ever-changing world. It breaks my heart to hear that people are treating animals in a cruel way. I hope my contributions help in that regard.”

Debbie considers herself very fortunate in her life and her careers; she currently works as a real estate broker and investor. She believes wholeheartedly in giving back and has donated to the Humane Society of the United States her entire working life. Debbie chose the HSUS because its mission includes the alleviation of animal suffering. She therefore decided to place a portion of her real estate portfolio in a charitable remainder trust. She’s happy not only to help the HSUS rescue, care for and protect animals, but also to support the dedicated volunteers who help make our work possible.

Naming the HSUS in your will is an easy and flexible way to extend your support for animals far into the future. To learn more about this and other ways to create your humane legacy, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at 1-800-808-7858 or humanelegacy@humanesociety.org, or visit legacy.humanesociety.org/request.