Hello, Patch Pet Lovers!
I just learned about the incredible work a woman is doing in Walton, Gwinnett County, and surrounding areas. How did I learn of Emily, living in Palmyra, NJ? When one shares a love of animals, there are no boundaries of distance; a simple and quick way we find one another is by means of the internet; specifically, social media!
And Emily did what Emily always does… placed a post with hopes of locating a lost dog on behalf of a devastated family, and I came across the post on the Cinnaminson Patch.
I should only aspire to be the advocate Emily Goldstein is!
Enjoy the article below about Emily, written by Sharon Swanepoel, for Monroe Local News.
By: SHARON SWANEPOEL | February 2, 2014
Everyday hero, every day: Emily Beth Goldstein
If you’ve ever lost or found a pet in Walton or Gwinnett County, or even further afield, chances are you’ve run into Emily Beth Goldstein, or Emily Yoskowitz-Goldstein as she is known on Facebook. If she’s not making up flyers about a pet that’s been lost, or a dog or cat that’s been found, she’s checking websites, social media, Craig’s List and anywhere else she can to see if she can match up a pet that is found with one that is lost.
“Animals are the forgotten ones – they have no voice,” Goldstein said. “They need us humans as much as we need them.”
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Goldstein set out to help become that voice, joining many organizations and websites that help reunite lost pets with their owners – and she has been very successful in her efforts.
“This was my very first re-unite, Sirrus,” Goldstein said. “Found on a Craig’s list ad that he was lost in Suwannee and I found him in Gwinnett County Animal Control.”
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Since then Goldstein has gone on to personally help reunite more than 125 pets and counting. There is no doubt that her efforts are appreciated by those who are reunited with their beloved pets.
“It’s more than just being thankful that we have Woody home,” said Dewayne Keys after being reunited with a missing family pet in time for Thanksgiving 2013. “We’re thankful for the efforts and due diligence that Emily put in. Without her help posting the ads it wouldn’t have been possible. We thought for sure he had been stolen, but for him to be returned at this time -Thanksgiving is really a blessing. It is such a blessing to have someone like Emily who puts in such an effort. I’ve watched how she puts out those ads and the effort that she puts into it.”
Then there was Zoe, the teacup Yorkie that almost everybody, except her owner, believed had been killed by a car. Goldstein went with what the owner Christy Lilac believed and made the ads. With the help of many some other people, Zoe was found and returned home.
“Emily is such a sweet, sweet asset to our community,” Lilac said at the time.
And Goldstein doesn’t just help the pets. She’s been known to help with supplies of pet food, and sometimes human food too, for families struggling in today’s economy. There was a case recently of a 70-year-old whose home was condemned because of a hoarding addiction. Several cats also lost their home as a result. Not only did Goldstein assist with rescuing the cats, but she also spent countless hours trying to get help for the woman as well.
In the snow storm last week, Goldstein put her match-up skills to work in the human arena. She set up a Facebook group, Snowedoutatlantagwinnettwaltonbarrow as an offshoot of Snowedoutatlanta. Goldstein and others then spent all night matching up people stuck in the snow and in need of food, water or medical supplies with those close by who could help.
When it comes to lost pets, the busiest time of the year for Goldstein and other animal advocates is over Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve when animals get out and run off, frightened by fireworks. This year, Goldstein was up on Highway 78 close to Walmart in Monroe on New Year’s day, trying to rescue a dog reported to be running loose on the highway. It’s also not just domestic animals who benefit from Goldstein’s compassion for furry friends in need. The feral animals in her neighborhood that she feeds include cats, possums and even a fox or two.
Her latest project – opening a Walton County branch of a neighboring pet food pantry to help people struggling financially make sure that their pets at least have healthy food.
Much as Goldstein loves what she does, especially when there is a happy outcome, she is a little shy about the attention. She says she doesn’t see herself as a hero.
“Makes me giggle,” she said. “I never have thought of myself as a hero. I’m just a regular person – a mommy.”
She does see herself as an advocate though – an advocate for lost, injured or endangered pets as well as for autism. Goldstein is the parent of an autistic child. She also admits, that it is a collective effort that helps bring these lost pets home or finds homes for those at risk of being euthanized.
“It really does take a village, everybody working together,” she said.
Because Goldstein is a hero to so many people, every day, we would like to acknowledge her as the first Everyday Hero, Every Day for Monroe Local News. We are pleased to honor her efforts in the community.
Goldstein contributes regularly to the Pet section on Monroe Local News. Her full bio can be found here.
Columns:
A Happy Healthy New Year for Your Pet
I found a lost dog/cat, what do I do now?
http://monroelocal.org/2014/02/02/everyday-hero-every-day-emily-beth-goldstein/
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