Fort Salonga Resident Named IDA's Guardian of the Month for September
Founder and President of Local Hospice and Rehabilitation Center Recognized By National Animal Protection Organization for Work for Sick and Injured Animals

Fort Salonga, N.Y.-- When Susan Marino founded Angel’s Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Animals in 1992, her vision was to create a place where animals with special needs would be cared for and loved.

Animals relinquished by their human companions or by shelters because of medical reasons often have no place to go. Today, because of Susan’s determination, animals with special needs have a home in Long Island, where they can live out their lives. To recognize her important work for animals, California-based In Defense of Animals (IDA) has named Susan Marino IDA’s Guardian of the Month for September.

Angel’s Gate is a first-of-its-kind residential hospice for animals, as well as a wildlife rehabilitation center. The Center cares for over 200 animals of various species, many of whom suffer from cancer, liver or kidney disease, paralysis, blindness, deafness, diabetes, neurological or seizure disorders, orthopedic or geriatric problems, or other illnesses. Susan’s experience as a Licensed Veterinary Technician and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner enables her to provide ongoing treatment and therapy for these animals and help restore mobility to those struggling with physical challenges. Susan practices many forms of holistic healing and animal communication that enhance her ability to aid in the recovery process.

Angel’s Gate is also committed to community service and education. The Center sponsors a program to teach elementary school children about animals and reverence for all life, as well as a popular work/study program that allows high school students to earn academic credits for volunteering. Patients from the Long Island Head Injury Association have been volunteering at Angel’s Gate for over two years. Working with the animals at Angel’s Gate has such a positive impact that the Center continually receives requests to give more young people an opportunity to experience it. Last year, the Center began a volunteer program for emotionally disturbed school children, and the Suffolk County Court System recently asked them to work with juvenile delinquents.

IDA’s Guardian Campaign, seeks to raise standards of animal care by replacing the word “owner” with the more compassionate term “guardian” in everyday speech, the media, and official city ordinances. Over 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the entire State of Rhode Island, already recognize their residents as animal guardians.

For more information on IDA’s Guardian Campaign, visit www.GuardianCampaign.com. For more information on Angel’s Gate, visit www.angelsgate.org.