PM360 recently spoke to Lisa Flaiz, Group Product Director, Digital Marketing at Janssen, about finding homes for rescue dogs.
PM360: Your passion for animals has led to an interesting avocation, I understand.
Yes. I’ve always been an animal lover and an animal advocate. For years, I have been involved in the local dog rescue/foster/adoption efforts. I spend a good portion of my “free” time working with rescue dogs and volunteering at adoption events.
What made you want to become involved in rescuing dogs?
I believe that every dog should have a home, and no dog should be robbed of life for no other reason than that a shelter is full. My everyday focus is on dogs, especially given the over-crowded situation here in the Philadelphia area. But of course, I’m passionate about the proper treatment and rescue of all at-risk animals.
This must be an incredibly rewarding experience.
You are rewarded with butt wiggles and shaky tails and sloppy kisses. But it’s really about watching the transformation of a dog that was in a shelter, basically on death row, become a happy and secure pet.
Do you ever wish you could do even more to help these animals?
Actually, I’ve just recently opened a dog daycare and boarding business called “Love My Doggy Day Care.” An important goal of mine is to expand the non-profit rescue efforts so that we can be approved to pull at-risk dogs from the Animal Control Center and foster them until we can find them forever homes.
That’s great. Did anyone inspire you to take that next step?
I’ve met dozens of people who dedicate their time and energy to saving lives and advocating on behalf of certain breeds—but you can’t save them all. So even when they lose one and lots of tears are shed, they just re-double efforts to save the next one. Those are the people that inspire me.
In addition to being an animal advocate, I understand you have a passion for the environment?
Yes, among other things, I’ve been a member and a volunteer with an environmental advocacy organization called Rock the Earth (RtE), which works exclusively with the music industry to advocate for the causes important to the artists. RtE has been on tour with Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow and Jack Johnson—just to name a few. They spread awareness and education about the causes they sponsor. I don’t tour anymore—that’s for the younger crew—but we provide a regular host home for the tours that come through Philly. So that’s one way I stay connected!
Do you have any other interests you would like to pursue at some point?
I love doing house projects. I always have a list a mile long of the next “improvement” I want to make to the house—inside, outside, it doesn’t matter—if it involves decorating, rearranging, updating and some light construction, I’m in!
