About Us
Get to know us. Here is the 
& soul behind PMAR & all of our rescued furbabies.
Meet Saleena Hernandez - President/CEO
I started PMAR on a whim. Said I am going to do my own rescue. I want to make a difference for my Pibbles. God knows they need help. So Pibbles & More Animal rescue, Inc. was born.
My name is Saleena Hernandez. I am a single mom, have 5 kids, they come & go like the doggies. My family doesn't understand my passion & they never have. I have been this way since I could walk. It's in ME, it's who & what I am. It keeps me sane in my insane world. I love ALL animals. I can't see anything suffering, ANYTHING. So here we are;)
Jennifer Strickler VIce president
I'm Jenn, and I joined PMAR last spring. I have always been an animal lover, and I have had dogs and cats all my life. Last spring there were a lot of changes in my life, and I decided it was time to adopt a rescue dog. I started looking at rescue pages on the internet, and I met PMAR online, and started with one sweet foster dog named Sage. I loved fostering her and finding her a loving home, and I was hooked! I have 6 kids, and they have all helped with my foster dogs, so it's a family activity for us. We love taking in scared, defensive, malnourished dogs and seeing how food, love, and discipline turns them into happy, confident, and loving family members. We have also fostered some litters of puppies, which were my children's favorites! We love to stay in touch with our adoptive families and hear how their new dogs are doing.
Darleen LoBasso Digital Media Promotion Specialist
My name is Darleen Perkowski LoBasso. I am a 52 year old mother of 2 adult children and a Gramma to "My Sunshine" my 3 year old grandson . I have always loved animal since I was a very little girl. I have had many, many dogs and cats over the years I have loved them all. I have always been a rescuer. Not on the scale of PMAR but on a personal scale. I was always getting in trouble for bringing home strays but after awhile my Mom got used to it and would let me keep them or rehome them so they would be safe. Rescue has always been a part of my life. I have been a vegetarian for 39 years, since I was 13, my brother drove a 18 wheeler and I would drive with him a lot. One of his stops was a slaughter house and he told me about it and I have never eaten meat or chicken again. Right now I have 3 dogs and 2 cats, all rescues. I love them so much! I love Senior dogs and would love to save as many as I could.
Christina Oranges Digital Media Promotion Specialist
My name is Christina Oranges and I have been involved with PMAR & Saleena since before it was PMAR. I live in Western Suffolk County Long Island with my husband and two dogs (Casey Jones and Lola). Every since I was a little girl I have always had a special bond with animals. After a horrific personal animal tragedy that occurred to my family, I started to get involved with animal legislation (Nitro’s Law in Ohio) and animal rescue.
Since I was little, I have had numerous cats (I had Babi for 16 years and Precious for 22), 3 Rottweiler’s and a Cockapoo (not to mention a few fosters along the way). After I met my husband I was introduced to our now 8 year old black-lab mix pup, Casey Jones. Two years ago we decided that it was time to give Casey a friend to play with during the day while we were away at work. Since Casey was such a well behaved and tempered dog we started to look for other mixed black-lab dogs to adopt. My mother fosters dogs for PMAR, well, one day when I went to my mother’s house I saw this little white fur ball that was bursting with energy and yet was filled even more with love. I knew right away that this was the dog I wanted to adopt. Although originally I thought it would take a little convincing of my husband since we went from thinking of adopting a black-lab mix to a white female pit mix, it came as no surprise that my husband ended up falling in love with Lola as much as I had (it helps that he is a dog lover too). After spending just a little time with Lola we knew in our hearts that the breed is sourly misunderstood. We took the time to proudly train, research, love and understand our Lola Bean and she quickly became a devoted part of our family.
Soon thereafter, it became apparent to me that the little help that I could provide to PMAR would help to save and enrich countless lives; for both humans and animals. If Lola (a beautiful, smart, loving and devoted dog) could be euthanized because of her breed, I knew I had to do something more regularly to help. Although I work full-time in New York City I always make it a point to find the time to help PMAR.
I now find myself as a strong voice for all animals that need adopting, protection, love and care and no matter what I will always do so.
Kim Carter Ga Rescuer Coordinator
Kim is PMAR's Georgia Rescue contact. She facilitates ALL our Georgia Pulls, vetting, and foster coordination.
She is HUGE on Cat rescue... Kim is an essential part of PMAR.
She is also a part of another huge Georgia rescue Called Angels Among Us. We love Kim and are so happy she is a part of PMAR.
Beth DesRochers Foster Coordinator
Hi! My name is Beth DesRochers. My husband and I have 1 son and 5 furbabies. I've always been an animal lover and have rescued so many different animals over the years. I have searched car engines for kittens, coaxed cats and dogs with food and treats, cleaned a black crow's wings, dropper fed wild baby bunnies under my desk at my old job and brought home a garter snake with a scratch when I was younger which I had for a week until my sister told my mother LOL We've always had a menagerie of different animals.
I was very fortunate to have parents who understood and encouraged my love of animals! I'm a stay at home mom and I take care of my young nephew. I had the time to devote to processing applications for PMAR and loved it.
Then I was asked to be Foster Coordinator and I was honored! PMAR is an awesome rescue filled with such caring and devoted volunteers! Saleena has the biggest heart and is such a wonderful person! Being the foster coordinator and knowing that we've saved a life and that the dog is sleeping in a safe place with all the love and attention he/she deserves is the best feeling in the world!! I love being a part of PMAR!
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~Anatole France
Lisa McFarland Fundraiser Coordinator
Hi, my name is Lisa McFarland. I came to PMAR in February 2012.
I have always had a love for animals and was always trying to figure out a way to convince my parents to let me take in the stray or go out and get a pet from the time I was a little girl. I was not above begging. My siblings and I figured out that just showing up with a pet and letting mom name it was the best way to keep it. At present I have two fur "nieces" and one fur "nephew" all of which have my heart and are very spoiled.
After careful consideration (there are so many rescues out there) I chose PMAR because of their outstanding values and dedication they have. I am humbled that they were gracious enough to allow me to take on the role of transport coordinator. In this role I will help our rescued pups get from shelter to foster and foster to forever home in the safest way possible with the help of countless volunteers that are part of transport teams that also dedicate their time and efforts to seeing all these precious lives make it to safety and a new life. I look forward to being a part of the PMAR team.
Lori Sargent New Jersey Coordinator of PMAR
My name is Lori Sargent. I am a stay at home mom with 4 kids who keep me pretty busy but never too busy to help the doggies (animals) in need.
I have always loved animals and would always bring home animals that I found as a kid whether they were lost or injured or just abandoned.
Even till this day if I see a dog running around with nobody in sight I will try and lure it to me to see if it got lost and has it's tags, or even the wild baby bunnies that we found and hand fed.
I officially adopted our first rescued dog 18 years ago when we walked into the feed farm for some bird seed and my son who was 2 yrs old at the time ran over to a doggie and she immediately rolled on her back, we knew we weren't leaving without her, she was around 3 or 4 and partially blind in one of her eyes, and I knew she had to be ours.
That rescue group so many years ago didn't require anything but a simple form filled out and a donation and home she came and we named her Jesse. She was the greatest addition to our family and she is missed every day but since then several other pups have come into our lives as well who we have loved dearly and still have.
We currently have 4 furbabies and 2 fosters. I met Saleena a little over 2 years ago and haven't turned back since. Saleena is a great woman with a great rescue! One of our babies was rescued by PMAR, and we have fostered a couple along the way as well. We love fostering, giving that pup that otherwise wouldn't of had a good chance at life get a fresh new start.
It always amazes us when a new foster arrives and how awesome they are and so willing to please. Helping these dogs there is no greater feeling! Being a stay at home mom, also allows me time to process some adoption applications & do home visits. Bottom line is ADOPT, DON'T shop! If you can't adopt there are so many other ways you can help, you can foster, volunteer some time, donations every little bit helps.
Linda Belan Webmaster/SOCIAL Media specialist of PMAR
My name is Linda Belan and I am a Virtual Assistant/Social Media Marketing Specialist. I live in Ohio with my husband Marty and Peanut our Toy Fox Terrier. We are empty nesters. ;-)
I love animals and have all my life. I spend my spare time using my skills with the internet and social media to help PMAR save homeless pets. I learnt of PMAR's work through Facebook and have come to admire the dedication of Saleena and the PMAR team in saving countless homeless, abandoned, unwanted and abused dogs and cats especially pit bulls who have a special place in my heart.
Even though I don't have a pibble of my own, I hope to one day be in a position to have one or two of my own. :)
Elizabeth Broderick - Binghamton Coordinator of PMAR
Hi, I am Elizabeth and I joined PMAR as a first time foster mom in January 2012. I am a Registered Nurse and live in Upstate NY with my husband and 2 small children. We also share our home with our cat Patches and our 4 dogs- Bosco, Lady, Sophie, and our most recent adoption Georgie. PMAR rescued Georgie from a life of abuse and neglect. While we were fostering Georgie, his goofiness, forgiving and gentle soul really touched our hearts! I promised him I would love and care for him the rest of his life. He would never go hungry again and feel loved every single day of his life and I know from the way he looks at me that he loves me too.
At any given time we can be fostering 1 or 2 additional dogs. When people find out I foster they respond "Oh I couldn't give them up". I think it is safe to say it is natural most of us all go through that same feeling. What keeps us doing what we do is the fact that if we don't step up and open our homes to these great dogs, they will die...and that is something I can't live with.
We all become attached to our foster dogs and it is bittersweet when your foster finds their forever home, but so rewarding to know you made a difference. My husband and I love fostering and opening our hearts and our homes to animals in need and feel that fostering is a very rewarding experience. It is very important to us to teach our children how to be kind and compassionate to animals. I am very committed to advocating and educating the public on pitbulls and responsible pitbull ownership and that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. I am so honored and privileged to be the Binghamton Coordinator of such a wonderful organization.
Donna Delgrosso - Transport Coordinator & Foster Mom of PMAR
My love of rescue started when I was a small girl and I found a baby sparrow with a broken wing. I brought it home to my grandfather, and he and I made a bed out of a shoebox and took care of it and one day it flew away! Growing up we always had a house full of animals, all adopted from local shelters or found strays. My mom was a great lover of all animals and instilled that into my sister and myself.
I came to PMAR this year after seeing a fb post for a foster needed for an emaciated and sick dog. I fell in love with Mr Jack Frost the minute I saw him. After meeting and dealing with Saleena and everyone at PMAR, I knew I found my place. This is the most loving and caring group of people who would do anything for the animals and each other, led by a woman with the hugest heart that works tirelessly to save lives, rehome and change the way the breed is seen by media.
I love coordinating our transports, it’s always a wonderful feeling to get that picture of the happy pup with his ecstatic new family! Our volunteer transporters are a joy to deal with, they go well above and beyond to make sure our pibbles get safely to their forever homes.
This year I plan to get more involved politically with shelter reform. Our shelters conditions are deplorable and in need of major changes. Spay, neuter, adopt, don’t shop.. Until there are all home.
Dawn Schursky - Puppy & Westchester Coordinator of PMAR
My name is Dawn Schursky, I live in Westchester County & work F/T in the insurance field. My husband and I have one daughter and 4 fur babies at the moment. I started with PMAR in April 2012 as an Application Processor/Foster Mama and was promoted to Westchester/Puppy Coordinator in January 2013.
I think like all of us, I have always had a passion and overwhelming drive to help animals. I’ve had so many animals in my life from fuzzy little rodents, lizards, turtles, birds, cats and of course dogs. I actually adopted my first “rescue pit” 3 years ago and there has been no going back since. A house is not a home without a pit! Over the past year volunteering for PMAR I have realized how strong my passion truly is. The more informed I became about animal cruelty, the stronger my drive became.
The feeling you get when you rescue cannot be explained. When you take an abused abandoned animal into your home and nurse it back to health with lots of love, kindness and discipline. They become confident, happy and so very loyal. It is such a good feeling when people meet my dog and they say “what kind of dog is that?” and I reply…..”a Pit Bull”, and their response is “OMG, I had no idea they are so loving” and that is after they are showered in kisses. Like they say……”Pits just can’t hold their licker”.
“We are the bridge between what was and what can be. We are the pathway to a new life”
