Meet Karen DeSalvo, new president of the Flagler Humane Society's Board of Directors

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Updated Nov. 19

After helping to start an animal shelter in Illinois, Karen DeSalvo retired and moved to Palm Coast five years ago. But she didn’t take any time off from helping animals.

DeSalvo began to volunteer by folding laundry at the Flagler Humane Society and then began helping with fundraisers. Eventually, in August 2019, she found herself back in a leadership role — this time as president of the Board of Directors at FHS.

She stopped by the Palm Coast Observer office recently to give an update on FHS news.

The FHS recently got a grant, thanks to Executive Director Amy Carotenuto, that is funding storm shutters and a generator for the facility. The FHS also recently microchipped 140 veterans’ pets for free and hosted a Town Howl event to share concerns about Flagler County’s tethering law.

Upcoming events include a Dec. 1 Festival of Wreaths at the Windsor, 50 Town Court (call 586-3501 by Nov. 22 if you’d like to donate a wreath); and a Dec. 2 Putt for Paws golf tournament at Grand Haven. See flaglerhumanesociety.org for details.

DeSalvo said there will also be a contest to find a new use for a brick building on the FHS campus. It was built in 1983 as a laundry facility, but now it’s used for storage. Could it become a luxurious boarding facility for pets? “This would be high end,” DeSalvo said, “where they could read your dog a story at night, if you want to do that. Fed, groomed. Just thinking.”

DeSalvo said the contribution of FHS’ volunteers is “immeasurable. How do you do it without them?” Visit https://flaglerhumanesociety.org/get-involved/.

Editor's Note: The story originally had the date wrong for the laundry facility's construction.