Honor Animal Rescue names new leader

LAKEWOOD RANCH — There’s rarely a day that goes by that Deborah Millman isn’t excited to go to work.

After all, she gets to spend her days surrounded by one of her lifelong loves — pets.

Now Millman is hoping to help others see the value in caring for a pet as the new executive director for Honor Animal Rescue in Lakewood Ranch. Millman assumed her new position Jan. 2.

“All throughout the day, I feel like I’m doing something important and enjoyable,” Millman said. “It’s really interesting to me and really enjoyable. I just have to try not to take too many animals.”

As the non-profit organization’s executive director, Millman will focus her efforts on raising money and promoting Honor Animal Rescue and its work.

“It’s really hands-on,” Millman said. “I’m (trying) to get (Honor Animal Rescue) more exposure and get the community to see who we are.”

Millman will divide her time between Nate’s Place in Cooper Creek, which offers the look and feel of a pet store setting while still operating as a no-kill shelter, and the Ranch off Lorraine Road, which houses animals in a variety of cottages.

“I’ve been in animal welfare for the past 20 years, and this was such an exciting opportunity,” Millman said. “I’m just looking forward to helping give more exposure to shelter animals and how great they are.”

A native of Massachusetts, Millman always has loved animals. As a child, she and her sister pestered their parents for a pet until they finally gave in and got them a cat. Today, Millman has a cat, Simon, and a dog, Gottie, of her own; however, the odds of Millman and her husband, Barry, expanding their furry family in the future are quite high.

“I usually have multiples of each,” Millman said with a laugh. “Usually, if I foster an animal, I don’t want to give it back.”

Recognizing her desire to help animals, Millman initially wanted to be a veterinarian before opting to study journalism and American history instead.

After graduating from Hofstra University, Millman spent time working for the Long Island Lighting Co. before moving to Florida in the early 1980s.

She spent several years covering courts, city government and education for the Tampa Tribune before turning her attention to animal-welfare management. Most recently, Millman spent the past 10 years working for the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

Now, Millman is busy adjusting to her new position and looking forward to making the community aware of the organization and watching it grow in the future.

“I just want to really see it take off,” Millman said. “We’ve set a vision for growth of things like the cottages and eventually down the road building a spay and neuter clinic. We’ve got eight acres, so we’ve got room to expand.”

Eventually, Millman would like to add five more cottages to the Ranch and raise enough money to open an on-site spay and neuter clinic. The Ranch also plans to open a playground and dog agility course so children and their families can come and learn more about adoption and what it means to care for a pet.

“It’s a lifetime commitment — just like kids,” Millman said. “Pets are a lifetime commitment. It’s not like a washing machine. It’s a living creature.

“Obviously, the animal over-population problem isn’t going to be solved, but the more people that work together the less animals there will be who have nowhere to go,” Millman said. “It’s so essential because I don’t see an end in sight.”

For more information on Honor Animal Rescue, visit www.honoranimalrescue.org.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].