Jacque Petrone’s Instinct for Animals

Mr. Wrinkles’ days were numbered. Behavior problems, combined with an aggressive
attitude, had labeled him “unadoptable.” The dog no one wanted got lucky the day he met Jacque Petrone, who founded HALO (Helping Animals Live and Overcome), a nonprofit no-kill shelter for abandoned and abused animals.

“Mr. Wrinkles was my first scary dog. Working with him took a lot of time and patience, and along the way I learned a lot. Six months later he was living at a farm in Georgia, where he’s doing well. If a dog like Mr. Wrinkles can be saved, they all can!” says a smiling Petrone.

The passionate animal advocate began her journey to save them all 18 years ago when she received a call asking her to help find a shelter that would take in a litter of orphaned newborn kittens.

“I couldn’t find a safe place to bring them to,” Petrone explains. “At the time our county’s euthanasia rate was 54 percent [a statistic that has since changed dramatically]. That’s when I realized there was a tremendous need for a no-kill shelter.”

Determined to make that happen, Petrone convinced her mother, who operated a boarding and grooming facility on U.S. 1 in Sebastian, to let her convert it to a shelter.

“I begged her to give me a year to make a go of it,” says Petrone. “A lot of improvements needed to be made, and in order to raise money I panhandled in front of Walmart every weekend and made about $800, which was just enough to pay the electric bill. If I had known then how hard it was going to be, I don’t know if I would have done it, but I just kept waking up every day and kept on going.” Petrone credits her youthful energy and optimism with carrying her through that period.

Grassroots efforts to spread the word began as donation cans with pictures of animals and information about HALO started popping up on counter tops at local businesses. Community partnerships with Petco and PetSmart were formed in an effort to increase exposure and generate adoptions.

Next, HALO established a Vero Beach Adoption Center in the Indian River Mall; opened Rescued Treasures, a thrift store in Sebastian; created the Angel Wings Adoption Program; and formed the Fresh Start Program, which rehabilitates pets with behavioral issues—and that’s just the short list.

In 2019 HALO received a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 to help fund the construction of a 5,000 square-foot Enrichment Center designed to expand services. Then came COVID and everything came to a screeching halt.

“Since the pandemic, the price of everything has soared,” Petrone laments. “Building the Enrichment Center was estimated to cost $800,000; now it’s over $3 million. Also with inflation, things like pet food are so much more expensive, and some people can’t afford to keep their pets. I get probably 200 applications every week. It’s heartbreaking.”

“Right now we’re raising funds just to survive. What we need is a network of donors who will give us $5, $10, $25, or more every month, and I keep hoping to get that million-dollar check in the mail. There’s so much we want to do, need to do,” she says.

“I believe you have a choice how to live this life, and this is how I’ve chosen to live mine. I take many of the rescues home, usually those with severe medical issues and the babies, and at the end of the day, when they’re all fed and happy, their pure joy makes me smile.”