Don't Fear Mistakes

Pat Deshong is the President of Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch. She has been honored to lead an organization that touches the lives of animals and people every single day. As The Humane Society of Greater Jupiter/Tequesta, Inc. (dba Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch) Deshong has been helping Furry Friends rescue animals and providing a safe harbor for abused and abandoned animals in their charge since she joined in 2014.

She also serves as the Chief Operating Officer for various subprograms of the organization, overseeing the operation of Furry Friends Veterinary Hospital, Adoption Facility, and Thrift Store in Jupiter, Fla. and a 27-acre Sanctuary Ranch in Palm City, Fla.

Deshong is responsible for the significant expansion of the only no-kill shelter open to the public in northern Palm Beach County to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home the thousands of abused and neglected dogs and cats that come to them for shelter and care each year.

Under her leadership, the non-profit reported a 30% increase in adoptions in 2017 resulting in over 1,100 animals finding forever homes. She helped create lifesaving programs that serve veterans, seniors, and families and launched a capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility in Jupiter Commerce Park in response to the growing demand to shelter and care for homeless animals and serve the community by providing affordable veterinary healthcare.

The culmination of this effort was the 2019 opening of Furry Friends' new state of the art ranch facility which was made possible through campaigning and donations from the local community that went right back into a building to support the community. This building is the only two-story Category 5 rated no-kill shelter in North Palm Beach County that is open to the public and features a community room open to the very people that made its construction possible- local animal lovers. The building has a generator and is able to house and rehabilitate hundreds more animals than the previous building and to care for them no matter what weather event comes their way. Its creation has helped feed, care for, and adopt out thousands of animals.

Prior to working with Furry Friends, Deshong had many other professional successes in New York in marketing, promotion, and through various board appointments. Some of these include the creation of a successful program connecting the business community in New York with students and educators resulting in the integration of classroom and hands-on work experience. She also secured a corporate sponsor to underwrite the installation of weather stations in schools. Before moving to Florida, Deshong also secured corporate sponsors for concerts by Hudson Valley Philharmonic and educational programs. Deshong also served as the board president for Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary from 2008 - 2010 and as the Board of Governors and Past President of the Club at Admirals Cove from 1995 -2014.

Deshong lives in Jupiter with her beloved furry children, dogs Sandy and Louie.