ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

To the people behind the scenes who know her well, Community Animal Network’s founder, DiAnna Pfaff-Martin is open and warm, but, then there are the ones that must earn her respect through an interview to adopt a pet. 

Pfaff-Martin has directed the pet-adoption interviews for almost two decades and some prospective adopters meet with some cringe-worthy direct questions during their interview process. She can make some people’s mind stir before they explain what happened to their last pet.

“I don’t like being seen as aggressive in my questioning of potential pet-parents”, she says, “but, how an individual handles answering logical questions is important to me.”  In defense of her directness, she says, “I don’t believe my questioning alienates the kind of people the organization wants to adopt our animals.”

Some foster parents have thought her tough. But, caregiver Jan Chase and other foster parents soon change their minds when they see her dedication and come to understand the necessities of the questioning that lead to a discovery process which enables the selection of the very best pet-parents for the animal.  Her questioning catches people off guard some say, but, she seems to get to the truth, a foster parent noted.

As an animal lover, Pfaff-martin wants to select the best home for an animals happiness. She believes that the right choice of a pet-parent is based on the individual family members’ ages and their lifestyle.

Pfaff-Martin says, “Behavior problems are the number one reason that Community Animal Network’s rescue phone lines ring to give up a pet, and a lot of the problems start because most people choose a pet by color and a young age and don't consider the animals happiness and compatibility with their lifestyle and family members.” says, Pfaff-Martin.

HOW COMMUNITY ANIMAL NETWORK STARTED 

DiAnna Pfaff-Martin began helping local animals in 1996. She didn’t wait until she had a seven figure salary, or, to win the lottery. Her humble beginning was writing for her homeowner’s association newsletter, “The Community Animal Report”.

 Just a single page announced coyote sightings, warned pet owners of predators, and became a great communication tool for lost and found animals.

Soon handling the phone calls became an issue, says, Pfaff-Martin, when residents began referring her to help them find new homes for their pets. Pfaff-Martin began calling herself, “Community Animal Network”.

Pfaff-Martin could see the need and grew the grassroots publication to include a “Pet Classifieds”, she called “Pre-Loved Pets”

“The Community Animal Report” became very popular with the locals who received the paper delivered by her son Tyler and his friends on roller blades to rotating neighborhoods. Pfaff-Martin was never far away; supervising and meeting and greeting neighbors and listening carefully for the next issues story.

“The Community Animal Report”soon grew to a twelve page city-wide publication with a new twist; a cover story with opinions and facts. Stories with Tabloid Headlines like, "Attack Cat On Port Bristol Street”, were very popular and made the owner of the bully cat aware and an apology was made and the vet bill was paid. 

During the 1990’s, Pfaff-Martins’ efforts for local animals was visible in high traffic business locations like the Newport Beach Post Office and the city library on Avocado Street.

Each week Pfaff-Martin photographed the Newport Beach shelter animals and stood with poster boards filled withphotos of  local animals up for adoption.

Pfaff-Martin with her tall model looks got double-takes, said a local newspaper columnist of the day, as she handed out her paper in public. Her pet-promotions proved to be a successful adoption vehicle for the compounded animals.

The Community Animal Report”also helped raise money for needed procedures and surgeries for the shelter animals. Ms. Pfaff-Martin met withlocal veterinarians and negotiatedaffordable pricing for the procedures that proved to make the shelter dogs and cats adoptable.

Pfaff-Martin understood that local people wanted to avoid the uncertainty of the municipal shelter system for their pets and “The Community Animal Report” offered an advertising option to residents.

Vet hospitals, restaurants, beauty supplies, dry cleaners and other small businesses offered “The Community Animal Report”to their customers which helped place more and more local animals into new homes.

In January 2000, an unlikely arrangement between a store selling pets and a local animal organization began. Dan Di Giacomo of Russo’s Pet Experience in the Fashion Island Shopping Center gave space to DiAnna Pfaff-Martin to promote local animals that needed to find new homes.

Almost immediately a puppy thrown from a moving vehicle was called in and the first rescue puppy was placed for viewing at Russo’s Pet Experience. The puppy was swiftly adopted by a Newport Coast couple.

Local animals have been shown at Russo’s Pet Experience for more than a decade; 50-75 animals a month found new homes prior to the recession years.

Still today Ms. Pfaff-Martin, the founder of Community Animal Network is the “go-to person” for local people who need help finding new homes for their pets.