12 / matters magazine / spring 2026 I f you’ve ever been on Dogs of Soma or an other local Facebook group, you know that dogs and cats sometimes – OK, often – get loose. A kid or a contractor leaves the gate open. A couple of adventurous pups take themselves on a tour of the neighborhood. Sometimes a stray dog is seen wandering around for days or even weeks, prompting con cern from a kind neighbor. “Our dog escaped the backyard and is missing. If you see her, please call!” a post might read. Or, “I saw these dogs on my way home but didn’t have time to stop. Anyone know who they belong to?” Read enough of these posts about lost or stray animals and you’ll see two people tagged over and over again: Kelly Conover and Marcia Sandford Fishkind. Conover and Sandford Fishkind will spring into action: gathering sightings, hopping in their cars for a stakeout, and setting traps, feeding sta tions and cameras. They work until a lost dog or cat is safely back home with their family. If they're stray dogs or cats, they will bring them to their house to decompress and get checked out before heading to a foster family or rescue and then, hopefully, a forever home. “We help people find their dogs … and we help dogs who have no people,” says Sandford Fishkind, who also helps trap and transport in jured foxes and rescues cats. While South Orange and Maplewood contract Animal Control Solutions for animal control, the organization does not search for lost pets, accord ing to the towns’ websites. Conover and Sandford Fishkind have had pets and helped pets their entire lives. Sandford Fish kind, who lives in Short Hills, is retired from her job at a tech company in sales and devotes most of her time to helping animals. Conover, who lives in South Orange, is a psychologist who fos tered pit bulls when she lived in the city. The duo met four years ago when they saw each other’s com ments trying to help a lost dog in the area. Local Duo Rescues Lost Pets New nonprofit All Paws In helps fur babies find their way back home BY CINDY PERMAN Clockwise from top left: Conover and Sandford Fishkind helped rescue Goldie, a goldendoodle, who was left in a crate in the snow in Irvington Park and adopted with the help of PAWS Montclair. Maya was found loose in Irvington. Conover and Sandford Fishkind arranged a foster for her. After the owner agreed to surrender Maya, she was adopted with the help of PAWS Montclair. “Amtrak Amy” was spotted by a NJ Transit engineer running around the tracks in Harrison. She is available for adoption through NJ Shetland Sheepdog Placement Services. Sandford Fishkind with Coconut, a Pomeranian mix, who was found running near a warehouse. He was rescued after two days and adopted by his foster family through Rosemarie’s Rescue Ranch. These kittens and their mom were rescued and are available for adoption. Photo by Julia Maloof Verderosa. Conover with one of the kittens she and Sandford Fishkind rescued.
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