14 / matters magazine / spring 2026
tion), before she went to 
a foster home to await 
her forever family. 
“Rescue depends on 
the passion and energy 
of dedicated volunteers. 
What sets Kelly and 
Marcia apart is their 
ability to respond to 
emergencies with such 
expertise and compas­
sion,” 
says 
Christel 
Hyden, founder of the 
local pet care and errands company 
Marigold Lifeworks. She has also 
served as a foster parent for stray 
dogs Conover and Sandford Fish­
kind rescued. “Whether coaching a 
family on how to lure a lost pet back 
home or watching a trap on a cold 
night, hoping a stray dog will let 
them help, they’re always all in and 
will not give up.”
The pair also helps rescue cats, 
recently assisting a couple who had 
found two kittens in a storm drain 
and visited them every day for over a 
month but were unable to trap them. 
“Together we formed Team Sewer 
Kittens!” says Sandford Fishkind. 
Eventually, 
after 10 days, 
including 
a 
six-hour stake­
out, on Val­
entine’s Day, 
they 
caught 
them. 
The 
couple 
who 
had found the 
kittens, adopt­
ed them, nam­
ing them Bo 
and Kieran. 
Conover and Sandford Fishkind 
often fund the food and vet bills out 
of their own pockets. They have pets 
and families of their own, so it gets 
expensive. (At last check, Sandford 
Fishkind had 22 cats at her house, 
only half of which are hers, plus her 
dog!) In 2026, they formed All Paws 
In, a nonprofit rescue organization, 
to facilitate donations that allow 
them to rescue more animals. Do­
nations go toward trapping supplies 
(traps, cameras, etc.), pet food, vet 
bills and other supplies.
“There is so much need in the 
rescue community, so our goal is 
to be able to continue supporting 
and partnering with rescues while 
providing resources to families and 
communities,” Conover said when 
they announced the launch of All 
Paws In. The group also advocates 
for policy changes to help support 
the well-being of animals in the area.
They have a very specific system 
for finding lost dogs: They post 
bright yellow signs with a photo 
of the dog that say: “Lost. Do Not 
Chase. Call this phone number with 
any information.” They include the 
neighborhood or cross streets where 
the dog was last seen, but they always 
tell people to NOT try to chase the 
dog. You might just spook them and 
send them into the street or farther 
away from their home.
All Paws In also has a safety 
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Sandford Fishkind and Conover successfully trapped 
“Amtrak Amy,” a dog who was spotted by a NJ Tran­
sit engineer running around the tracks in Harrison. 
One of the two kit­
tens a kind couple 
spotted in a storm 
drain of a cem­
etery. Sandford 
Fishkind helped with 
the tricky rescue.
Walter (L) and Lisa (R) are two of the many rescued cats that live at Sandford Fish­
kind's house. Photos by Julia Maloof Verderosa.
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