Ten years ago, Elizabeth and Steve Accomando left their successful Broward County auto business and moved to Palm Beach County to pursue their dream of opening a full-time animal rescue.
They must be doing something right, since Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. The local nonprofit was honored at the Tuesday, Nov. 5 meeting of the Palm Beach County Commission, when Commissioner Marci Woodward presented a proclamation honoring Barky Pines for its service to the community.
Barky Pines, located in the western Loxahatchee neighborhood of Santa Rosa Groves, has become an integral part of the local animal rescue community, partnering with Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control and dozens of local rescue groups. The facility has saved thousands of animals and currently boasts a population of three pigs, four goats, 40 chickens, 60 ducks, five geese, seven peacocks, four turkeys, 72 dogs and nine farm/barn cats. These animals were abandoned, thrown away, lost, sick, hungry, abused, mistreated and/or left for dead.
“You can feel their love for animals the minute you drive up. They take in animals that need help and nurse them back to health,” said Jamieson Joseph of Royal Palm Beach, who has taken advantage of both adoption and spay/neuter services there.
Jacqueline Batcha is equally passionate about Barky Pines. “These wonderful people brought me the love of my life, and I will forever be grateful,” she said, describing how Barky Pines rescued Toots, a French Bulldog, from horrible conditions.
Barky Pines founder Elizabeth Accomando likes to refer to her “village of volunteers.” Micki Newman is a typical volunteer.
“This is a fantastic rescue,” she said. “I’ve used their clinic for my own animals and started to volunteer here four years ago.”
She noted that commercial veterinarians can be expensive, and many people can’t afford preventive care like dental cleaning.
“Another reason I really like Barky Pines is that they pay more attention to local animals, while some other rescues bring dogs in from other states,” Newman added.
Mario, a giant tortoise, is the one exception to local preference.
“Years ago, a Manhattan landlord checked out a newly empty apartment and was horrified to find Mario chained to a radiator. You can still see where they drilled through his shell,” Steve Accomando explained.
Mario is now living out his days in peace, with the run of the farm. However, Mario is acting a little differently this week, perhaps depressed that his best friend on the farm, a rescue horse, passed away very recently.
Abe Vigoda and Foo, very friendly goats, are more typical Barky Pines farm residents. Elizabeth related the story of how Foo was loose and making mayhem by charging cars and causing accidents on Military Trail. Atlantis police corralled him, and he has been happy at Barky Pines ever since. Abe Vigoda was abandoned at Animal Care & Control before arriving at the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is also home to a 600-pound pig named Charlotte. “We spoil Charlotte,” Steve said. “She is such a clean animal. We create a bathing pool in her pen several times a day. They are such intelligent animals.”
Barky Pines refuses to kill even unadoptable dogs. “They might try to bite us a little bit from time to time, but some of our puppies have been through real hell, so we try to give them the best lives we can,” Elizabeth said, adding that most of the animals are adoptable.
Besides recognition from the county, the sanctuary was the winner in the 2024 Palm Beach County Community’s Choice Awards in the categories of veterinary clinic and pet kennel/boarding/day care.
Animal rescue is a team sport, and Barky Pines is extremely well regarded by its partners, particularly because it operates a low-cost veterinary clinic, providing and subsidizing spay and neuter services, improving animal health and helping with population control.
Laura Rister operates a new local rescue. “I am so grateful to the good people at Barky Pines,” she said. “Our new group is involved in rescuing big animals, and we would not be able to do so if Barky Pines didn’t operate such a wonderful and low-cost clinic.”
Rebecca Landerman, a local hospital dietician, has a passion for rescuing huskies.
“The people at Barky Pines are lifesavers. We recently rescued a red husky, Yirah, who then tested positive for heartworm. Treatment for heartworm, which is deadly to dogs, would normally cost thousands of dollars. We couldn’t afford it. The Barky Pines clinic came through for us and saved Yirah’s life,” Landerman said.
Local registered nurse Smiley Brammer also adores Barky Pines.
“I’ve known some members of the staff for 40 years. These are good people. They have the hearts of lions to be able to overcome the horrific conditions they find these animals in. They overcome the trauma and jump right in to do everything in their power to save the life, stabilize the patient, and then find them a loving forever home,” Brammer said.
The past decade has certainly brought many changes, especially for Elizabeth, who is now also involved in local government, elected two years ago to a seat on the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors.
She said she has no regrets regarding dedicating her time to creating Barky Pines.
“While it has been far from easy, it has been an incredible first 10 years of saving lives,” Elizabeth said. “If we each do all that we can, what an amazing difference we can make in the lives of local animals.”
Elizabeth pointed to a couple of hundred hungry mouths and added, “Our mission is not inexpensive. We operate 24/7, and it’s all done using donations, grassroots fund-raising and our own money.”
She asks two things of the community: adopt and donate. In addition to money, consider donating time, farm materials and pet/farm food.
To learn more about Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, visit www.barkypinesanimalrescue.com.
