Aphrodite, who will be 85 this year, was born at the end of the depression. At a young age, her father introduced her to animals and sparked a lifelong interest. When she was around 6 years old, she asked her father for a puppy and she has had pets ever since. Her current love is a German Shepherd named Athena. In honor of her namesake, Athena responds to Greek commands and food, leading Aphrodite to refer to her as her “bilingual dog”.
Aphrodite has never been married and has no children – human ones anyway. She is a recent breast cancer survivor. While in out-patient chemo for the last year and a half, she grew close to the therapy dog, Coco, a 10-year-old poodle. She is an avid watcher of animal programs and learning all about wildlife and animals around the world.
She has built her legacy by making sure animals are treated with compassion and kindness, and that people care about the souls and lives of all living beings. She intends her caring legacy to live on through a gift to IFAW as a portion of her estate.