Nadine McAfee
Linda Lyon
Linda Lyon
Friends of Pinal Animal Shelter and Rescues is a 501(c)(3) that assists Pinal County Animal Care and Control (PCACC) and their supporting rescue organizations by funding lifesaving veterinary care, training, and supplies necessary to enhance quality of life and adoptability. Established in early 2020 by SaddleBrooke resident Mera Laureys, Friends of Pinal (FoP) has enjoyed generous donor support, raising more than $70,000 to bridge gaps in county funding for shelter operations.
During a recent strategic planning session, FoP adopted a vision of “A humane and compassionate future for every dog and cat in Pinal County.” Our goals support this vision and are designed to strengthen the organization’s foundation and grow our ability to help PCACC. To that end, we are extremely pleased to recognize our three newest board members.
Linda Lyon joined our board at the end of November 2022. She retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in 2007 at Andrews AFB, Maryland, where she served as the Mission Support Group Commander (city manager) for a community of 20,000. She moved to SaddleBrooke in 2008 with her wife Hollace and since then, has managed a nonprofit, helped establish the Oracle Schools Foundation, and worked on multiple political campaigns. Linda is in her 11th year on the Oracle School District Governing Board and is a past president of the Arizona School Boards Association. The Lyons have a dog and a cat, both local rescues.
Nadine McAfee joined our board in mid-January 2023 after already making significant contributions to FoP. She is retired from commercial real estate and has an extensive background in shopping center and retail management. She was a district manager for The Gap, a director of operations and store manager for Macy’s, and director of exchange operations for the Navy. Nadine also served on the board for two pug and one tortoise rescue. She moved to SaddleBrooke with her husband Bruce in 2018 and just completed her second term as the SaddleBrooke Dog Park Association vice president. The McAfees have three chihuahuas and a desert tortoise, all rescues.
Dr. Bonnie J. Buntain was the first female equine practitioner in Hawaii (Oahu Equine Veterinary Clinic) and the first Hawaii veterinarian to become board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Equine Practice. After leaving private practice, she guided national regulations for food safety and humane animal treatment for the USDA. She rose to Senior Executive Service, ending her career as the first Chief Public Health Veterinarian of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. In 2007 the University of Calgary recruited her to start their veterinary faculty. After retirement to Tucson in 2014, the University of Arizona hired her as program coordinator for accreditation of the new College of Veterinary Medicine. Bonnie has two dogs, which she inherited from her mother, and two horses.
Linda, Nadine, and Bonnie join founding board members Mera Laureys and Alice LinkLopez (Casa Grande resident) ready to hit the ground running to support the dogs and cats of PCACC. Because … they are counting on us! For more information, please refer to our newly retooled website friendsofpinal.org, or you can email us at [email protected].