- October 5, 2026
The Captain James Ormond Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution presented its Community Service Award to Debbie Darino, founder and president of The Ponce Animal Foundation, on Monday, Sept. 28.
The award recognizes unpaid voluntary community service of individuals and organizations and is presented to someone who has contributed to the community in an outstanding way.
Darino's story began with the killing of a 9-month-old black Labrador Retriever puppy named Ponce in 2017, leading to the creation of her foundation which advocates or the health and safety of all animals that are homeless, abused, in natural disasters, indigent, or victims of domestic violence.
Her advocacy led to Ponce's Law, which enables the courts to sentence animal abusers to stricter sentences and allows the court, to ban convicted abusers from owning or having contact with animals.
In 2024, Darino also helped create Dexter's Law, which created a registry listing individuals convicted of animal cruelty offenses to help shelters and residents screen potential pet owners. It currently includes over 1,700 names.
At the meeting, the DAR also inducted five new members: Laura Ashkenazi, Elizabeth Clark, Lisa Hiatt, Karen Mason and Jill MacDonald. The chapter also welcomed two new transfers: Mary Beth Shea and Connie Bommarito.
