Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolanda Berkowitz.
Hi Yolanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As Friends of Miami Animals Foundation celebrates 10 years of saving and improving the lives of homeless and at-risk pets, we’re reflecting on what creates real, lasting change.
For me, as founder and president,, one of the clearest lessons has been this: impact happens when people work together.
For 10 years, FoMA has helped strengthen the animal welfare safety net by supporting programs, partnerships, education, advocacy, and resources that help keep pets safe, healthy, and with the people who love them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The truth is, it has not always been a smooth road.
Animal welfare work is difficult, emotional, and often frustrating. The challenges facing pets and families in our community are real: overcrowded shelters, limited access to affordable veterinary care, financial hardship, transportation barriers, lack of information, and too many families reaching a crisis point before help is available.
But those challenges are exactly why we keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Friends of Miami Animals Foundation is a Miami-based nonprofit focused on saving and improving the lives of homeless and at-risk pets through strategic funding, advocacy, collaboration, and community support.
FoMA is not a shelter or rescue. We work to strengthen the animal welfare safety net by funding programs that prevent suffering, reduce shelter intake, improve shelter outcomes, and help families keep the pets they love. Our work includes supporting access to veterinary care, free and low-cost spay/neuter and TNVR services, pet retention programs, medical care for shelter animals, and partnerships that address the root causes of animal homelessness.
We are known for being nimble, collaborative, and solutions-driven. Over the past 10 years, FoMA has helped bring resources to critical gaps in the system and supported programs that make a tangible difference for vulnerable pets and the people who care for them.
What I am most proud of is that FoMA has stayed focused on meaningful, practical impact. The animal welfare crisis is not solved by one program or one organization. It requires prevention, partnership, advocacy, and sustained commitment. What sets FoMA apart is our ability to look at the whole system, identify where help is needed most, and fund interventions that create better outcomes before animals reach a crisis point.
How do you think about happiness?
Knowing that every pet helped, every family assisted means less suffering for community pets and more love for people and pets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fomapets.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fomapets
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fomapets/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fomapets
