It All started with a Dog Named Franklin
In February 2003, Monisha Seth and Anthony Douglas adopted their first dog from the SPCA of Central Florida. He was a two-year old English foxhound whose family decided they couldn’t care for him anymore.
Monisha and Anthony decided to name their new family member after Benjamin Franklin, whose statue is perched on a bench at the University of Pennsylvania, where the couple first met.where the couple met regularly for lunch during medical school and residency. The two were so grateful that Franklin had a safe place to stay while he was waiting to be adopted, they decided to become more involved with animal welfare.
At first, they began dropping off dog food and pet supplies at the local shelter. Then, in October 2003, they put together a pack of pet lovers to walk in the SPCA of Central Florida’s Wiggle Waggle Walk — and they called themselves Franklin's Friends. Although they raised more than $500 and won the award for top fundraising pack, they were shocked that the top pack raised such a small amount of money for a wonderful cause. So they vowed to work harder and raise more money the next year.
As Monisha and Anthony’s four-legged family grew, so did Franklin’s Friends. Since 2003, we’re proud to say we’ve raised over $3 million for local animal welfare … and counting.
