Dogged and Determined
After founding Harmony Retreat & Animal Rescue to help local people and animals, Judy Dyke has bold plans to magnify her reach and better serve her community.
When animal advocate Judy Dyke answers her cell phone, she never knows what animal-related crisis may be on the other end of the line.
Like many people, Dyke has long had a love of animals. Unlike most, though, her dedication to helping nonhumans compelled her to start her own nonprofit, Harmony Retreat & Animal Rescue (harmonyrar.org), which is based in Huntingdon Valley. Harmony Retreat provides adoption and foster placement services, as well as consulting on animal care, among other services. She has “big plans” for the future that will not only help animals, but also retirees and the displaced.
A Domestic Violence Safe Haven program that Harmony Retreat recently started helps those who do not want to leave their homes if there is an animal involved, according to Dyke. Harmony Retreat also works with Laurel House, a Norristown-based shelter that places domestic violence survivors from calls generated by the Women’s Center of Montgomery County in Colmar.
Recently Dyke fielded a call from the Women’s Center about a local domestic violence victim who needed a home for her dog before she was willing to locate a safe place for herself. After dozens of phone calls and arrangements, a volunteer took the dog in for veterinary care, and Harmony Retreat then found a foster home where the dog could live until the dog’s owner got back on her feet.
“We found a safe place for the animal, while the person involved finds respite with a local relative,” Dyke adds. “We have a potential foster home, so the pet and its owner can be reunited, but it might take four or five months.
“It’s exciting to know we can help someone feel good that they don’t have to leave their dog or cat behind,” she continues. “They can relax and focus on themselves.”
Organizations like hers play a vital role in preventing the separation of animals from their humans, if not a worse fate. More than 2 million animals are euthanized in the United States each year, according to the ASPCA, while countless others suffer from abuse and neglect. Dyke, who lives with her supportive husband and three rescue cats, is well aware of the sobering numbers.
“People and animals need one another,” she explains. “We feel better, have more energy, and are more caring when we interact with animals, but at the same time, so many animals need our help.”
She traces her love of animals and nature to her childhood, specifically the time she spent with her veterinarian uncle. She has fond memories of visiting his house, where he cared for cats, dogs, pigs, and even monkeys.
When she was eight or nine years old, Dyke and her brother found a starving cat whose trust they earned by feeding it french fries; they didn’t know better at the time, that cats shouldn’t eat french fries. Dyke only had pet turtles at that point in her life, but the family adopted the cat, even though she was allergic to animal dander. She took regular shots for her condition and, fortunately, outgrew the allergy.
Like most nonprofits, Harmony Retreat has to do continual fundraising and volunteer recruitment in order to work toward its mission. The needs are broad and constant, and the organization has a donations page on its website to make it easy for anyone who wants to get involved and lend their support.
Dyke has bold plans for the future. The plan for a proposed sanctuary involves setting up temporary housing areas for small animals, hold educational classes in mindfulness, yoga, and dog training, as well as socialization for puppies. She also wants to offer classes in animal care, hold meet-and-greet sessions for animals and potential foster and adoptive families, provide on-site animal care and vet-tech support, and maintain an outdoor run and/or gated areas where animals can exercise and socialize.
Her vision: a farm where retirees and other interested animal and nature lovers can pay a fee to live or live there in exchange for helping to manage the farm and caring for the animals. “People who want to retire don’t want to sit in a rocking chair,” she adds. “They want to do things and help the world.”
Dyke hopes to buy a property with a house for around $500,000, which is where her fundraising efforts will come in. The next big event is a “Tribute to the Music of Chicago” event at Abington Senior High School on November 1, which has a fundraising goal of $25,000. There are also local bingo fundraisers, the next one to be held in February 2026.
“There are always naysayers, but I believe we can do this,” Dyke insists. “It will happen. I know that it’s a big vision, but I also know that if enough people get behind it, it can work. If we can help a few people and animals along the way, and make them all feel better, I know that the world will be a better place.”
Running a nonprofit devoted to animals represents something of a “second act” for Dyke. A mother of two children, both now grown, she has a degree in elementary and special education. In 1993, she began working with her husband’s computer business. In 2018, she felt that it was time “to do something for myself that I enjoy.” She learned to be a dog trainer and actively sought pet-sitting jobs, though she admits it wasn’t enough to meet her personal goals.
Soon after, she took a mastermind class to “put your dream to the test,” based on a book by John C. Maxwell. Her participation in the class helped her clarify her vision for the nonprofit that would become Harmony Retreat & Animal Rescue. The networking and fundraising began shortly thereafter.
Dyke is happy with what she has achieved so far, as she considers improving even one life a worthwhile endeavor. At the same time, she is eager to see where the future takes her and optimistic about Harmony Retreat’s evolution. It will require a lot of time and hard work to get to the next level, but she’s happy to do it in order to help her community—humans and animals alike.
Leading the Charge
They come from different backgrounds and have forged their paths in different fields—health care, law, business, fashion, wellness, hospitality, art, etc.—yet each of the women featured here has made a sizeable impact in her quest to make the world a better place.
Bridgett Battles
Image consultant who founded The BBExperience, which helps C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners undergo personal transformations designed to change their lives for the better. thebbexperience.com
Image consultant who founded The BBExperience, which helps C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners undergo personal transformations designed to change their lives for the better. thebbexperience.com
Bonnie Benedetto
Entrepreneurial-minded practice director of Bella Body Medical Spa in Yardley, driven by the need to create a space where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and energized. bellabodymedicalspa.com
Entrepreneurial-minded practice director of Bella Body Medical Spa in Yardley, driven by the need to create a space where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and energized. bellabodymedicalspa.com
Patti Brennan
A former nurse turned financial advisor, and the founder and CEO of West Chester-based Key Financial Inc., devoted to helping clients plan for the future. keyfinancialinc.com
A former nurse turned financial advisor, and the founder and CEO of West Chester-based Key Financial Inc., devoted to helping clients plan for the future. keyfinancialinc.com
Elissa C. Goldberg
Long-time family law attorney and mediator who has since added a new title—Realtor—to her C.V., as well as a talented artist whose work has graced the walls of local galleries. ecgoldberglaw.com
Tina Guerrieri
Realtor known for her attention to detail and fierce advocacy of clients, as well as an influential figure in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse. tinag.remax.com
Long-time family law attorney and mediator who has since added a new title—Realtor—to her C.V., as well as a talented artist whose work has graced the walls of local galleries. ecgoldberglaw.com
Tina Guerrieri
Realtor known for her attention to detail and fierce advocacy of clients, as well as an influential figure in the fight against domestic violence and child abuse. tinag.remax.com
Amy Kabinoff and Stacy Trachtenberg
Fashionistas behind @1939 by Chickie’s Daughter 2 in Spring House, building on the legacy of a Philadelphia fashion icon whose roots stretch back nearly 90 years. chickiesdaughter.com
Fashionistas behind @1939 by Chickie’s Daughter 2 in Spring House, building on the legacy of a Philadelphia fashion icon whose roots stretch back nearly 90 years. chickiesdaughter.com
Courtney Loughney
Founder of Wilmington, Delaware-based Petite Yogi, a rapidly growing company that teaches mindfulness and yoga programming to children throughout the Philadelphia area. petiteyogi.com
Founder of Wilmington, Delaware-based Petite Yogi, a rapidly growing company that teaches mindfulness and yoga programming to children throughout the Philadelphia area. petiteyogi.com
Carie Ann Ochsenreither
Luxury home Realtor based in Bucks County who strives to deliver a concierge-like experience to clients on both sides of the Delaware River. serhant.com/agents/carie-ann-ochsenreither
Luxury home Realtor based in Bucks County who strives to deliver a concierge-like experience to clients on both sides of the Delaware River. serhant.com/agents/carie-ann-ochsenreither
Kathleen Piperno
Co-managing partner of Eckell Sparks’ Family Law Division, as well as a survivor of domestic violence, who uses her legal expertise to advocate for victims of domestic abuse. eckellsparks.com
Co-managing partner of Eckell Sparks’ Family Law Division, as well as a survivor of domestic violence, who uses her legal expertise to advocate for victims of domestic abuse. eckellsparks.com
Sheryl R. Rentz
Founder of The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz P.C. in Bryn Mawr who has spent more than 30 years helping clients navigate the muddy waters of divorce, custody, and support, among other complex family law matters. srrentzlaw.com
Founder of The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz P.C. in Bryn Mawr who has spent more than 30 years helping clients navigate the muddy waters of divorce, custody, and support, among other complex family law matters. srrentzlaw.com
Kate Sanford
Known as the “Mother of Roses,” a lifelong creator who founded Yardley-based Kate Von Designs, which designs floral experiences to enhance special events of all shapes and sizes. katevondesigns.com
Known as the “Mother of Roses,” a lifelong creator who founded Yardley-based Kate Von Designs, which designs floral experiences to enhance special events of all shapes and sizes. katevondesigns.com
Rebecca Smith
A gifted artist and the COO of SK Smith & Associates, a King of Prussia-based dental enterprise widely known for its clinical excellence, driven by the desire to make the world a better, kinder, more beautiful place. drsksmith.com
A gifted artist and the COO of SK Smith & Associates, a King of Prussia-based dental enterprise widely known for its clinical excellence, driven by the desire to make the world a better, kinder, more beautiful place. drsksmith.com
Photo by Sarah Miller
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, September 2025.
