As a youngster in Manahawkin, Kim Brown looked after cats, dogs, rabbits, ducks, even squirrels, including one that fell out of a tree as a baby and broke his front teeth. Brown fed him and cared for him for a time, then took him to a nearby wildlife rehab facility, after which he was, eventually, released back into the woods.

Brown’s love for animals later led her to volunteer with and foster for various rescue groups. “I took in my first animal – a little kitten – off a Facebook page. He was very ill.