Beth Zimmerman

Beth is the inspiration behind Pets for Patriots. Growing up, her family home was never without a shelter dog. Seeing so many animals without the loving embrace of a family had a profound impact on her. She vowed that one day she would find a way to save them all.

From an early age Beth developed an abiding passion for animals—particularly those who were neglected, abused, or simply unwanted. She dreamed of a day when animal shelters would not be needed any longer because every once unwanted pet found a loving home.

The Zimmerman household was animated not only by a love for animals, but an abiding love of country. Beth’s parents impressed upon all of their children an enduring respect for our nation’s history, its veterans, and military families.

Although her own family does not have a strong military tradition, Beth came to learn about a relative who made the ultimate sacrifice during WWII. Captain Jacob Joseph was just 22 years old when he died in action at Guadalcanal while serving in the Marines. Five years later the native New Yorker was honored with a playground bearing his name, which remains an oasis for children in Chinatown and the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Beth brings more than 25 years of business and entrepreneurial experience to Pets for Patriots, including a decade as a practicing architect. This was followed by more than 15 years as a business and branding strategist for companies in the financial, technology, healthcare, and utility sectors, among others—and a decade as a solopreneur. These diverse experiences help her invest Pets for Patriots with excellence in all aspects of its strategy, operations, marketing, communications, and customer service.

Beth is an alumna of Carnegie Mellon University where she earned a Master of Architecture, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.

In 2012 Beth and her mother Naomi adopted Bunny, a senior Beagle mix who died of cancer in 2016. In Bunny’s honor, Beth now only adopts senior dogs, typically the most overlooked at shelters.

In November 2017 Beth adopted Benny, a 10-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix whom she met while volunteering at a local shelter. He passed away four years later and was followed by Berry, a nine year-old ‘pocket Pittie’ who had been adopted and ultimately surrendered twice before. A few months after Berry’s passing in December 2024, Beth welcomed Bear—a senior Cattle Dog mix and once featured as a Pets for Patriots Forget Me Not pet—continuing her tradition of adopting only older animals.

While Beth’s mother Naomi passed away in mid-2019, she left many accomplishments in her wake. Among them was being the heartbeat of Pets for Patriots’ mission: helping people save pets and pets save people. Naomi was always uplifted by stories of the lifesaving work made possible through her considerable efforts and love.

Beth served as Board Chair from 2009 through 2016, at which time Keith Weaver was elected to lead the Board.