SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 17

headed nowhere. I went to DDR to find 
myself, but the outcome was so much more, 
Banooni explained. 
“My time at DDR matured me as an 
individual, shaping the person I am today 
on all fields, both professional and personal. 
To this day, I’m proud to say Kristina is my 
lifelong mentor and friend,
” added Banooni, 
the proud DVM (Doctor of Veterinary 
Medicine) student. 
When Charfoos heard about the new 
building for DDR, she knew she had to 
contribute.
“If we’re going to give money to anything, 
we wanted to support DDR because 
our whole family is connected to the 
organization. My niece wants to be a vet 
and my son who worked for Kristina is 
now halfway through veterinary medicine 
school,
” she said.
The Charfoos Family Mutternity Room 
is a birthing room in the new facility where 
pregnant dogs can rest or give birth in a 
quiet room.
Eliana Weiss, 13, of Huntington Woods 
has also created a strong relationship with 
Millman-Rinaldi from her volunteer work 
through her mitzvah project with DDR. 
Wise has held donation drives for DDR 
raising $2,800 in monetary donations and 
about $3,300 in items.
“The money I raised actually helped 
build some of the stalls inside of the new 
building,
” Weiss said.
She says she looks up to Millman-Rinaldi 
and plans to continue volunteering her time 

with the organization even though she’s 
finished with her mitzvah project. 
Others like Melanie Page offer support to 
DDR by adopting and fostering dogs. 
“I’ve known Kristina for over 10 years 
and, while we connected through a business 
relationship, we still are connected today,
” 
Page explained. 
Page adopted her first dog, RJ, through 
DDR and a year later she was ready to 
adopt another and happened to get a call 
from Millman-Rinaldi.
“She calls me and says, ‘We have a cocker 
spaniel that we found.
’ It was during the 
polar vortex back in 2014.
” 
Page explained how this dog named 
Lucy wasn’t in the best condition.
“She had horrible ear and skin 
infections. Lucy was literally skin and 
bones, just really, really, frail. Kristina 
told me that she wouldn’t be able to 
survive in the shelter,
” Page said. 
Page then offered to pick Lucy up, 
and while she had many health issues 
over the years, Page gave her the best 
life she could give her. 
Page has fostered three dogs and 
adopted two through DDR.
“DDR has been a huge part of my life and 
my kids’ lives,
” Page said. “I feel like when 
you adopt one of her dogs that you become 
part of her family.
”

NEXT CHAPTER 
Millman-Rinaldi now lives in West 
Bloomfield with her husband, David 

Rinaldi, and their two daughters Aubrey, 8, 
and Laila, 3, and their dog Robo.
“I pretty much have created the most 
comforting and wholesome family,
” 
Millman-Rinaldi said.
While the new building is in the works, 
Millman-Rinaldi says she’s always thinking 
about what’s next for DDR. “We’re already 
thinking about the next step and we’re 
scouting out buildings to build our own vet 
clinic.
” 
Millman-Rinaldi says while they have 
great partnerships with veterinarians at 
Greenfield Animal Hospital and Union 
Lake Veterinary Hospital, they want to have 

their own vet clinic.
“We see some of the worst of the 
worst,
” she said. “We need triage centers, 
operational bays. So the next steps for DDR 
are a vet clinic and an outreach center.
” 

To follow Kristina Millman-Rinaldi and DDR or to see 

how you can help the cause, visit https://detroitdogres-

cue.com or follow them on social media 

@DetroitDogRescue.

Eliana Weiss has held garage sales and a lemonade 
stand to raise funds for DDR.

Detroit Dog 
Rescue relies 
on outreach 
partners like 
Detroit K-9 
Pet Supplies 
to supply 
families in 
need.

During a recent 
day of outreach 
with Detroit Dog 
Rescue, Kristina 
Millman-Rinaldi 
talked with a res-
ident who could 
no longer take 
care of his dog 
and wanted to 
surrender him so 
he could have a 
better life.

