When Martha Lentz worked as executive director of the Orlando Humane Society, she often could not accept the reasons people gave for relinquishing their pets. But she was particularly saddened by the grief seniors clearly felt handing over their pets due to housing or financial problems. Whether a cat or dog, this was the companion that kept them company, that prevented loneliness, that got them talking, walking, smiling.
Finding pet welcome and affordable housing was a major deterrent, especially for those who had more than one pet. People tend to believe that pets enjoy and benefit from living with a member of their own. They are right. It promotes better behavior and lessens anxieties. However, with the cost of veterinary care rising, caring for more than one pet became prohibitive.
Martha had loved animals all her life. She buried dead birds and other small animals she found in her backyard where her mother had set aside a part of her garden for a pet cemetery. Her mother, Margaret Harmony, insisted the family have at least one cat and one dog. Her Grandparents lived in Live Oak, Florida, and visits there included nature trips, fishing, picking watermelon and riding horses. She could not imagine living without the ability to enjoy natural scenery around her, or to live with animals in her life.
In 1996, Martha sketched out her vision of a community that addressed the reasons most community managers did not allow pets, and, before homes were constructed, cleared out most of the trees and natural areas. Her husband, Jim, was fully supportive and put his considerable abilities into the project which, in 1998, became The Harmony Institute. Martha was able to put together an expert group of the most knowledgeable people who could address every issue important to creating this town. They would advise both the Institute and Developer throughout the initial planning and program implementation.