Robyn Newton
Dog’s Best Friend
story by ERIN WALLACE photo by SUSAN DELOACH
You’ve heard of man’s best friend, but have you heard of a dog’s best friend? Well, look no further as she resides right here in our dear Beaufort. A jack of all trades, this woman spends as much time as she can outside. Whether golfing, kayaking, cycling, swimming, riding her motorcycle, or walking her dog, you name it, Robyn Newton is living her best Lowcountry life.
Robyn began working in the high-tech industry while attending college, and after 30-plus years of working in various positions throughout this career, she recently retired. During her storied career, she also started her own business as a voice-over actor. She narrates marketing and e-learning videos, radio and television ads, phone systems, and more. Presently, Robyn is an advocate for animals near and far, having been the co-founder of a local (Facebook) organization four years ago called The Giving Gang (TGG); the group currently has over 2,000 members.
Robyn is originally from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, just 30 minutes North of Boston. Even though she was born, raised, and educated in New England, she had spent many vacations in Charleston and fell deeper in love with the sea islands with each visit. Coastal South Carolina was always in her mind as she thought about moving to a warmer climate when retirement came knocking. She loved the thought of warm weather and a friendly lifestyle, and had grown tired of the biting cold of the North (and who could blame her)!
If it weren’t for Robyn’s breast cancer scare in 2014, Beaufort wouldn’t have gotten her as soon as they did. This diagnosis and some soul searching made Robyn realize the location change she was always anticipating needed to happen sooner than she’d initially planned. Robyn explained her 2015 migration perfectly, “Sometimes it’s just meant to be, and you have to follow the dream while you can.” Now, Robyn is wonderfully healthy, and enjoys and experiences her favorite outdoor activities and hobbies year-round. Additionally, Robyn has a son named Kyle, who lives in south Florida with his family. It is a six-hour drive and one that she frequently makes as the family shares a very close relationship with one another. She is also a first-time Grammy to a sweet little girl named Cora, who is, in Robyn’s words, “the joy of my life.”
While Robyn jokingly describes her life before college as nomadic and adventurous, “sort of a rebel without a cause,” exploring the world for a few years after high school, she’s thankful for the many experiences, opportunities, and people she met that helped to ground her and prepare her for her next adventure. This took the form of Robyn enrolling in a community college as a Business/English major and then moving to the University of Massachusetts, where she completed her degree at age 28. Although corporate America was immensely lucky to have this faithful and incredibly hard worker for 30-plus years, there is no way that the animals and people of Beaufort knew what was coming for them when Robyn planted roots here. With Robyn officially retiring this past year, she truly has never stopped her impressive work ethic. She still manages her own business via voice work and is a one-person operation for The Giving Gang, which is one hundred percent all volunteer work on her end.
The Giving Gang is an organization for anyone that loves animals and wants to help animals in need. Robyn collects donations daily and takes all of the donations she’s collected to the local animal shelters here in the Beaufort area at the end of every month. The Giving Gang’s Facebook lays out its organization’s mission and work: “The Giving Gang’s primary focus is to help support Palmetto Animal League (PAL) and Lovable Paws Rescue and Sanctuary (LPR) located here in Beaufort County. Our mission is to collect towels, blankets, sheets — anything that will serve as bedding. We also collect dog and cat food, Pill Pockets, pet treats, toys, and medications, as well as cleaning products: bleach, laundry detergent, Fabuloso cleaner, Dawn dish soap, trash bags, and paper towels. Of course, cash donations are always welcome, and EVERY single dollar goes directly to the shelter.” The Facebook page is the main form of communication, where Robyn and other Giving Gang members help spread the word about any need for our beloved Beaufort animals.
Robyn’s love for any and all animals is extraordinary and heartwarming, and this can be seen through the adoption of her dog, Jack. Jack is “one of the lucky ones,” states Robyn, as it is sadly very common for rescue dogs to come with traumatic pasts. He was initially rescued by an organization that specializes in rescuing severely abused dogs. Robyn saw a post about him on Facebook and adopted him just two weeks after being shot at point-blank range, leaving him to die. He lost his right eye and is deaf from the bullet damage; the bullet remains in his shoulder.
However, Jack is now enjoying a life full of walks, car rides, and healthy snacks! Robyn says, “you can’t spoil a fur baby with your love!” What a remarkable story of redemption and a true depiction of her heart for TGG.
Robyn’s work as a volunteer seems tireless. She picks up donations from Beaufort, Bluffton, Ridgeland, and Hilton Head, and is willing to go further if necessary. Her efforts are her way of giving back, and she is happy to donate her time and energy; this always has been and always will be how TGG operates. She is incredibly proud of all of the TGG donors and those who help her deliver truckloads of donations. She says, “It takes a village, and we have a mighty one!” Unfortunately, the need continues. Many dogs and cats in shelters are waiting for their forever families to show up. Until they find their forever home, the staff at the shelters are in constant need, so if you want to discover what that need is and feel led to help out in any way, you can join TGG’s Facebook page today. As Robyn says, literally anything helps, and it does the double duty of starting a chain reaction of service, or in other words — a gang of giving!
I asked Robyn if she had anything she wanted to add to the story. She said that you should never give away pets for free. This often leads to your pet being abused, tortured, or killed. If you must surrender or rehome, many shelters will take care to keep your pet safe while searching for a good home. Robyn also says that spaying or neutering your pet is important for reducing pet overpopulation. Be sure to look for free or reduced-fee clinics here in Beaufort County. Lastly, she says, if you witness animal cruelty, please report it. “See something, say something. It could save an animal’s life.”
An exciting moment for this rockstar volunteer was that this was the first year of hopefully many more where TGG was able to sponsor a vaccine clinic at LPR. This clinic was for pet parents who needed financial help with vaccinations for their dogs. LPR vaccinated 49 dogs and even sent some families home with free dog food. To add to the celebrations, Robyn hosted The Pawlidays Fundraiser this past Christmas on the TGG Facebook page and raised $2,400 to split between LPR and PAL.
Finally, Robyn hopes that The Giving Gang will resonate with others, all creating awareness and inspiring others to get active in their community. The moral of the story is her volunteering spirit can be captured in her own words: “It only takes one person to inspire change in their community.” She is truly a dog’s best friend in every way.
