Death of longtime furry friend prompts Safety Harbor man to help other animals

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. (FOX 13) - A dog owner is honoring the memory of his beloved furry friend in a very special way.

Kris Rotonda cherishes the time he spends with his dogs, Kobe and Coco. But he misses his best friend, Jordan.

"She was with me for 11 years," said Kris. "She was the best thing that ever happen to me."

Kris got Jordan from a shelter. She died last year from cancer and Kris wanted to honor her memory.

He's doing that through Jordan's Way, a grassroots effort to gather food for needy animal shelters.

"[She was] the sweetest dog in the world and when I lost her, I made a promise to her that I would feed shelters... all around the world."

This past Christmas he visited more than 100 shelters in Florida and donated 550 pounds of food.

"Jordan, the way she changed me to be an unselfish, generous person. I think it's a perfect fit for me to kind of take charge of this after she passed," he explained.

Kris has big plans for his non-profit organization.

"I hope to be like the make a Wish Foundation for pets for shelters," he said.

Jordan left a profound impact on Kris's life. "I got other dogs, too, and they are fantastic but that one left a mark," Kris said.

For more about Jordan's Way and how to help, visit www.facebook.com/jordanswaycampaign.