Joanne Yohannan, NSALA’s senior vice president of operations, said that “Because of Mike, the lives of thousands of animals that otherwise would have been euthanized elsewhere were sent safely to permanent and loving homes. His gentle touch and soft demeanor will be missed by everyone at the League. We mourn the loss of this strong animal advocate.”

Mary shared Mike’s love of animals, especially those that needed it most. They adopted Abbey, a three-legged dog, from NSALA 12 years ago.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in September 2005, Malloy was one of those who came to the rescue of the thousands of now displaced dogs and cats. He and other animal rescuers set up camp in Tylertown, Mississippi, at the site of the New Orleans Humane Society, and created an emergency triage area to evaluate the animals. He stayed there for 10 days. 

One-thousand-four-hundred dogs were eventually brought back to Port Washington and were kept on hold at the shelter for several months in case a dog’s owner wanted to claim their pet. In November of 2012, just weeks after Hurricane Sandy hit the East coast, Malloy, through the NSALA, led a local effort in his hometown to bring dog and cat food and supplies to families in East Rockaway and Bay Park. Featured in “Pets need post-Sandy help, too,” part of the award-winning Herald series South Shore Rising, Malloy told residents who were shy about taking the free food that “it’s just one less thing you have to worry about.”

Mike was famous, many said inspiring, for his expertise with dogs. He was quoted in magazine articles, including Scholastic’s “A Dog’s Life, the Autobiography of a Stray,” read in elementary schools around the country. Beth Stern, wife of celebrity radio disc jockey Howard Stern and a spokeswoman for NSALA, quoted Malloy in her pet training manual “Oh My Dog.”

“For the past 10 years, I’ve had the honor of working with Mike,” Beth said. “Together, we rescued animals and promoted their adoption. Our mutual love of animals, especially the adult and special needs dogs and cats, bonded us closely. We lost my hero and friend too soon ... [he was] a hero to all of the animals whose lives were saved because of his tireless efforts. I will miss him dearly.”