These were ordinary people, some housewives, some professionals, some of meager means, some with a little more ability to offer financial support. They sat down and drafted a set of by-laws, found a family with a barn that was willing to be the “home” for the animals that were lost until the owners came to find them or new homes were found, and thus it began.
A lot of history, and over the last 60-plus years, a lot of dedicated individuals have lent their support to this cause. It has taken, as they say, a village to keep this dream and vision a reality, and I would certainly miss names if I tried to pay homage to all those who have dedicated their lives to the safety and welfare of our most precious and helpless creatures.
I do, however, want to talk about one past board member. Donald Scott. Donald if you didn’t know him, was a tall man with a large presence and a deep voice. Donald, if you didn’t know him, had the most tender spirit and kind heart of anybody I have ever known. Full of great ideas, and loving the animals, he not only dedicated his time to attending meetings and fundraisers, he also donated items to be sold at yard sales, he offered a shoulder to cry on when things weren’t perfect, and was a champion to the homeless.
Donald’s best friend was his beautiful wife Vera, and then his dog, and any time you would meet him he would tell you just how much he loved that dog, what a perfect dog she was and how many years of perfect companionship she gave him.
When Donald and his wife were in an accident last year, the dog was in the car with them and was badly injured. Sadly, she passed away shortly after and Don and Vera’s hearts were broken. As they began to recover from their injuries, I would receive regular calls from Don asking what we had at the shelter for dogs and we kept our eyes open for just the right pet for him.
Donald Scott passed away July 25, and we all feel as if we have lost a great friend. All of us on the board of directors just want to tell his family how much he meant to us, to the shelter, to the many animals he helped save, and to thank him, and his family, for his service and his dedication.
Being on the board is not just a “show up and vote” kind of an activity, being on the board is being part of a family, you share something with the others that is so strong and that you are so passionate about that you become a united front in your efforts to save those that you can. Donald Nelson Scott was 82 years old when he passed, he had the heart of a teenager, the heart of a lion, he was our friend and we will miss him.
