It is tough to loose someone you love. Our mother recently passed away. It was a sudden and unexpected loss. As we were trying to make arrangements for a memorial service, one of my sisters suggested that instead of flowers, people should donate the money to one of our mom's favorite organizations, Best Friends.
Our mom, Allene, loved animals. Growing up we always had pets around. We've had dogs and cats and horses and birds. Allene loved horses and had a favorite she named Indiana Jones. She always had a dog with her throughout her life. One of her favorites was a poodle named Easter. Her last house dog was a Chihauhau named Lexi. In this latter part of her life she wasn't sure if she could handle another house dog so she "dog sat" my niece's dog, Elsa, during the day while my niece was at work. It made her happy to have the dog around and sitting on her lap. She always blamed the dog for taking up too much of her time so she couldn't get anything done, but we all knew she just liked spending time with Elsa. Allene also had an African Gray parrot named Arrow. He's an incredible bird. Mom loved the little comments he made throughout the day, whether they were appropriate or, as was more common, inappropriate. Arrow is now a companion for our dad as something to take care of and talk to with, of course, probably rude responses.
Mom often talked about getting another horse, not to ride but just to have, to feed, to pet, and to watch. She also thought about getting pigeons again. Her and dad used to have a lot of pigeons and they loved to let them loose in the mornings to watch them fly. It was a beautiful sight. Of course those ideas are now gone and there will be no more pets for her to love and spoil. But there are still pets out there that could find a home like ours where they are part of the family.
Allene sent what money she could to Best Friends. She thought it was a worthwhile cause because they took in all kinds of animals. She enjoyed the stories about the animals and often commented on them, especially if one of them found a good home. It made her happy knowing that some animal she would never see found a place to be cared for and loved. She believed in what the organization was doing and that is why my sisters and I decided to do this fund in her memory.
From me, Todd Reynolds, and my sisters, Tammy Milburn, Shelly Maphies, and Sheila Reynolds, we thank you for your support of the cause and taking the time to read about our mom and maybe reflect on your own pets and how they bring joy into your life.
"Since it was founded in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society has helped reduce the number of dogs and cats killed in shelters nationwide from 17 million per year to about 800,000. That's incredible progress, but it means nearly 2,200 dogs and cats are still being killed in America's shelters every day, simply because they don't have safe places to call home. That number should be zero. And if we work together, it can be."