PARIS — Construction of a pavilion named for a longtime champion of homeless dogs is underway at the Responsible Pet Care animal shelter.
“It will be named for Jackie Stoutamyer, who lived and worked locally. She was a champion for dogs and her passion for them was lifelong,” shelter President Shirley Boyce said. “She saw the good things that Responsible Pet Care could do for homeless dogs in this area and was a huge supporter from the very start of Responsible Pet Care.”
Stoutamyer, of Paris, passed away at the age of 63 on Sept. 17, 2013.
Responsible Pet Care is a no-kill, nonprofit shelter and adoption center for cats and dogs. It was established in 1997 by a small group of people who recognized the plight of unwanted cats in the Oxford Hills region.
The founding group pooled its money to purchase property on Route 118 in Norway. The shelter was expanded for dogs and in 2013 moved to a 5,600-square-foot building at 9 Swallow Road in Paris.
Stoutamyer was quick to take up the rally when a local dog shelter closed in 2011 and Responsible Pet Care began to take in dogs. She wrote a letter to the Sun Journal asking readers for help in a new group she helped form to assist the group with the sheltering of dogs.
“Many people do not know this, as RPC is primarily a cat shelter,” she wrote. “They do an outstanding service with not much money and rely on their dedicated volunteers. Taking on the care of dogs has meant more work, and RPC needs our help.”
Boyce said Stoutamyer connected with the dogs, particularly with one that came to the shelter with extensive medical needs after being pierced with quills.
The pavilion will provide a covered area so dogs can go outside no matter the weather conditions.
“It will have lighting and ceiling fans also, so that it may be used in the evening when it is dark and the fans will help cool the dogs when it is hot out,” Boyce said.
The pavilion is funded by donations made in Stoutamyer’s memory, a grant from the Narragansett Number One Foundation, proceeds of the Responsible Pet Care Fun Dog Day, as well as in-kind donations from Austin Home Builders, The Poland Corp., Bancroft Contracting, J. Boyce Builders, Mike MacGregor, John Scangas and Olmstead Foundations.
ldixon@sunjournal.com
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- A pavilion for dogs is under construction at Responsible Pet Care shelter on Swallow Road in Paris. Lights and ceiling fans will allow dogs to be taken out when it’s dark and cooled off when it’s hot.
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