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When I got a call from The Lincoln County News to ask if I would write for the Pet Page, I had to take a moment. I would not, could not replace Kelly Patton Brook, the beloved author of “All Four Feet.”
I could no sooner replace the column than I could replace Kelly, who passed away, too suddenly for all those who loved her, in mid-September.
Kelly was equal parts fire, passion, sassiness, hardheadedness, and gentleness, kindness, talent, quick wit, and loyalty. But above all else, Kelly personified compassion. She had a gift of drawing in readers like no other, and I know she is the reason many walked into the Lincoln County Animal Shelter to inquire about a featured dog, cat, or bunny from Kelly’s column.
I met Kelly nearly a dozen years ago as we were first opening The Animal House, back when we were operating it on the first floor of our home in Newcastle. Kel and her late husband, Sandy, were some of our first clients in the early days.
We bonded after we adopted Molly, a senior hound dog who had a very difficult life before she came to us. Kelly loved a good senior rescue story. Her own home was filled with dogs and cats who came from similar circumstances to those Molly had come from.
Kelly adopted those who needed her the most. That was her way. She was a board member of the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, but she was more than that, as was evident in her column for the Pet Page. She was a champion to not just the shelter animals, but all animals and nature.
I was fortunate to visit with Kelly about a week before she died. She was 80 years old, but she was one of those people you thought would always be here. Her energy was electric. Though she was declining when I saw her, we spent two hours talking about everything – art, family, work, our community – but in the end, her last thoughts were on the animals. Always the animals.
With that in mind, I had an idea after I learned of her passing. The Animal House, in conjunction with the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, has created the Kelly Brook Senior Fund. The idea behind it is to make a senior dog or cat more “adoptable” and to make their stay at the shelter more comfortable. We have partnered with several companies for food, supplements, and remedies, all geared toward helping keep these seniors as healthy as possible as they await their forever homes.
We have also created a fund to offset the adoption fee for senior pets, in the hopes that it will encourage people to consider giving a forever home to those who are some of the least likely to be adopted.
November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and we thought it was the perfect time to kick off fundraising for the Kelly Brook Senior Fund. We will be collecting any monetary donations at The Animal House through the end of November, or one can send a donation in any time directly to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter. As an added bonus, an anonymous, generous benefactor has already agreed to match up to $2,500.
I think Kelly would be pleased. I have never met anyone quite like her, and I am very certain I never will again. But her good works will be her legacy, and I hope to honor her in any way I can so we can continue her mission.
My name is Aubrey Martin. I am the president of The Animal House. I am a wife and mother, business owner, advocate, and now, for as long as they will have me, a part-time author. I was also very fortunate to be Kelly’s friend. Our commitment at The Animal House is to continue the legacy she left us: to love all things, great and small, to protect and nurture them, to give them a voice. Kelly’s voice was strong, is strong, and will continue for as long as we listen.
My future columns for The Lincoln County News will include news about adoption events, fundraisers for area shelters and rescues, and general animal musings. And though I could never fill Kelly’s shoes, I hope to make her proud.
