Nearly $3,000 given in donations to local, low-cost vet clinic in honor of Harold Dates
LOCKLAND, Ohio (WKRC) - The memory of a man who dedicated his life to helping animals lives on. Longtime SPCA director Harold Dates died in June, but his legacy is continuing to help all pet families.
Sixty-seven-pound Ozzy is in for his yearly check-up.
"He's a goof; he's smart, but he got like a big, dumb personality," said owner Michael Brauch.
Brauch is one of the 1,800 pet families who go to Pets in Need each year. The nonprofit veterinarian is the only resource of its kind in Greater Cincinnati. It serves families whose total household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
It was inside this Lockland building that, after spending 42 years employed at the SPCA, Dates chose to volunteer in his retirement.
"He was my sounding board pretty much for the last year-and-a-half and was very supportive of what we do because he realized that if we can get to these animals here, they're not going to be surrendered," said Pets in Need Director Ann Hill.
Hill says Dates was quietly behind the scenes doing what he did his whole life: changing the lives of people and their pets.
"He was planning to do more, and we miss him. We really do," said Hill.
That's why at his memorial service, the Dates family asked that donations be made to the organization. So far, nearly $3,000 has been given.
Pets in Need is putting that money into their Advanced Care Fund. That means dogs and cats who need special services, like surgery or dental needs, will get it thanks to the legacy of Dates.
"We see a lot of animals that are very sick or animals that have chronic conditions that need advanced care, and that can get expensive, so this money is really, really important," said Dr. Jack Walkenhorst.
The money keeps pets healthy and together with the families that care for them. For Brauch, who has three other dogs and a cat at home, the Lockland clinic is everything. He walked away with medication and only a $53 bill.
"Financially, it's been a godsend. Like I've said, I got multiple dogs, accumulated them through my kids," said Brauch.
He's training Ozzy to give to his granddaughter so she can experience the love of an animal -- something that won't be possible without Pets in Need.
Pets in Need is expanding. The plan is to break ground soon on a new surgery area.
