“He always supported ACARF and we were blessed to have him in our community,” said Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF) Board President Dawn Murray.
She, of course, is speaking of the late Jim Smith of Iola.
Smith had a true love for all animals which translated into his generous giving and support to the organization throughout his lifetime. Upon his passing in October 2023, he blessed the organization with one final gift. “In his estate, he left his residence to ACARF,” said Murray. “We were beyond grateful for this extremely generous gift.”
The two-story, five bedroom, historical brick home that sits at the corner of Cottonwood Street and Madison Avenue recently sold for $150,000. In addition, items inside the residence were sold resulting in $10,000 in proceeds. All the funds from the two sales will go towards needs at ACARF.
“We are so thrilled — this money will help with several items that we’ve been working towards for quite a while,” said Murray. One such item is the completion of a new air conditioning and heating system. The facility has been in dire need of air conditioning during the hot summer months. The system is scheduled to be installed in late-September.
ACARF recently renovated some of their dog pens and put rocks down.
“This money will help us complete the remaining four pens,” added Murray. “The rock we have for that project was gifted to us by Nelson Quarry and we are very appreciative.”
Additionally, Murray hopes that the money can buy an additional pen that will be used for dogs that climb or dig. “It would be raised off the ground, with a roof and the ability to be easily moved,” she explained.
Another need to be addressed with the funds will be the installation of a patio for cats — a catio. Murray explained that a catio is essentially an outdoor enclosed patio with windows on three sides. The cats at the facility currently alternate between the designated “cat rooms” and the facility’s board room.
“The cat rooms have no windows or sunlight, so we switched them over to the board room which has windows for the cats to enjoy the sunlight and see outside,” Murray said. With the addition of a catio, the cats will have more opportunity for such excursions.
“We may even intall a bird feeder near it so the cat’s can enjoy some bird watching,” Murray added.
ACARF receives support via the county, donations, and endowment funds. Allen County Commissioners in July approved $24,000 for the local shelter by using funds received from the Prairie Queen Wind Farm. “We are so happy about the funding from the commission,” said Murray. “It’s going to help a lot.”
The Barbara and Herschel Perry Charitable Trust gave a sizable donation to ACARF to provide vouchers to pay for pets to be spayed or neutered. According to Murray, there are currently five cats or dogs per every one person in Allen County. This should be an easy fix, she says, with the generous gift from the Perry Trust. “Area rescues and shelters are constantly full, so we encourage people to take advantage of the voucher program,” she said.
The Raymond C. McIntosh Endowment Fund for Allen County Animal Rescue Facility also generously gives to the organization on an annual basis. The endowment, established in memory of Buffalo resident Raymond C. McIntosh, now stands at over $100,000.
Murray noted that Smith’s gift is just another example of his immense amount of pride in everything Iola and Allen County. In fact, he received Thrive’s “Unsung Hero” award in December 2021 for his dedication to the betterment of Iola.