Mary Merrell 09/18/51 - May 7, 2009

Mary was a devoted volunteer for KPETS, helping expand our group from mostly Lancaster into the York area.

For years, Mary would assist Karen doing Orientations in Lancaster every other month, introducing potential volunteers to the organization. She then set up doing orientations in York area on the other months of the year - First doing the presentations on her own and then recruiting volunteers to assist her. Pet visits in that area are continuing to grow because of the seed she started.

As if that were not enough, Mary would travel to Lancaster twice a month to run pre-assessment sessions with Wendy McKelvy. She and Wendy easily have screened one hundred dogs during their years of pre-assessing.

Mary also pursued branching out the types of visits we did. Getting the dogs into York Hospitals was no easy task, but she did it!  There were constant reports of the differences these pet therapy visits made in the patients lives during their hospital stays.

Mary STILL didn't stop there. She would staff our booths at various events near and far. She and her husband Eddie were essential "worker bees" (as Adella would put it) during the Bow Wow Brown Bag Bingo events. We could go on and on.

Mary was not finished here on this earth, but I guess heaven needed this angel there more. Mary, we love you and miss you tremendously. Thank you for all your love, commitment, enthusiasm, morals, ethics, and faithful service to KPETS and the blessing you’ve been in lives you touched over the years.

Merrell Foundation: The family was in the process of filing for a tax-exemption foundation when Mary passed away, so the foundation is not set up yet. The purpose is to assist Berner rescue by having funds to purchase those dogs we get calls for that are in horrific conditions at Amish/Mennonite farms or have health problems and the farmer wants to "get rid of it" but still is charging a fee. Dogs would only be purchased when it is obvious it would be a problem for a future owner. Our club doesn't allow us to purchase dogs. My rescue Rudy is one of those dogs. Mary got a call from a club member about a farmer in Annville that had a 4 month old that he wanted to get rid of...could rescue do anything? Mary visited the farmer under the guise of wanting to buy him, but was trying to get him to lower the price to $200, which he wouldn't do (wanted $450). Rudy was unsocialized, living in a barn, not allowed near the kids, constantly smacked in the head for puppy behavior, etc. Mary knew he was going to be a problem for some future owner so she went home and rallied some funds on the side. When she called back, the pup was gone. Sure enough, two months later, she got a call from someone in the Elizabethtown area looking to rehome their six month old pup because of digestion issues they didn't have the time or resources to take care of. We met them at the event we did at Pet HQ...it was the same dog. Rudy has been with me ever since. Please pass this info on if you would like. Below is the posting from Pat Long, who will be collecting the funds. It hasn't been set up formally yet, all of us have been focused on Mary exclusively. But for now donations can be sent payable to me with Merrell Foundation in the memo line. As soon as it has its own bank account, I’ll transfer the funds to that. And thank you! Pat Long 1164 Old Lancaster Road Berwyn PA 19312