Special Funds
Ollie Baxter Memorial Fund

Ollie was a bright-eyed Labradoodle, not quite one year old when he was attacked by multiple dogs at a pet daycare facility in October 2020. Ollie sustained serious injuries and underwent multiple surgeries requiring administering 28 pills a day for 2 months and round-the-clock care. Sadly, Ollie passed away the following month when he was unable to recover from his injuries.
His family, Amy Baxter and her daughter Isabel Baxter-Paris, were shattered by their loss and wanted something positive to come from Ollie’s tragedy. It was then that the Ollie Baxter Memorial Fund was established to have Ollie’s life and legacy make a meaningful difference for other pets in need of medical care. Gifts made to Ollie’s Fund help local pets receive the same quality care that Ollie received when he needed it most. These gifts underwrite the cost of medical services and treatment at Dakin Humane Society. As affordable and accessible pet care becomes a growing challenge, Ollie’s Fund will help animals find the care and treatment they need and avoid the emotional distress of having to choose between their pet’s health and other sacrifices.
Amy and Isabel believe, like Dakin, that everyone deserves to experience the joy an animal can bring into our lives. Anyone can find themselves in a challenging situation and Ollie’s Fund was established to lessen the burden. It is not up to anyone to judge who is or isn’t an appropriate pet guardian. Sharing one’s life with a pet is not a privilege defined by economic factors that dictate who can have pets and who cannot. This is the legacy that Ollie Baxter’s life will carry - one of helping other pets in need so that they can remain a part of their family.
Buddy Fund

Pat's Cats Feline Success Fund

Pat’s Cats Feline Success Fund was established to honor Patricia Ford Yurkunas, Dakin’s former Director of Development and Marketing, who passed away in 2015. Yurkunas was an avid animal lover and especially fond of the cats and kittens who arrived at Dakin. In addition to her regular duties, she spent considerable time caring for cats and adopted several into her home. Pat’s Cats Feline Success Fund provides the funds needed to ensure each cat and kitten that comes to us receives the best care possible. This ranges from medical treatment, living spaces designed to reduce stress, and specialized care to meet each individual need of the cats in our care. This fund carries on Pat’s memory by helping to provide a safe space and quality care for cats and kittens. Your generous donation to Pat’s Cats Feline Success Fund will improve the lives of these animals by supporting innovative services including specialized behavioral support for shy or stressed cats and training and modification in partnership with The Jackson Galaxy Project's Cat Pawsitive Pro, spay/neuter services for pet cats and mother cats with litters, toys and enrichment equipment, and intensive medical care.
A special thank you to our Founding Supporters of Pat’s Cats Feline Success Fund who helped start this fund to honor a beloved friend:
Sheree and Paul Bloomberg, Jim and Marianne Gambaro, Diane Kolakoski, Joseph J. Lopez, Jan and Bernadette Piepul, Raising Change, Inc., Elise and Timothy Rice, Judy Smith
“I’ve known a lot of development professionals, but Pat stood out among them, primarily because of her unwavering commitment to Dakin’s values. No one could have loved animals more or been more committed to their welfare. Her work at Dakin was a passion. Her sense of humor, legendary.” – Marianne Gambaro
Grampy's Fund for Small Dog Medical Care

PET FOOD AID PROGRAM
When times are tough a person shouldn’t have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pet. Dakin’s Pet Food Aid Program was established to ensure that people facing temporary hardships have a place to turn when their dogs and cats need food and that families stay together. Working out of our Springfield Animal Resource Center and in partnership with human service agencies across the Pioneer Valley, the Pet Food Aid Program provides supplies of cat and dog food to those in need.
Your donation to the Pet Food Aid Program will help maintain lasting relationships between people and their pets in the communities we serve.
SPAY/NEUTER FUND
Dakin’s Community Spay/Neuter Clinic is the largest in New England, performing thousands of surgeries each year since it opened its doors in 2009. A valued resource in the Pioneer Valley, the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and supports the trap-neuter-return work of Dakin's Kitten Street Team and community cat caregivers.
Your gift to our Spay and Neuter Fund will help provide high-quality, affordable care to pets and people across Massachusetts and Connecticut.