The Switzerland County Animal Shelter officially opened last month, and with an abundance of animals waiting on a good home, representatives of the county and the shelter paused for a moment on Saturday morning to officially honor a lady who played a large role in making the shelter a reality – Hazel Danglade.
The long time resident of Switzerland County passed away on August 30th, 2003, but remembered the plight of her beloved animals in her estate. In honor of her dog, “Iky”, Hazel Danglade left the county a gift of $20,000 in her will, asking that the funds be directed toward the construction of a county animal shelter.
After leaving the funds in a special account since 2003, the Switzerland County Commissioners and Council made sure that when the new shelter began being constructed, Hazel Danglade’s money played a role in it.
“All of Hazel’s money was used directly to help pay for construction costs,” county auditor Rachel Bladen said. “Her wishes were followed and it helped this county have the animal shelter that it has.”
On Saturday, county officials and members of Hazel Danglade’s family braved the winter storm to come to the shelter for the unveiling of a plaque on the front of the building honoring Hazel Danglade.
Representing Hazel Danglade’s family were nephew James Danglade and great-nephew John Danglade.
“It was Aunt Hazel’s wish that this would be where the money would go,” James Danglade said as he looked around the new shelter. “Anybody who cares for and loves animals is fine with us.”
Along with Hazel Danglade’s donation, funds for the shelter also came from the Community Foundation of Switzerland County and the Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation. The county commissioners have also budgeted $75,000 for next year to cover salaries and expenses for the shelter, which is operated by Terry Scudder and Keli Hall.
At Saturday’s ceremony, County Commission president Craig Bond also announced that the county has established an endowment earmarked to help with the operation of the shelter into the future. That endowment, carrying an initial gift of $10,000 has been made in the Community Foundation of Switzerland County. It was also noted that the fund is tax deductible, so anyone can make contributions to help support the shelter into the fund.