Susan's Fund

On August 1st, Lincoln County lost one of its most dedicated animal welfare advocates when Susan Hillen Larsen succumbed to pancreatic cancer. It is not an exaggeration to say that Susan saved thousands of animals single-handedly. Her extraordinary impact was felt through her work with our local spay-neuter program, which she spear-headed with amazing dedication and integrity. As a longtime member of the aviation community, she used her bonus miles not for extravagant vacations but to shuttle animals in need to rescues in other states. Her weekends were spent at animal adoption events. She would devote a whole Saturday of her free time if it meant one dog found its forever home and got out of the shelter. When she came upon an animal in distress, she stopped and helped. She donated thousands of dollars of her hard-earned money to help pay for the medical bills of dogs she never even met. When an animal needed to be transported from the shelter in order to find a better life, she signed up to make the drive. She was relentlessly dedicated to doing the right thing for animals.

Her tremendous legacy of service in Lincoln County is being memorialized with a fund that will honor her work for years to come. Spay/neuter was Susan’s passion, so the community of animal advocates who worked with Susan knew this new fund should be dedicated to ensuring that families in our area who want to spay or neuter their pets have access to those services. Susan’s Fund, which will ultimately be managed by Lincoln County Animal Services, will ensure that 100% of the donated money stays in the county. The fund will be supported each year by an annual event that will keep Susan’s legacy alive in perpetuity. A preliminary committee has been established to manage the fund and plan future fundraising efforts.

If you are in a position to contribute, send your donation through PayPal Friends and Family to [email protected]. Please add a message of support or thanks for Susan’s work, as the committee organizing the fund will use these encouraging words at the first annual event. If you cannot donate, please do something kind for an animal in Susan’s honor. Her passing leaves a significant void in Lincoln County, but there is hope that through the work of Susan’s Fund, a new generation of servant leaders will be inspired to volunteer and carry her work forward.

Dr. Ashley Oliphant
Denver, N.C.