by Eliana Aubin
 |
| Lorena and her daughter, Sophia |
49 years old Lorena
passed away suddenly very recently. She was a remarkable individual, with a
zest for clean and healthy living and a passion for animals that everyone who
knew her well respected and admired her for. Lorena became actively involved with the
Sierra County Humane Society in 1990, while she was finishing her college
education in Las Cruces, NM. That’s when she decided that she could help make a
real difference for companion animals by doing her part as we were getting an animal
welfare organization off the ground amidst strong opposition from uninformed
and narrow-minded local folks.
As one of
its very first Life Members, Lorena started helping out with a number of
fundraising events, such as the organization’s Annual Have-a-Heart dinner
dances, also its gigantic semi-yearly yard sales, among others. Soon after Paws
& Claws Thrift Shoppe had opened for business in 1997, she made a point to
help out in any way she could there, as she was starting to make a living while
raising her small baby girl as a new single mom. She started and developed an internet store to
benefit the organization, utilizing some of the most unique and searched-after items
donated at the store.
At some time, Lorena relocated
to North Carolina with her beloved young daughter, to take advantage of a
career opportunity not available locally. Still, she stayed involved in our
animal welfare organization, always there to help out, this time as a member of
the Advisory Board. Lorena’s life was
cut short at the peak of her career and of her life, but her memory will live
on forever.
To honor this remarkable individual whose passion for animals was overshadowed
only by her passion for her little girl and her determination to live a life
that truly mattered, Lorena’s family is inviting those whose lives she touched to
make a donations to Desert Haven Animal Refuge, the sanctuary that Lorena helped
get off the ground and then made a point to involve her very young daughter
Sophia in supporting it and making it an integral part of their lives over the
years.
Desert Haven is open to
visitors every Tuesday, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Contact us at 575-894-2639 and weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at
www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/PawsnClawsThriftShoppe. We can also
be reached at PO Box 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.
