CAROLYN ALAINE SMITH
April 22, 1966 - September 14, 2010

Loving daughter, sister, aunt, godmother, stepmother, friend, and lover of all animals large and small. Carolyn Alaine Smith was born in Halifax, April 22nd, 1966 and from the time she was a youngster knew that helping others in need would be her calling in life. Carolyn studied at NSCC and became a Certified Nursing Assistant, and after having spent most of her young life living on the Eastern Shore she moved to the South Shore upon graduation to take employment in her field at the Roseway Hospital in Shelburne. Carolyn called Shelburne her home for 24 years and was devoted to caring for both people and animals. She was particularly passionate about animal welfare and never missed an opportunity to advocate on their behalf.

To the delight of her family, Carolyn returned to Dartmouth on August 4th , 2010 to be close to them and to be closer to the medical care she required to deal with her chronic pain. Sadly and unexpectedly, Carolyn passed away on September 14th at the young age of 44 from an aneurysm that had gone undiagnosed. Ironically, Carolyn said to her sister, shortly before she passed, that if anything were to ever happen to her that she would like her family to continue helping animals in need, especially those in the Shelburne area. Carolyn’s mother Gail, father, Bernie, sister Cathie, and brother Randy, in Carolyn’s memory and to honor her wishes, have made a significant donation to PET Projects, which will help spay and neuter many animals in the Shelburne area.

Carolyn, at a very young age, displayed a unique attachment to animals and often said that animals would never let you down – she felt safe with them. Growing up, Carolyn had pet rabbits, hamsters, goldfish, a cat and many dogs along the way. In fact, her family remembers that when she was about 8 years old her goldfish died but Carolyn refused to believe it and stayed up all night poking it with a stick hoping to bring him back to life. Her mom fondly remembers a time when Carolyn brought home a special gift for her after being at a family picnic, a ladybug on a stick that had made the long car ride home.

After moving to Shelburne as a young adult, Carolyn became exceptionally attached to her best friend, her cat, a stray who she named Lucky after she rescued her from near starvation. Carolyn brought her back to health and often referred to her as her“Hollywood cat” who, like any good friend would, stuck with her through good and bad times until Lucky died at a good old age. Carolyn then found a stray kitten in a local graveyard that she took in and made her own calling her Angel. Carolyn also had three generations of beagles, Sasha May, Gizmo and Daisy May. In fact, Carolyn helped Gizmo birth Daisy and two of Daisy’s siblings. Carolyn was very attached to Daisy and was grief-stricken when she had to leave her behind in Shelburne but Carolyn knew that it was in the best interests of Daisy to let her stay with her mother Gizmo and grandmother Sasha – Carolyn always put the needs of her animals ahead of her own.

Carolyn rescued many cats and kittens over the years, found homes for some of them and even paid for spaying and neutering others before returning them to their colonies. Carolyn had a special way with all animals and found great pleasure in watching the deer that came to feed in her backyard, birds that delighted in her trees and splashed in her babbling brook and even toads that made her front door-step a stopping point each evening. Carolyn would even leave her light on so there would be plenty of bugs for them to feed on. There’s no question that all God’s creatures felt safe and welcomed around Carolyn too!

Please remember Carolyn, and continue the vision and mission of Beulah Burman and help support PET Projects in carrying out their dream of helping one animal at a time. Be a responsible pet owner, and help spread the word to spay and neuter! We have to protect those that can’t protect themselves; please do your part and do the right thing!