Picture taken at RPC left to right: Mitch Shaw with one of the lovable canines up for adoption, Deb Partridge, George Rice, and Peter Kaurup

PARIS — The Oxford Hills Rotary Club is donating funds and labor to Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills in memory of fellow Rotarian Jay ‘Bird’ Partridge. Oxford Hills Rotary Co-President Peter Kaurup and Director George Rice presented a $1,000 check to Responsible Pet Care’s Director Mitch Shaw in memory of Jay Partridge, a 15-plus year member of the Oxford Hills Rotary Club, who passed away on June 4.

The funds and volunteer labor will go toward building ‘Jay’s Shade’, an 8×12 structure with a hip roof, composite decking, and two benches.  It will provide shade for the dogs and their helpers inside the dog play yard. Jay was a life-long lover of all animals, with German Shepherds being his all-time favorite.

Rotary is an international club and local community leader made up of men and women who provide hands-on and financial support to our region and beyond. Their motto is ‘Service Above Self’. To find out how you can join and enjoy the fellowship of this group, go to oxfordhillsrotary.org.

Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills provides services and a safe, compassionate animal shelter to many area towns. They also partner with international locations to help homeless canines find a new home. RPC is located at 9 Swallow Road in South Paris. If you would like to assist with the funding of “Jay’s Shade”, go to: responsiblepetcare.org. Our goal is to raise $3,000 for materials, signage, and a plaque for Jay’s Shade, and another $3,000 for a bank of cat cages.

Jim Boyce of Boyce J Builders Inc. has already started construction on the building. We will hold a public ribbon-cutting event for Jay’s Shade when it is completed.