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George Paulionis (March 24, 1950 to March 8, 2003) with Buckwheat |
How devoted George was towards animals, not just his own, can be illustrated by the following story.
About ten years ago George was cycling along an old rail trail in SW Ontario with his cousin and a lost dog followed the pair of bicycles persistently. Eventually George realized the dog's distress, changed his afternoon plans somewhat, took it to a local veterinarian/shelter and paid for the dog's upkeep beyond the basic short time it would have been kept by the small rural shelter. George paid for the upkeep of the dog out of his own pocket. Sure enough, within about a week after the normal 'expiry' period, the owner came forward and retrieved their dog. Had George not intervened on the trail that day, weeks prior, the fate of the animal may not have had such a happy ending. That was just one of George's acts as a good Samaritan.
Throughout his life growing up in Delhi, Tillsonburg, London, Sarnia and the surrounding area of southwestern Ontario, George always had a dog. He was devoted to them all and of course they all loved their master. George died suddenly on March 8, 2003. His concern for animals and pets carried through to his last will and testament and he left the Humane Society of Canada a significant contribution so that this organization can continue to care for animals that depend on us for our humanity and decency - towards all our fellow creatures. It has been said that a society can be judged on how it treats its weakest members. If that is the case, then people like George should never be in short supply. I know because I cycled that trail with him, and many others.
