JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

The woman who was known to many simply by her first name – Gerdy – and for her love and dedication to animals, was posthumously honoured in Kirkland earlier this month when a dog park at Parc des Bénévoles was named in her memory.

“It was a great event,” said Jayne Heitmeyer, a board member and long-time volunteer for Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and finding homes for dogs and cats.

“Gerdy would have been very proud (and) very honoured,” Heitmeyer said.

Gerdy Cox-Gouron, who died in February 2023 at age 80, left a legacy in the community as someone who showed a passionate dedication when it came to caring for animals.

Having founded the rescue in 2004, Cox-Gouron and a team of volunteers have fostered, cared for and found new homes for thousands of dogs and cats – a mission that the rescue continues today.

The city of Kirkland decided to honour her legacy because many of Gerdy’s animals have found homes in the municipality, Heitmeyer said in an interview.

 “Many of her rescues were adopted by a large number of families throughout Kirkland over many years,” she said.

Cox-Gouron’s selflessness when it came to caring for these animals was a true example of altruism, said Kirkland councillor Karen Cliffe, who had known Cox-Gouron through her time volunteering and fundraising for Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions

“She basically dedicated her entire life to saving animals,” Cliffe explained: “Of course we did fundraisers, but she would use her own money to save cats and dogs. She was a very rare person.”

One of Cliffe’s fondest memories of Cox-Gouron was the dedication she showed to a Rottweiler named Enzo a few years back.

A bacterial disease had left the 12-week-old puppy’s back legs paralyzed, requiring him to use a wheelchair designed for dogs. Rising veterinary bills forced Enzo’s owners to surrender him to the rescue.

Cox-Gouron would not give up on Enzo, Cliffe explained. She saw to it that the pup received special veterinary treatment, medications and physical therapy.

The Rottweiler went on to regain his mobility and was adopted at the age of 1. Enzo was among “Gerdy dogs” at the ceremony at the dog park Sept. 15.

“She was a tough cookie,” Cliffe said of Cox-Gouron: “She would not give up on an animal. She would just say ‘Let’s do it. Let’s take him. Let’s fix him.’”

Cox-Gouron discovered her passion for caring for animals at a very young age.

“The first thing she remembered was trying to save a cat,” Heitmeyer explained. “And she never stopped.”

Today, Gerdy’s Rescue, through a dedicated team of volunteers, cares for between 25 to 30 animals at a time.

“It was Gerdy’s wish that the work continue,” said a member of the group’s board of directors, Larry Day. “And we felt that the best way to do that was to continue the rescue as she would like it to have been. So that’s what we’ve done.”

Cutline:

Marilyn Gelfand, a member of the board of directors of Gerdy’s Rescues, unveils plaque along with Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson.

Credit:

Courtesy of Gerdy’s Rescue