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08/09/2017 08:30 AMIn a year when the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter rocketed to international recognition with the riveting story of a rescued pup named Hope, Melodie Lane O’Connor hopes to see big numbers of two-legged and four-legged walkers fill Woofwalk for Hope. The fun shelter fundraiser steps off from Branford Town Green this Saturday, Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. just ahead of the shelter’s all-day Woofstock fundraiser from noon to 6 p.m. on the Green.
“The community—the world, actually—has just embraced making sure Hope gets the care she needs, and obviously, she has,” says Melodie, now in her third-year co-chairing the walk with shelter volunteer Susan Kornguth. “So we thought in honor of Hope, and all she’s done to get the word out on what some people do to dogs, and the great things the shelter’s doing, this year’s walk had to be Woofwalk for Hope.”
In March, Hope was a starving, abandoned dog found in Branford just days from death. As Dan Cosgrove Shelter Director Laura Burban spurred efforts to raise funds for medical care and attention required to save her, news of the dog’s plight went viral. As Hope recovered, her story also helped to raise awareness about the serious issue of abandonment and animal abuse, and the need to strengthen laws against offenders.
As the loving mom of three dogs (Mattie, Max and Murphy; the latter two both rescues), Melodie feels privileged to serve as a member of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Commission. The commission helps oversee and support the municipal shelter, which serves the towns of Branford and North Branford.
A Branford resident of about six years with her husband, Curtis O’Connor, Melodie began ramping up shelter support efforts as a volunteer by helping with programs such as Animal Awareness Day. In 2014, she retired from a 30-year career with Estee Lauder Companies, for which served as a division vice president of global education, and took her support of the shelter to the next level.
“There was no adjustment from retirement, because I jumped right in,” says Melodie, who also volunteers monthly with Smilow Cancer Hospital, offering two-hour skin care and make up clinics to groups of female patients.
In Branford, “The first thing I did was the [shelter’s] Animal Camp, because I knew I loved animals. So I became a camp counselor for about three weeks,” says Melodie.
When a seat on the shelter commission opened, Melodie was thrilled to be asked to join.
“It’s a nice group of commissioners. We do a lot of fundraisers, so it’s rolling up your sleeves at the Pasta Dinner to wait tables, whatever it takes,” she says.
As part of her effort to support Woofwalk and Woofstock, Melodie is promoting the day’s Paw Prints program. For a $100 donation, a commemorative 24” x 24” paw print with the name of a beloved pet, grand-pet, or other four-legged friend deserving recognition, will be painted and remain for several months on the driveway leading to the Cosgrove Shelter at 749 East Main Street, Branford. Prints can be ordered by calling the shelter at 203-315-4125.
Melodie notes there aren’t too many towns with municipal shelters that can rely on rallying volunteers and the community for support.
“I’m blown away by the volunteers,” says Melodie. “We have an amazing number of them, and many very loyal, long-term volunteers. To do that, you have able to dedicate time and energy to something you really have to love, and have a passion for it, [like] my co-chair, Susan Kornguth. She and her daughters were [past] shelter Volunteers of the Year.”
Volunteers will once again staff this year’s Woofwalk, as well as Woofstock. The live music festival on the Branford Green draws hundreds for a day of “peace and music” to benefit Cosgrove Animal Shelter.
“The day brings in a lot of people from Branford, and from all over. It’s a really fun day,” says Melodie.
Woofwalk for Hope walk participants can join the fun by signing up in advance at www.woofstockonthebranfordgreen.org/woofwalk or register day-of at 10 a.m. Each $25 registration donation goes to the shelter’s fund for surgeries, medicines, and special diet food (registrants also receive a walk T-shirt). The two-mile walk takes off from Town Hall Drive to a midway Watering Station point at Stony Creek Brewery before heading back to the Green. Melodie mans the watering station and says it’s a fun pit stop for humans and dogs alike.
“We have [kiddee] swimming pools for the dogs and water bowls set up, and bottles of water for the humans,” says Melodie. “Stony Creek Brewery allows us to use part of their parking lot—they’re dog people and wonderful community people.”
Once Woofwalk for Hope arrives back at the Town Green, Woofstock kicks off at noon and runs ‘til 6 p.m. As co-chair of Woofwalk for Hope, Melodie is excited to share the news that Hope, herself, is planning to make an appearance on the Woofstock main stage later in the afternoon, at 4 p.m.
The all-day festival welcomes a $5 suggested admission donation as well as any contributions of shelter donation wish list items. It’s the largest annual fundraiser to benefit Cosgrove Animal Shelter. The event brings in food trucks, a children’s area, and goods and services vendor booths and includes a Hippie Dog Costume Contest and goods and services raffle. The festival’s musical talent includes live performances by the Elegant Primates, Chewy and the Grateful Friends, DynaMojo, and Hit List. More information is available at www.woofstockonthebranfordgreen.org.
For her part, Melodie will join her co-commissioners and volunteers in the Dan Cosgrove Shelter booth, selling festival T-shirts and greeting friends and fellow animal lovers from the community. The New Jersey native says she’s grateful to have Branford as her hometown. She also serves on the Branford Community Foundation board and the Pine Orchard Union Chapel board.
“I love Branford,” says Melodie. “I grew up in a town probably about same size as Branford, maybe a little bit smaller. When I retired, I decided I wanted to get involved and do as much as possible, and I kind of whittled that down to what my love was,” says Melodie. “I’ve found this town has such a community feeling, and I just love the fact that there’s so much to do, and you can choose to get as involved as you’d like.”