Mid-December, the Joseph and Marilyn Fraker Animal Care Fund celebrated a milestone – a grant for the Tiffany Dlesk Spay and Neuter Clinic marks over $54,000 directed to animal welfare since the fund’s inception in 2016. Joseph and Marilyn’s fund, held and administered by the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, shows that impact can happen beyond your lifetime.

Marilyn Fraker’s passion for animals was legendary, and she spent much of her life interested in the welfare of animals. This reputation spread throughout the New Martinsville community. According to her daughter Susan, people would often “joke that they wanted to return in their next life as a Fraker dog.” Her neighbors were encouraged to shelter stray dogs in the Fraker garage when the dogcatcher visited, providing temporary protection against the outside world.

Later, Marilyn became a founding member and president of the Wetzel County Humane Society, and her efforts on their behalf sometimes involved daring rescues. Her obituary notes “she occasionally rescued dogs from abusive owners by dog napping them in the dead of night.” Marilyn devoted much of her free time to the Humane Society, so her husband Joseph became her answering service. Although initially only tolerant of temporary garage shelters and nighttime dog nappings, once his four children left home, he became as bonded to the family dogs as Marilyn.

Joseph and Marilyn Fraker’s fund at the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley is a field of interest fund, which allows money to support local animal welfare organizations’ changing needs. The December grant allowed the Tiffany Dlesk Spay and Neuter Clinic to purchase a much-needed table and scale for surgery prep, allowing them to continue their outstanding work. As almost 22,000 patients can attest, the clinic is a vital resource for our community members and their four-legged friends.

The Joseph and Marilyn Fraker Animal Care Fund is more than a charitable conduit; it’s the testament of a couple’s life-long dedication to animals. It encourages others in the Ohio Valley community to consider creating their own legacy through similar funds. The Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley can help guide you through the process – learn more and contact us today.

“The earliest family dog I can remember was Tigger who had a litter of puppies when I was about 5 and my brother Tom was three. Tom and I put them in a wagon and hauled them around the neighborhood trying to give them away. I don’t remember how successful we were but I do know that none of our other dogs ever had puppies. After that first litter my mother became a believer in spaying or neutering all dogs and cats…”

Susan Fraker, speaking about her mother, Marilyn Fraker (shown left)