Just Folks
Denise Fairchild of Sallisaw is a man’s best friend’s ‘best friend.’
Denise Fairchild
Denise Fairchild of Sallisaw is a man’s best friend’s ‘best friend.’
Fairchild spends most of her time volunteering for the Sallisaw Animal Care facility by feeding, walking and taking care of the dogs not to mention the nurturing she provides for the animals brought to the facility.
Fairchild has served an average of 135 hours of work at the facility since August when she began volunteering which includes walking the dogs from 15 to 17 miles a day on average.
“Dogs are my passion,” Fairchild said. “I just love my dogs. Dogs have great big hearts and they can love a person unconditionally regardless of how they were treated because they are very forgiving animals. Sometimes when the dogs come to the facility, they’ve been through a lot and might have been abused or just left on their own. They’re scared and most just want love and attention. After awhile and once they get used to someone, they begin to change and it’s an amazing turn-around for them.”
Fairchild, who comes to the facility two, sometimes three days a week, said she walks from 16 to 23 dogs, and sometimes the puppies too, each time she’s there.
“I emphasize to people this is an ‘animal care’ facility and not a shelter. Here they’re cared for,” she said. “The people here do a great job in taking care of them.”
Fairchild is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., and has been a resident of Sequoyah County since 1979.
“We were just passing through here on our way to visit a friend in Mountainburg, Ark., and my husband, Cliff, hated LA so we stopped in Sallisaw, looked around, found a house and moved here. It was that quick. We’ve been here ever since,” she said. The couple met in high school, were married and have been together for nearly 50 years, she said.
Fairchild said after she moved here, her entire family which consists of brothers and sisters living in California have moved to Sequoyah County.
“My brother moved here in the 90s and my sister moved here five years ago. Now we’re all here,” she said. Fairchild returned just recently from visiting her nephew and family who live in Dodge City, Kan.
“We don’t have any children and my brother doesn’t either. Just my sister, so now I have two nieces and nephews, four great-nieces and nephews, and one great-great-nephew.
“I’m very proud of my nephew and nephew-in-law. They are both police officers in Dodge City. I just never realized how little our law enforcement officers are appreciated and don’t receive the recognition they deserve. I support them and I want all of them to know how much I appreciate them,” she said.
Fairchild was an accountant by trade before retiring from her job in July from SLPT or the former Borg-Warner company in Sallisaw. She also worked in accounting for Blue Ribbon Downs for 20 years before it ended its operations, she said.
“I began volunteering at the Sallisaw Animal Care Facility because I had the time to do this after retirement. My husband and I also have some rental property we maintain, but I do have more time to volunteer now than I did before. I just enjoy it,” she said.
“I enjoy the times I have with my husband also. He’s an extreme dog person, too. We have two at home, Watts and Opie. Both are Corgies.
“My husband is also my best friend, too,” she said. “I’ll always crochet,” she said, smiling.
Just Folks. Just Folks is Your TIMES way of honoring the regular people of Sequoyah County, recognizing their unique talents, personalities, jobs, abilities, etc. Your TIMES appreciates the cooperation of each Just Folks and the public’s nominations for this feature. If you know of someone you think might be a good story, contact Amie or Lynn at 918-775-4433.
