BRADENTON – Friends of Laurie Crawford, both human and canine, gathered at Palma Sola Park on Friday afternoon to give thanks for her life, well lived.
The 64-year-old Anna Maria Island hairdresser left a legacy of love for dogs and their rescuers when she passed away on Nov. 8 after a brief illness.
“A riotous reunion at the Rainbow Bridge ensued,” her obituary read.
Laurie founded the Animal Network in 1999, founded Canine Christmas in 1999, introduced the No-Kill Manatee movement in 2011 and was instrumental in establishing the Happy Tails dog park at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton.
She often sent emails to animal lovers, encouraging them to appear in court at the sentencings of people convicted of animal cruelty.
M K Means met Laurie when her adopted dog, Muddy, and Laurie’s dog, Jessie, introduced them at the Warner’s Bayou boat ramp. She later became involved in Canine Christmas with her, volunteering for two decades at the holiday animal adoption event.
Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, adopted her dog, Molly, at Canine Christmas.
Laurie, who was Suzi’s hairdresser for 25 years, worked for Turtle Watch for a time in an administrative position. She had a way of involving people in nonprofit canine causes with her natural public relations ability, Suzi said.
Suzi recently spoke to Laurie while she was hospitalized to let her know that Molly had gone to the “Rainbow Bridge.”
“I wasn’t prepared for this,” she said.
Shona Otto, of Underdog Rescue of Florida, said Friday that Laurie adopted one of her dogs, Rae Rae, from Underdog.
“She’s an institution,” she said.
“The thing I’ll remember most about Laurie is her smile and her gritty, infectious laugh,” Shona wrote in a memory book. “She was a champion for the animals and a lover of the underdogs. She was not one to back away from a fight if it meant helping the animals.”
Caryn Hodge, her mother, Ruth Ueker, and Hannah the dog were among the dozens attending the memorial. Caryn credited Laurie for inspiring many to become animal activists like Ruth, who worked to get a small section of Anna Maria Island’s beach set aside as a “time share” dog park. Despite her persistence and hard work, the idea didn’t take hold, but Laurie’s idea for the dog park at G.T. Bray Park did.
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Laurie’s friends at the Animal Network will ask Manatee County commissioners to name the park after her. Many on her email address list will undoubtedly attend, as they attended so many hearings and court cases with her.
Memorial donations for Laurie may be made to Animal Network.
