Rabun Paws 4 Life is Gifted the 1,000th Happy Chair and it Could be Yours!

by Tracy McCoy

The Laurel has featured artist and friend John Siegel throughout the years in our magazine. We have done so for good reason. He is a delightful, caring and fantastic artist and has a heart of pure gold. John makes “happy chairs” which come in all sizes from a child’s rocker to adult size rockers because everyone deserves to find joy. He has a pallet of 20 different Behr paint colors that he puts on every chair, using three coats to ensure good coverage and a coat of polyurethane. John made his first happy chair for his first grandchild who is now 23 years old. Most of the unfinished chairs John has purchased and made into Happy Chairs since have been donated to support local charities or given to a child in need. Each one signed “Granddaddy John” on the bottom and numbered. Recently he celebrated his 80th birthday and donated his 1,000th chair! Incredible kindness and generosity from a wonderful artist!

John is a member of the St. James Episcopal Church in Clayton and a special ceremony was held honoring John and blessing the chair. The chair is an adult sized rocking chair painted with a double coat of his “signature” colors and added the 1,000s of dots that lend to the artistry of each chair. It is astounding that he has painted and given 1,000 chairs!

Shoe – My name is Shoe. I am a 5 year old Pit Bull and Mountain Cur mix. I came into the shelter in July of this year as a stray. The caring people here saw that I didn’t look quite right. It is because I have masticatory myositis. It is an immune-medicated, inflammatory condition that affects the muscles in my body. So, my head looks like a deflated basketball but that doesn’t stop me from being the sweetest girl you’ve ever met. I love the company of other dogs and people. So if you have a place for me in your heart and want to come meet me, I’d be so happy.

Blacky – Hi, my name is Blacky and I am a senior 9 year old hound mix. I came into the shelter in June of this year because my owner passed away, no fault of my own. When I got here I had a bad case of the mange but I’ve been treated for that and I look better than ever! I am a super sweet old guy and would love to find another home and family to call my very own. Come meet me.

Cecil – Hi, my name is Cecil. I am a young 1 year and 4 month old Catahoula Leopard pup. I came into the shelter in April of this year. You see my owner’s health was declining and they were no longer able to continue to care for me. I am a good boy and enjoy the company of other dogs. So if you would like to come meet me, I’d be so happy to see you!

So the 1,000th chair was donated to Rabun Paws 4 Life, having just lost his “Paws dog” Curly that he adopted over twelve years ago. The chair is on display in different locations around Rabun County. Raffle tickets are available for purchase at Paws 4 Life, the Edward Jones office in Clayton and other locations around town. Soon they hope to have it where you can purchase tickets through www.rabunpaws4life.com. All proceeds go to Rabun Paws 4 Life. This year the shelter will be the recipient of the proceeds from the Festival of Trees at the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on November 24 & 25. Tickets will be available that day and the winning ticket will be drawn at the conclusion of the festival. Special thanks to John for this amazing gift to Rabun Paws 4 Life.

I might also mention that the shelter is at capacity and there are some fantastic pets waiting to be adopted. If you have room in your heart and home for a shelter dog or cat please visit the shelter’s website or stop in and check out these deserving animals. This month we will feature three that might be just the new family member you are looking for. Also many opportunities to volunteer or donate to the shelter exist, give them a call.

If you are interested in Cecil, Shoe or Blacky, please call 706-782-5422 or e-mail Everette at elampros@rabunpaws4life.com