Puppies, Possums and Perseverance: C a r o l L i n v i l l e ’s L e g a c y o f Animal Advocacy
W R I T T E N BY : N ATA SSI A D O N O H U E
You would never believe that the energetic woman zipping around Pet Helpers with anything from a cat to an egret in her arms has just celebrated her 75th birthday. That’s Carol Linville for you, founder of Pet Helpers and animal advocate extraordinaire. For as long as she can remember, Carol has been a passionate animal lover and for the last 42 years, she has put her heart and soul into Pet Helpers. Her efforts have saved more than 49,000 animals over the years and the legacy she built through Pet Helpers continues to make a difference in the Lowcountry. “My first rescue was Trouble, a little ‘Benji’ dog I saw crawling along Folly Road on my way to work in 1978,” Carol said. “That was just the beginning! It doesn’t matter where the animal is or what is wrong, they rely on us and need us.” As sad as a situation like Trouble’s is, Carol was inspired by a more horrific situation years before. In 1976, Carol learned the horrific reality of euthanasia facing many shelter animals when she read a news article that reported more than 8,000 shelter animals were euthanized every year. The more Carol researched, the more she saw a lack of education and available resources for stray and abandoned
animals and the more she saw a need for help. Armed with that knowledge and a kind, compassionate heart, Carol’s first endeavor in animal welfare was to start a “Pet of the Week” column in the James Island Journal. She also began rescuing dogs here and there with the help of her friends and family, leading to the foundation of Pet Helpers in 1978. Pet Helpers mission is to keep all animals until adopted and the organization became the first nokill shelter in Charleston. Carol went on to explain that the biggest challenge was changing the mindset that euthanasia was the answer to the problem of pet overpopulation and stray/abandoned animals. In realizing that, Carol became a passionate advocate in taking her efforts to the next level. Changing the laws surrounding animal welfare and becoming involved in animal cruelty prosecution were the next step in her mission to save lives. “I personally drafted the first animal welfare ordinance for Charleston County in 1988 and it passed within six months--that was just the beginning!” Carol explained. “In 1989, I worked to get Folly Beach to pass a similar ordinance and have assisted in the passage of several local and state
