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Lyman Pope… A Man Who Walks His Talk By Nancy Dewar

The Cocheco Valley Humane Society was founded in 1984 in a 100-year-old piggery on the County Complex in Dover, New Hampshire. Though the building was old and lacking many amenities, it certainly wasn’t lacking in love and care for the animals. However, 2017 proved to be a landmark year for the shelter with the generous $1 million donation from Lyman Pope, Jr. for the construction of a new facility. After years of hard work on this project and donations from others, the new shelter, now known as the Pope Memorial Cocheco Valley Humane Society, opened this past July.

I reached out to Mr. Pope to learn more about his support of animals in need and he graciously offered to meet with me at his yearround home in Jackson, New Hampshire. Following a beautiful but slippery 2-hour drive to the White Mountains in December, I arrived at his chalet-style house after climbing up winding mountain roads. I was greeted at the door by Lyman and his recently rescued German Shepherd named Sadie, who welcomed me with lots of gentle nibbles on my leg! I must admit that I am a bit timid around Shepherds, but she soon settled down and lounged on the couch. We sat at the kitchen table, enjoyed a hearty cup of coffee and had a wonderful visit.

Though his home is surrounded by 8-foot high fencing so his dogs could roam freely, Lyman walks Sadie about a mile every day. Not bad at all for a man who is 91 years old! The fence is unusually tall, as they’ve always had German Shepherds. Prior to Sadie, Lyman had one of the great loves of his lifetime, Maximillian, for 12 years and 2 months. As he spoke about Max, it was apparent that this 110-pound Shepherd was truly a special family member. “He wasn’t a dog. He was a person. I had to let him go last March, and he’s buried nearby in Bartlett. He was starting to walk stiffly, I discovered a lump on his stomach and then he didn’t eat for 4 days. I knew it was time.” Sadie came into Lyman’s life in June from a shelter in Virginia. “She’s no Max but she’s doing the best that she can. I got her over the phone and didn’t know that she had a problem with other dogs,” he stated a bit wistfully. “But she’s doing the best she can,” he reiterated. We both concurred; one never replaces a dog, you just get a new, different one to love.

Lyman grew up in Haverill, Massachusetts. He and his beloved wife Pat, along with their two sons Peter and Chris, lived in Andover, Massachusetts for many years. Summers

were spent in Ogunquit, and they bought their Jackson house several years ago; all avid skiers. Lyman and Pat were married for 60 years, prior to her death in 2018. There is a wall in the kitchen lined with family photos and family dogs and lots and lots of vivid love. He laughed when he told me, “I didn’t really start making big money until I was 45. Before that, I had a regular job!” Forty-plus years ago he began buying mobile home parks. He purchased the first with a $22,000 loan from his Mother along with $17,000 from selling some of his stocks and bank financing. “I still had my other job at that time. I was selling machinery and flying to Detroit a lot. When the company finally caught on to my new business, they let me go.” The family now owns several mobile parks and real estate in Maine and New Hampshire. Following his retirement, helping animals has become a huge focus in Lyman’s life.

I asked Mr. Pope how he got involved with animal shelters. He stated, “There are 36 shelters in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Around 1999 I started visiting many of them and thought about how poorly the dogs and cats were being taken care of. They needed more help.” Max always accompanied him on these trips. They stayed in many motels during their journeys over the years from Bar Harbor south. The trips became so regular

The Lyman Pope Jr. Foundation was established in 2000, and there are now four shelters bearing the Pope name. The Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter located in Orleans, Vermont was the first organization he supported.

that Max would sense when they were close to their usual stopping points. “When we were close to these familiar places, Max would make noises and bark. He knew where we were!”

The Lyman Pope Jr. Foundation was established in 2000, and there are now four shelters bearing the Pope name. The Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter located in Orleans, Vermont was the first organization he supported. In addition to donating $1.5 million to help build a new facility, Lyman has also granted the shelter a financial endowment for future capital expenses. His other more-than-generous support includes a $1 million donation to help build the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County located in Rockland, Maine; a $525 thousand donation to assist in building the Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord-Merrimack County in New Hampshire in 2014 with another $500 thousand contribution promised after his death; and most recently, his $1 million donation for the new Pope Memorial Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover. These are just the big contributions. When other needs arise, such as new fencing, etc., he is always right there with his checkbook.

What a gift to meet such a wonderful, kind, generous (and handsome!) man who loves animals beyond words and truly walks his talk. “They needed more help.” And Lyman Pope has helped with enormous financial support for many shelters and their resident dogs and cats. His help will outlive him, as he told me that he has provided for additional support for animals in his will. “I just hope they don’t get it too soon,” he said laughing.

seacoastbarkmagazine.com 19 Lyman with Max at Shelter in Maine

If you’re interested in finding a new buddy or would like to help support any of these shelters, please visit their website.

Dover, NH: cvhsonline.org Concord, NH: popememorialspca.org Rockland, ME: humanesocietyofknoxcounty.org Orleans, VT: frontieranimalsociety.com