Sedona AZ (April 28, 2014) – The following is a letter to the SedonaEye.com:
It is with a deep and profound sadness beyond comprehension that we announce the passing of the founder, heart and soul of The Hairy Angel Foundation.
Frances Anne Elliott devoted 18 years of her very active and productive life to address the need for trained service dogs to assist autistic children in achieving a better quality of independence, activity, communication and social interaction. She was a true pioneer who headed the first organization to recognize and address this issue.
The Hairy Angel Foundation breeds, trains and places these wonderful service companions with autistic and special needs children and their families, completely free of charge. Director of Training Gary DeGeronimo and an incredible team of volunteer puppy raisers have unselfishly devoted years of time and effort with these puppies to achieve the level of training that is required for each one to become a Hairy Angel and change the life of a child.
The Hairy Angel Foundation will continue to perform it’s mission as a memorial to it’s beloved founder, as we recognize the ever-growing need for her dream to live on.
In lieu of flowers or gift baskets, a tax deductible monetary donation to the Hairy Angel Foundation, PO Box 1074, Sedona Arizona 86339-1074, a 501C3 charitable organization, would be greatly appreciated. We feel that this is what Fran would want, so that her work may continue.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Edward A. Elliott, Director The Hairy Angel Foundation
“:-(“
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Fran was great. Witty and generous. I will miss her.
So saddened to hear this… a real angel;)
Our “Hairy Angel”, appropriately named “Angel”, changed our lives nearly 13 years ago and she is still with us today. Thank you Fran, Gary, Sharon, Edward and all the other Hairy Angel volunteers!
Fran was a beautiful human (as my son would say), a definite Angel herself! So blessed to have met her! She will truly be missed,
Thank you Gary for bringin our sweet Angel Cookie all this way (Las Cruces) nearly 15 years ago! She was the joy of our lives!
Thank you all for all you’ve done!